Northern N.Y.; January 15, 2019.  Dairy farms face a variety of challenges, including how cold weather affects their animals. Progressive research by the farmer-led Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) is advancing the science-based understanding of how climate and farm management practices impact dairy calf health in the winter season.

Dairy farmers across the six-county Northern NY region have participated in the NNYADP research focused on calf health evaluation by Cornell University Quality Milk Production Services, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute.

A series of NNYADP research projects conducted since 2015 have focused on how adjusting housing type, bedding, the number of calves in a pen, temperature, airflow, wind chill, humidity, and ammonia concentration in calf pens can help reduce the rate of respiratory illness in pre-weaned calves under extreme cold stress.

Proper winter care of calves positively influences weight gain in the young animals and, longer-term, their future milk production and calving potential.

A dairy calf health risk assessment tool, built by Cornell Cooperative Extension using data collected from NNYADP dairy calf research projects since 2012, helps farmers identify on-farm environmental and farm management factors that can be adjusted to achieve the greatest positive impact on calf health.

“We have seen a reduction in winter-related calf health issues, primarily respiratory challenges, on the farms that have implemented management changes based on the research data and the calf health risk assessment,” says Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D, Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Dairy Specialist.

The calf health risk assessment tool is available to agricultural educators by contacting Morrill at 315-379-9192. Training is required to conduct the on-farm evaluations.

Other NNYADP research into the variable climate, environmental and farm management factors related to heat stress on dairy calves and cows is providing the basis for adapting best care practices for application farm-by-farm and by season. Learn more on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is provided by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Northern N.Y.; January 9, 2019.  The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted its annual report at www.nnyagdev.org. The 12-page document highlights the Program’s practical research and real-world results in terms of the local and statewide economic, agronomic and environmental stewardship value.

The diversity of soils, micro-climates and agricultural sectors across the six northern counties of New York State make Northern New York an ideal research area.

Testimonies from farmers and research specialists offer personal and professional insight into the value of the NNYADP projects’ science-based, field-tested results focused on enhancing dairy, crop, maple, fruit and vegetable production and efficient return-on-investment as well as soil health and water quality management practices.

Multi-year NNYADP projects are progressively building farm- and field-specific datasets and adding critical mass to regional, state and Northeast datasets to form the science-based basis for whole-farm nutrient mass balancing. This work demonstrates how farmers can more efficiently apply fertilizer and manure to meet natural resource stewardship goals without losing crop yield or quality.

The NNYADP has commissioned a first-of-its-kind project for New York State. Miner Institute has begun evaluating how the use of tile drainage interacts with soil, crops, and water resources in a project located along Lake Champlain. The work includes a comparison of water quality and crop yield and quality from tiled and naturally draining fields.

With the same precision management goal, the NNYADP farmer committee is credited for its acumen in identifying the need to reevaluate nutrient application guidelines due to advances in corn breeding and production practices. This work helps farmers reduce the use of fertilizer and manure resources where not needed and apply such nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorus only where crop uptake and benefit are expected.

Recent NNYADP projects have addressed challenges and opportunities related to climate adaptability for cows, crops, and conservation; as well as developing birch syrup as a niche product to help Northern NY maple producers grow into the region’s $10 million annual sales potential as identified by Cornell University.

Other NNYADP research is building on food buyer, consumer, and farmer interest expressed in the NNY local food hub feasibility survey, and providing valuable pollinator-friendly information to the emerging NY honey industry and to NY apple growers.

The cold-hardy grape research nursery at Willsboro has just begun evaluating new varieties suggested by growers, plant breeders and the leading academic programs for production in New York State, and early commercial-scale production data from the “super fruit” Juneberry nursery at Willsboro is now encouraging on-farm trials.

As evidence of the combined long-term commitment by New York State and the NNYADP to funding and finding a solution to the devastating alfalfa snout beetle, the annual report notes that the biocontrol application developed in NNY has not only restored alfalfa production regionally but is now finding use to manage pests in other crops across New York State and elsewhere in the U.S.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

January 2, 2019
Meet Uihlein Maple Research Forest Director Adam D. Wild

Lake Placid, N.Y.  Adam D. Wild is the new director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest at Lake Placid, NY. In 2019, Wild will serve as Cornell University’s NNY Maple Specialist and will be the project leader of a 2019 NNYADP project continuing the timing of tapping study to quantify the benefits of re-tapping maple trees within a season. This new research will look at the opportunity to increase production by capturing early sap runs and then re-tapping before the two hole dries up to capture later sap flow events. Other work in 2019 includes analyzing the sap from the original Cornell “Sweet Trees” and evaluating ways to increase flow on 3/16” tubing.

Wild comes to Northern NY by way of the SUNY Cobleskill Plant and Animal Science Department where he was an assistant professor. His research experience includes an investigation into the sugar content of maple sap after N, P or Ca fertilization of trees in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, with results published as “Soil Nutrients Affect Sweetness of Sugar Maple Sap,” coauthored with Ruth Yanai, in Forest Ecology and Management. That work also included sampling the sweetness of sugar maple clones propagated by rooted cuttings in Heiberg Memorial Forest, Tully, NY.

Adam is a graduate of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Masters of Science in Forest Ecology and Ecosystem Science. In addition to the maple sugar industry, Adam’s areas of study and professorship include dendrology, ecology, botany, and forest soils. He grew up on a small farm in Cattaraugus County.

“It is an honor to be stepping into the role as Director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest following a long history of great leadership. I am excited to be working on projects to benefit maple producers in the Northern New York region and across the state,” says Wild.

January 2019: Growing Into NNY’s $10 Million Maple Industry Potential

January 31, 2019, 12:30-1:15 pm
Webinar: 2018 Corn Silage Hybrid Test Results
New York and VT data includes NNY trial sites
Presenter: Joe Lawrence, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY Dairy Forage Systems Specialist will present the results of  the 2018 corn silage hybrid evaluation trials that included 77 hybrids from 17 companies evaluated at locations in NY and Vermont, including farms in NNY. Click here for more information