Northern New York Agriculture
Congratulations go to Mapleview Dairy in Madrid, NY, in St. Lawrence County, for earning the New York State Agricultural Society Farm Safety Award.
Farm owners David Fisher and Louanne King are long-time supporters of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. Dave is currently a member of the NNYADP Steering Committee and Dairy and Field Crop Production Sub-Committee.
Two Northern New York Agricultural Development Program meetings were held in the region in February. The meetings provide members and friends of the farmer-driven research, outreach and technical assistance program for the six northernmost counties of New York State with project updates and the opportunity to brainstorm research and education needs and opportunities for the coming year.
The following photos are from the NNY west-side meeting in Watertown.
Above, Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) Co-Chair Jon Greenwood (center) spoke with Tim Scee (right), a representative of NYS Senator Patty Ritchie, and Jim Durkish, constituent representative for NYS Senator Joseph Griffo, at the February 2013 NNYADP meeting in Watertown. Both Senate representatives cited the importance of agriculture to the Northern New York economy.
NNYADP Horticulture subcommittee members discussed needs and opportunities for regional vegetable, fruit, nursery, and greenhouse producers. Left to right seated: Cornell Small Farms Program Director Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Willsboro Farm Manager Mike Davis, Cornell Horticulture Professor Dr. Steve Reiners; standing, CCE Jefferson County Horticulture educator Sue Gwise, and Jefferson County grower Gail Millard.
Cornell University Animal Science Senior Extension Associate Karl J. Czymmek provided an update on the positive impact of NNYADP-funded agricultural environmental stewardship projects led by Cornell Crop and Soil Sciences Associate Professor Quirine M. Ketterings. Czymmek spoke about whole farm mass nutrient balancing projects that help farmers precisely target the use of soil nutrients, fertilizer, and manure resources.
Members of the NNYADP Livestock Committee attending the annual meeting in Watertown included (l to r) Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Baker, Ithaca, NY; livestock producer and CSA supplier Steve Winkler of Rodman, NY; NNY Cornell Cooperative Extension Livestock Specialist Betsy Hodge, Canton, NY; beef producer Don Holman, Adams, NY; sheep farmer Harold Boomhower, Rutland, NY; and CCE Community Educator and livestock farmer Steve Ledoux, Croghan, NY.
Cornell Entomologist Dr. Elson Shields points out the range of alfalfa snout beetle (ASB) in nine counties in New York State. Shields has been honored by the Entomological Society of America for his body of work, including the NNYADP-funded development of a biocontrol for the destructive ASB. Farmers using nematodes to control the beetle are once again harvesting high quality alfalfa crops to feed dairy cows and other livestock. NNYADP-funded trials, led by Dr. Donald Viands and Dr. Julie L. Hansen of Cornell, breeding ASB-resistant varieties of alfalfa are developing a second means of ASB control for tandem use with the nematodes.
Can farmers grow salad greens through the winter in Northern New York? Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-funded trials at the Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY, are evaluating winter lettuce production methods.
A team of Cornell University researchers and extension specialists is investigating the use of prototype, low-wattage heating strips to warm the soil to enhance lettuce production during the winter months in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
Each spring Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Northern New York holds a series of NNY Spring Beef Week meetings to keep beef producers in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties up-to-date on the latest and best management practices. Spring and Fall Beef Week meetings provide a place for beef producers to network and share ideas.
2013 Spring Beef Week programs will be held:
Tuesday, March 12 – Westport
Wednesday, March 13 – Burke
Thursday, March 14 – Madrid
Friday, March 15 – Watertown.
News of the research by Northern New York Maple Specialist Mike Farrell on New York’s untapped maple resources has reached Central and Western New York. Read the story by Jeff Murray of the Elmira Star-Gazette that also appeared in the February 27 edition of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Click here for more info on Northern New York maple research