Northern New York Agricultural Development Program

April 7, 2025 By karalynn

American Agriculturist: Watch out corn rootworm (NNYADP success helping farmers nationwide)

American Agriculturist magazine recently ran a story highlighting the persistent biocontrol nematodes research pioneered in Northern New York with long-term support from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program that is now helping farmers across the Midwestern U.S. The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is pleased that this research initially developed. and accomplished with a long-term commitment by the NNYADP, to protect alfalfa as a key dairy, equine and livestock crop in NNY has broadly-extended value for farmers across the U.S.

Corn rootworm on leaf. — *Corn rootworm; USDA/Stephen Ausmus*

The research conducted on farms throughout Northern New York began in earnest with the need to reduce populations of alfalfa snout beetle, the most destructive pest of alfalfa crops in the region. Having developed a successful way to rear and apply insect-attacking nematodes native to NNY, entomologist Elson Shields and research support specialist Tony Testa discovered, along with the NNY farmers who had applied the nematodes, that the nematodes persisted and were also have a positive impact on reducing corn rootworm in fields rotated out of alfalfa where the nematodes had been applied.

Funding for this pioneering persistent biocontrol research and for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program was and is, respectively, supported by the New York State Legislature through the NYS Assembly and administrated by the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.

May 11, 2023 By karalynn

NNYADP Receives $300,000 in State Budget for Vital Agricultural Research

Plattsburgh, New York; May 11, 2023. The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has announced that the farmer-driven research program has received $300,000 in funding from the 2023-2024 New York State Budget through the support of the New York State Assembly. The funding will support research on the unique micro-climates, soils, challenges, and opportunities for the diverse agricultural sectors across New York’s six northernmost counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence.

The New York State Legislature established the NNYADP in 1961. Since then, the program has supported the region’s growth into a major agricultural economic engine for northern New York and New York State.

NNYADP Co-Chair Joseph Giroux, Plattsburgh, New York, said, “We thank the New York State Assembly, particularly the members of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, with special gratitude for Assemblyman Billy Jones’ stalwart support of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, the value of its prioritized research to our farms, and the financial sustainability of our communities.”

Giroux co-chairs the NNYADP with Jon Rulfs, Peru, New York, and Jon Greenwood, Canton, New York.

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) said, “The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is an important asset not only to the North Country, but for agriculture across the state and the country. Between the research into beech tree syrup, manure and food waste co-digestion, and calf probiotics, NNYADP is leading the way in developing innovative agricultural practices. I am proud to have supported them during budget negotiations to once again secure funding so that they are able to continue their important work supporting North Country farmers.”

Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, said, “The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is widely recognized as a leader in the development of New York’s agricultural industry, producing quality research with statewide and national significance. Northern New York is critical to our state’s thriving food economy, and I am pleased that this funding will support their vitally important work. I’d like to acknowledge and thank my colleague Assemblyman Billy Jones for continuing to prioritize the NNYADP’s funding request.”

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, a member of the New York State Assembly Agriculture Committee, said, “Supporting and investing in our state’s agriculture sector has never been more important as it is today. The innovators and entrepreneurs who literally ‘plant their roots’ in the North Country have made a tremendous impact on our way of life and our local economy, and push boundaries when it comes to offering new agricultural products in the global marketplace. This state investment continues to signal New York State will remain a serious competitor when it comes to agricultural opportunities in the North Country.”

More than 80 farmers representing diverse farming enterprises across Northern New York voluntarily serve on the NNYADP Farmer Committee that prioritizes research for grants. Projects range in focus from agricultural environmental stewardship and farm tile drainage to dairy, field crops, local foods, horticulture, honey, maple, and forestry production. The results of NNYADP projects are posted at www.nnyagdev.org.

The funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is administrated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

March 9, 2023 By karalynn

NNYADP Dairy Employee E-Training Project Results Presented to National, International Audiences

Man looking at dairy learning page on a smart phone — *A farm employee participating in the NNYADP-QMPS dairy worker e-training pilot project. Photo: QMPS*

March 9, 2023; Canton, New York. The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program announces that the results of dairy worker E-training research funded by the farmer-driven program, and conducted by Quality Milk Production Services, have recently been presented to the National Mastitis Council at its 2023 meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, and in an article now available worldwide through the JDS Communications Journal of the American Dairy Science Association. The journal is an open access resource that allows researchers to make their work globally accessible.

The article, “Dairy farm worker milking equipment training with an E-learning system,” reports the impact of the 3-year “Assessing the Effect of E-Learning Training Systems on Milk Quality and Dairy Parlor Performance” project that developed and tested online training with the help of 15 commercial dairy farms in northern New York. The article cites previous research noting that the lack of training has been considered “one of the main reasons for lower detection of animal health problems, poor animal handling and management of calving events, and poor milking routines,” whereas, it states that “farms with frequent training of milking personnel achieve faster milking speeds and lower rates of clinical mastitis.”

Veterinarian in a dairy farm milking parlor — *Paul D. Virkler, D.V.M., QMPS, Canton, NY*

“During farm visits, Quality Milk Production Services began to see a need for training dairy personnel about proper procedures for tasks in the milking parlor and for collecting aseptic milk samples. This project allowed us time to develop a cloud-based platform as an adjunct to face-to-face instruction to improve and enhance dairy worker knowledge and performance in the milking parlor with a related benefit to cow health,” project leader Paul D. Virkler, D.V.M., Quality Milk Production Services, Canton, New York, explained.

Fourteen of the 15 commercial dairy farms participating in the project had milking equipment problems as one of their top three risk factors for mastitis. For 13 of the 15 farms, inadequate milking routine was also a significant risk factor for mastitis.

Of the 95 dairy farm workers participating in this pilot project, 90 identified Spanish as their native language. The article notes the communication challenges inherent with language barriers and cultural differences as well as different levels of pre-farm arrival dairy experience and on-farm training.

Poster with information on NNYADP dairy worker e-learning project — *This poster illustrated the NNYADP, QMPS dairy worker e-learning project results at the 2023 National Mastitis Council meeting in Atlanta, GA. Photo: Paul D. Virkler, D.V.M.*

“Our research documents the importance of and need for efficient dairy worker training and employee-manager communications. The use of E-learning systems can serve dairy farms as a tool for developing an on-farm learning culture that incorporates effective training programs to support employees, management, cow health, quality milk production, and sustainable farm businesses,” Virkler said.

“This project addresses an information gap with an on-farm, real-world approach to improve dairy employee performance with related positive impact on milk production and quality. We are pleased to see this study being published in a forum that can help farms not only here in northern New York but nationally and internationally to keep the dairy industry strong,” said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Jon Greenwood, Canton, New York.

The authors of the “Dairy farm worker milking equipment training with an E-learning system” article are Virkler; Valeria M. Alanis, a Cornell University graduate student from the National Autonomous University of Mexico; W. Recker, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York; Paula A. Ospina, D.V.M., Lechear LLC, King Ferry, New York; and Wolfgang Heuwieser, D.V.M., Professor Emeritus, Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany.

A link to the article (https://www.jdscommun.org/article/S2666-9102(22)00081-3/fulltext) and the 2019-2021 NNYADP project reports for this 3-year project are project are publicly accessible at https://www.nnyagdev.org under the Research: Dairy tab. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature through the New York State Assembly and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

December 14, 2022 By karalynn

January 2023 Dairy Days: NNYADP calf probiotic, co-digestion research updates

This flow diagram illustrates one scenario developed by the Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Environment Systems program for its NNYADP-funded case study of the economic feasibility of co-digestion of dairy manure and food waste on a northern New York dairy farm. RNG is renewable natural gas. Graphic courtesy of Cornell PRO-DAIRY.

Watertown and Lowville, NY; December 14, 2022. The 2023 Dairy Days programming on January 17 in Watertown and January 18 in Lowville will include Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) research updates on the potential benefits of probiotic supplementation for dairy calves as well as the economic feasibility of manure and food waste co-digestion for northern New York dairy farms. For more information, cost, and to register for the 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. program at the Watertown Elks Lodge or CCE Lewis County Education Center in Lowville, call 315-788-8450 or email tlm92@cornell.edu.

With NNYADP grant funding in 2022, the Miner Institute has investigated the potential use of kefir, a fermented milk beverage traditionally made from cows’ milk, as a way to reduce or prevent digestive disease in neonatal dairy calves. A 2018 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture attributed 56.4 percent of pre-weaned dairy heifer mortality on U.S. dairy farms to diarrhea or other digestive issues. A 2020 NNYADP-funded study identified the need to determine the specific cause of neonatal diarrhea in dairy calves to more effectively treat calf illness.

The NNYADP also provided grant funding in 2022 for an economic feasibility case study of the co-digestion of dairy manure and food waste. The project, led by the Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Environmental Systems program, includes analysis of their novel anaerobic digester systems simulation tool. This case study is designed to serve as a model of the process that other farms would use to evaluate the economic feasibility of co-digestion for their farm business.

Presentations focused on workforce issues, milk quality, dairy markets, and climate change impact are also on each Dairy Day’s agenda. The 2023 Dairy Days, organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension, area sponsored in part by the farmer-driven NNYADP.

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

September 13, 2022 By karalynn

NNYADP Issues Call for Farm Research Proposals: Apply by 10/28

Northern New York; September 13, 2022. The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has issued a call for farm-based research proposals for small grants funding for projects that will benefit the diverse agricultural production sectors of the six-county region that includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The NNYADP grant guidelines, research ideas, and application form are posted at https://www.nnyagdev.org under the About: Project by Year tab. Applications must be submitted on or before October 28, 2022. Anyone with special needs for submitting a proposal may contact Michele Ledoux for assistance at 315-376-5270.

Projects are sought under the broad categories of dairy, field crops, livestock, local foods/horticulture, and maple and forestry products. Focus areas of interest include agricultural environmental stewardship, regenerative agriculture, northern climate-related adaptability, animal health, local foods production and marketing opportunities, and the application of nature-based solutions as well as innovative technology.

The New York State Legislature established the NNYADP in 1961. The program is noted for its fiscal efficiency and real-world results valued by farmers locally, statewide, and across the U.S. The NNYADP is nationally recognized for its on-farm agricultural tile drainage research, and its commitment to creating the science for a biocontrol management solution for multiple crop pests now in demand by crops’ producers across the U.S., particularly corn growers. Farmers with the Idaho hops industry, valued at roughly $185 million, have recently made a first application of the biocontrol nematodes protocol developed in northern New York and shown to manage black vine weevil.

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

MORE INFORMATION:
According to the last Census of Agriculture, New York State’s northernmost region represents diverse farmer demographics, including young farmers under 35 years of age, new and beginning farmers of less than 10 years, small farm operators with 179 or fewer acres, and female farmers who are 37 percent of all farmers in the region. Three food hubs have started in northern New York since 2016. Recent on-farm enterprise additions in the region include A2A2 milk bottling, yogurt production, local foods sales locations, and essential oil distilling.