The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has provided funding for Winter 2016 Dairy Courses organized by the Cornell Cooperative Extension associations of Northern New York, Quality Milk Production Services, and Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team.

2016 Winter Dairy Institute programs on cattle housing and handling, cow comfort, animal welfare and communicating positive messages about cattle welfare will feature dairy specialists with the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Vermont Department of Animal and Veterinary Services from 10 am to 3 pm on:

. . January 12 in Burrville at Farm Credit East

. . January 13 at Extension offices in Canton in NNY and in Albion, Canandaigua and Warsaw in WNY; and

. . January 14 in Chazy at the W. H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute.

Internet broadcasting and webinar technology will make the programs possible in multiple sites.

On January 20, American Dairy Association and Dairy Council and Upstate Niagara Cooperative representatives will present information on the National Dairy F.A.R.M. Program and on communicating positive messages about dairy cattle welfare from 10 am to 3 pm in Burrville, Canton and Chazy in NNY, and in Albion, Canandaigua and Warsaw in WNY.

Find more details and registration here

Learn more about the Winter Dairy Course speakers here

Regional agribusinesses are the latest beneficiaries of the nearly 30 years of research dedicated by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program to finding a solution to alfalfa snout beetle, an invasive insect that threatens alfalfa crops highly valued by dairy and livestock producers.

Through the scientific discovery process, Cornell University entomologist Elson Shields and research support specialist Antonio Testa discovered native New York nematodes as a naturally occurring biological control for alfalfa snout beetle, ASB, and pioneered the use of the insect-attacking, microscopic worms to reduce beetle populations to manageable levels.

The two scientists also developed a farmer-friendly, low-labor nematode rearing and application methods for farm-built and commercial sprayer units.

With training from Shields and Testa, regional crop service agribusinesses are filling an economic gap by offering custom rearing and application of the nematodes between planting and harvesting seasons. One spray service in the northern NY is developing its own nematode rearing facility for use in 2016.

Click here to learn more with comments from:
Dr. Elson Shields, Cornell University
Aaron Miller, Miller’s Spray Service, Lowville
Mary DeBeer, DeBeer Seeds and Spraying, Moira
Floyd Morter, Bourdeau Bros, Champlain
Brent Phillips, Bourdeau Bros, Canton

Farmers:
Cody Reynolds, Windsong Farm, Adams Center
Doug Moser, Moserdale Farm, Copenhagen
Lynn Murray, Murcrest Farm, Copenhagen

Cornell Cooperative Extension Field Crops Specialists
Kitty O’Neil: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence counties
Mike Hunter: Jefferson, Lewis counties.

The NNYADP thanks New York State Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman and Senator Patty Ritchie and NYS Senator Betty Little for their comments on the NNYADP funded beef survey project in a recent article by Lancaster Farming Correspondent Paul Post.

We share those excerpts below. To read the entire article, please click here.

Senator Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Patty Ritchie, R-St. Lawrence County, represents the western half of the region. Livestock represents one of the largest sectors of New York’s agriculture industry, Ritchie said, “and in order for it to continue to expand, we need to know what’s happening on the ground level,” she said. “I’ve been pleased in recent years to advocate for funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program to help make efforts like this possible, and am looking forward to seeing how these findings help guide New York’s beef industry as it continues to grow.”

State Sen. Betty Little, R-Glens Falls, represents the eastern part of the North Country.

“This survey shows the growing trend in the beef industry, which is consistent with discussions I’ve had at our county fairs,” she said. “In the North Country, we have good soil and plenty of water, and a consumer population increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from and wanting high-quality beef for its nutritional content.”

 

 

Northern New York. To assess the current state of the NNY beef industry, the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program funded a regional survey of cow-calf farmers in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The results of the survey that will help guide regional beef industry educational programming and NNYADP-funded research projects for the next five years are now posted in the Livestock section at www.nnyagdev.org.

A snapshot of survey results shows:
. . . 96 percent of the NNY beef producers surveyed plan to expand or maintain their current size

. . . The predominant breed of beef cattle raised in Northern New York is Angus

. . . 52 percent of those surveyed sell direct to consumers by freezer trade

. . . 48 percent of those surveyed sell direct to a cattle buyer

. . . 8 percent of those surveyed sell breeding stock

. . . Increasing numbers of beef farmers are developing relationships with a veterinarian to help maintain herd health and quality beef production.

Cow-calf farmers in NNY maintain the permanent breeding herds that are the foundation of the beef industry. Cow-calf operations supply 500 lb. to 800 lb. calves to feedlots that grow them out for beef processors, sell breeding stock to other producers, and package beef for direct sale to local consumers and food buyers.

Beef producers in Northern New York are increasingly interested in research and educational opportunities to help them improve herd management, farm efficiency, and profitability. Agricultural educators locally and at Cornell University are using the survey input to guide their extension and outreach efforts, says NNY Regional Livestock Team Leader Betsy Hodge, a livestock specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.

Funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has provided regional farmers with access to the expertise of Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Baker. His recent efforts have helped NNY producers develop better consistency in the cattle they raise and secured USDA funding to help regional beef producers pool cattle to better meet buyer demand for supply and quality.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a farmer-driven research and technical assistance program serving Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

NNY CCE Field Crops Specialist Mike Hunter alerts growers to be on the watch for alfalfa snout beetle. Both Jefferson and Lewis County have a lengthy and well-known history of alfalfa snout beetle (ASB). The presence of ASB is more widespread in Jefferson County than it is in Lewis County. Every year we discover new infestations of alfalfa snout beetles on farms. The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has funded many alfalfa snout beetle research projects aimed at finding management strategies to control this pest.

In 2015, the NNYADP funded a project that surveys alfalfa fields for the presence of alfalfa snout beetle. We are updating the map that identifies known infestations of alfalfa snout beetles on farms in NNY.

The ultimate goal of this project is to increase persistence and stand of alfalfa fields all across the North Country by reducing ASB populations through expanded nematode applications and more intentional crop rotations.

In many cases the ASB was present on the farm for several years before it was discovered. We find that the decline in the alfalfa stands on these farms is blamed on winterkill, aggressive cutting schedules, and the alfalfa variety. Most alfalfa seedings in NNY do contain some perennial grasses and as the alfalfa dies out the grasses fill in the voids. Growers many not notice a decline in yield but will begin to notice that the alfalfa is thinner each year.

If your neighbor has alfalfa snout beetle on their farm and you also grow alfalfa, there is a high likelihood that ASB is present on your farm as well.

If you are not sure if you have alfalfa snout beetle infestations on your farm and have alfalfa fields that just don’t last as long as they used to, please contact CCE to schedule a field visit in Jefferson or Lewis County with Mike at 315-788-8450, meh27@cornell.edu, or in Clinton, Essex, Franklin or St. Lawrence County with NNY Field Crops and Soils Specialist Kitty O’Neil, 315-379-9192, kao32@cornell.edu.

Kitty notes that the last survey and map of the NNY areas affected by ASB is now 8 years old and there have been some new outbreaks, so she and Mike be covering the NNY countryside looking for ASB during the fall which is peak ASB hunting season.

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