The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has received $600,000 in the 2016-17 New York State Budget to support on-farm research and technical assistance in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

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

“Across New York State, and especially in Northern New York, farmers work extremely hard to produce the fresh, healthy foods that feed the people of the world,” said New York State Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator Patty Ritchie. “And, it is initiatives like the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program that make our family farms more successful, by providing them with vitally important resources and research that improve efficiency and boos their bottom lines. I could not be more pleased that our state is once again providing record support for agriculture programs, including the NNYADP, in the new state budget, and I look forward to seeing how these investments help New York’s agriculture industry continue to grow.”

NYS Senator Betty Little said, “I am pleased to have partnered with our Senate Agriculture Chair Patty Ritchie and our other North Country colleagues to secure this line of funding for our farmers. There is no question this will be put to good use and continue to help Northern New York farmers become more efficient, more productive, and, hopefully, more successful, which is important for our local economies.”

“Generations of farmers have played a major role in sustaining the economy throughout all regions of New York State, and their hard work continues to define the success of state’s agricultural industry,” said NYS Senator Joseph Griffo. ”Through this funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, I am glad we will be able to support our farmers in their research to find more efficient and sustainable ways to grow and better confront the challenges New York’s farms face today.”

“It remains a priority of the state to provide support for North Country farmers who face unique challenges. I am gratified that the 2016-17 Budget will continue to fund needed research and outreach programs to help mitigate problems, and enhance new opportunities through the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program,” said NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Assemblyman Bill Magee.

More than 100 farmers serve as committee members with the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program.

“State funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is the economic engine that drives critical on-farm research and the practical application of results that make farms more efficient, productive, profitable and sustainable,” said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Jon Greenwood.

“We appreciate the investment New York State makes in keeping agriculture in Northern New York strong and the farmers who guide the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program proactively select on-farm research that returns on that investment both immediately and long-term,” said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Joe Giroux, a dairy farmer in Clinton County.

“The funding secured by our North Country legislative and agricultural committee leaders provides the regional farmers who guide the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program the opportunity to identify and prioritize real-world field trials and on-farm research for attention. The results help us manage increasing challenges with best practices and keep agriculture economically strong for our communities, the region and the state,” said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Jon Rulfs, a dairy farmer and fruit grower in Clinton County.

Recent NNYADP research has included evaluation of newly emerging causes of mastitis in dairy cows, the economic opportunities of non-traditional crops for high tunnel longer-season production and sales, and developing birch syrup production as a niche marketing opportunity for NNY sugarmakers.

 

Twenty-six NNYADP projects now underway in 2016 include research on disease resistance in cherry tomatoes, management practices for reducing heat stress in dairy cows and calves, and ways to increase bee health management.

The Northern New York agricultural industry represents total farm product sales valued at more than $750 million and a farm worker payroll that nearly doubled over 2007 data to $67.1 million, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) projects span all sectors from dairy, crops and livestock to fruit, vegetable and maple production and agricultural environmental stewardship.

The January 2016 economic impact report on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, a list of 2016 NNYADP projects, research reports, and event notices are online at www.nnyagdev.org.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded research on alfalfa snout beetle management is featured in a two-page article by Dave Natzke in the April 2016 issue of Progressive Forage Grower. Click here to read Northern New York fighting alfalfa snout beetle, naturally.

“MEASURE” is Message from Cornell Crop Nutrient Researcher at NNYADP Meetings

Northern NY. “Measure yield” is the number one thing growers can do to help themselves improve crop production Dr. Quirine M. Ketterings told farmers attending the 2016 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) annual meetings.

“To improve management of crops, we have to do a better job with measuring yield and crop response. Field-to-field and year-to-year management records are needed for an analysis of what management alternatives can enhance versus limit crop production,” said Ketterings, director of the Cornell University Nutrient Management Spear Program.

“Northern New York has seen an upward trend in corn silage and grain production . . .

Read more and learn Dr. Ketterings’ other suggestions for cropping success.

Time Warner Cable News reporter Brian Dwyer visited the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program meeting to learn more about the NNY Regional Food Hub project funded in part by the NNYADP. He talked with NNYADP Co-Chair Jon Greenwood and project leader Anita Deming. Click here to see the story.

NNY Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report Shows Opportunities, Value of Regional Research

Northern NY. The recently-released Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report indicates growth opportunities and the value of localized on-farm research that benefits not only the diverse agricultural sectors in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, but often has a positive impact on farms statewide.

The report offers project highlights and economic indicators under the headings of Apples, Beef, Crops, Dairy, Disease and Pest Control, Environmental Stewardship, Food Hub, Food Product Innovation, New Business Development, Maple and Birch Syrup, and Young Farmers.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report posted at www.nnyagdev.org/index.php/about-us/nnyadp-impact-2/ is accompanied by NNYADP “Quotables” with comments on the value of the regional research and technical assistance program from farmers, researchers, agricultural specialists, and business owners. More than 100 farmers serve on the NNYADP steering committee.

NNYADP Co-Chair Jon Greenwood, a dairy farmer in St. Lawrence County, comments, “Farmers across the region look to the proactive research and survey work prioritized by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program for the results and insights that they can apply in a practical way on their farms and that strengthen the agricultural industries that support our communities.”

NNYADP Co-Chair Joe Giroux, a dairy farmer in Clinton County, adds, “The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program projects in the past two years are more great examples of how the research work done here often serves as a sentinel alerting regional farmers to new field and livestock challenges, first wave opportunities for management response, and control solutions that may benefit farms here and beyond.”

NNYADP Co-Chair Jon Rulfs, a dairy and orchard owner in Clinton County, “The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program combines the on-the-ground knowledge of regional farmers, the academic expertise of the best researchers from Cornell University, Miner Institute, SUNY and others, and funding support from the New York State Senate to meet needs and develop opportunities to grow the regional farming industry in practical, timely and sound ways.”

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. Economic impact reports for 2012-2015, project reports, resource links, and NNY events are posted on nnyagdev.org.

NNYADP Economic Impact Highlights
AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Under the heading of New Business Development, the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report notes that in 2015 five agribusiness services serving five of the six northern counties offered the custom application of nematodes proven by NNYADP research as a snout beetle management control. A Franklin County farm family that runs a seeds and spray service plans to start its own nematode-rearing lab in 2016.

AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report indicates opportunities to advance agricultural environmental stewardship with the results of field trials providing critical localized data on the impact of tile drainage on reducing erosion and the runoff of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. The results of this research project have been presented at farm industry meetings in California, Iowa, and New York.

BEEF PRODUCTION: 96 Percent Strong
Ninety-six percent of beef producers responding to a Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded survey of the regional beef industry said they plan to expand or maintain the current size of their farm business.

CROP PRODUCTION: Corn, Alfalfa, Forage
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report lists 2015 projects that evaluated why some northern NY cornfields exceed projected yield expectations, analyzed corn silage hybrids under NNY growing conditions, addressed winter season survival of alfalfa, and assessed opportunities to improve forage production for dairy cows and other livestock.

CROP PESTS AND DISEASE ALERT
The NNY Crop Pest and Disease Survey project revealed no new challenges during the 2015 growing season, following identification in 2014 of head smut not seen in New York State cornfields since the 1980s and northern stem canker identified in New York State for the first time in 2014 in the region. Program leaders note that northern NY often serves as a sentinel alerting farmers statewide to pest or disease concerns and management responses.

DAIRY PRODUCTION: Mastitis Research, Water Quality
The second year of a Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded investigation into the lesser-known causes of dairy mastitis led by Quality Milk Production Services, Canton, NY, provided more critical insight in support of the $486 million regional dairy industry. The results of this work to date have been requested at meetings of dairy operators and veterinarians in Louisiana, Vermont, and New York, and the National Mastitis Council.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report notes that other dairy research conducted on NNY farms in 2015 suggests that the number of factors impacting water quality on a farm may lead to lost milk production of 5.5 to 14.2 lbs. of milk per cow per day.

A FOOD HUB for NNY: Farmers, Consumers, Food buyers Survey
Projects related to developing northern NY regional foods opportunities in the January 2016 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report include a survey of farmer, consumer and buyer interest in a regional food hub. Sixty-six percent of the NNY market growers surveyed sell 75 to 100 percent of their products within the NNY region.

FOOD PRODUCT INNOVATION: Edamame, Birch Syrup
Food product innovation projects noted in the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report highlight opportunities to produce edamame: green soybeans prized as a healthy snack food, and to produce syrup from the sap of birch trees.

 

FRUIT PRODUCTION: Grapes, Juneberries
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report notes that research in 2015 added to the knowledge base for the regional production of cold hardy grape varieties, and juneberries. The first juneberry nursery and production research center in New York State was established with NNYADP funding at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY.

FRUIT PRODUCTION: Apples
The $46.9 million apple industry in northern New York is benefiting from NNYADP research that is helping growers to identify key orchard pests to better target management strategies.

SEASON EXTENSION: Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Economic Impact Report cites price per square foot research on the opportunity for increasing numbers of high tunnel growers to reap the economic benefit of crops not traditionally grown in high tunnels. Basil, for example, was evaluated as an excellent economic option at a value of $4.52/sq. ft. of high tunnel space, while ginger can sell for as much as $16 per pound

SMALL LIVESTOCK: Sheep, Goats
The NNYADP is funding field trials of birdsfoot trefoil, a forage species growing in the region many years ago, on regional sheep and goat farms. Results from 2015 are under scrutiny as a means of controlling parasites in small livestock. The 2012 Census of Agriculture reports $645,000 in NNY regional sales of sheep and goats.

YOUNG FARMERS
Results of a survey on how to reach the young farmers in northern NY will be available soon. The region has nearly 300 younger operators of farms.