NNY Ag Development Program

Northern New York Agriculture

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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.

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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.
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.

NNYADP logoFunding 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.

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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.

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NNYADP Corn Hybrids Trial Results: PDF, Webinar 3/31 & After

Corn harvest at Miner Institute, Chazy, NY.

March 31, 2019.  The results of the 2019 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-funded corn hybrid evaluation include the potential of the 74 hybrids in the trial to support milk production. The 2019 season results, and reports from earlier years’ trials in Northern New York, are now posted at https://nnyagdev.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NNYADPCornHybridsFINAL_1.pdf.

Today at 1 pm, Cornell University PRO-DAIRY Forage Systems Specialist Joseph Lawrence will talk about the NNY regional corn hybrid evaluation results as part of the 2020 Corn Silage Strategies Webinar. To register for the webinar, see https://prodairy.cals.cornell.edu/webinars/. The webinar will be posted online after March 31 at https://prodairy.cals.cornell.edu/webinars/webinar-recordings/#Forage%20Management.

Lawrence worked with Cornell University Plant Breeding and Genetics researcher Margaret Smith, Ph.D., and Cornell PRO-DAIRY program director Thomas Overton, Ph.D., to evaluate the 74 corn hybrids for silage and grain harvest at two farm sites in northern New York in 2019.

Forty-nine 96-110 day relative maturity hybrids were planted in Madrid in St. Lawrence County; twenty-five 80-95 day relative maturity hybrids were planted in Willsboro in Essex County.

The NNYADP 2019 corn hybrid evaluation report includes data in 22 categories including hybrid yield; protein content, and predicted dry matter intake.

Photo: USDA/Scott Bauer

Since 2016, the evaluations have included an assessment of fiber digestibility as an indicator of forage quality of the corn silage and a calculation of the predicted milk production output potential of the hybrids in the trial.

“This research provides information to help farmers enhance their opportunity for high quality corn production and its positive impact on milk production,” says Lawrence.

The researchers always remind growers to select hybrids based on multi-year, multi-location data. Lawrence notes, “Any hybrid can have a ‘banner’ year or grow in ‘ideal’ environmental conditions in one location or one year but not necessarily hold up in other growing seasons. Multi-location and multi-year data gives you a better assessment of a hybrid’s potential under variable conditions.”

The results of the NNYADP-funded trials of corn hybrids are incorporated into the multi-year tables of the Cornell Guides for Integrated Field Crop Management; the 2019 data will be added to the 2021 edition of the guide.

Corn is the primary row crop for northern New York and a staple of dairy feed rations in the region. About 65 percent of the northern NY corn crop is harvested as silage and 35 percent as grain. Some of the regional corn harvest is sold as a cash crop in support of the ethanol industry. The northern NY corn crop accounts for approximately 20 percent of the silage acres statewide.

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. Learn more at www.nnyagdev.org.

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NNY Tile Research: Rain & Drains, Loss & Gains

Surface runoff is sampled and gauged from an undrained cornfield in Clinton County at this monitoring station as part of tile drainage research funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. Photo: Leanna Thalmann/Miner Institute

Chazy, N.Y.: October 8, 2019.   Field-level research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is responding to the need to better understand how tile drainage influences nutrient efficiency, water quality, crop production, and farm economics.

Results from the most recent data collection from tiles installed at the Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area in Chazy, N.Y., and on a working farm in Clinton County are adding to a database designed to quantify surface and underground movement of nutrients beyond field boundaries. The work has also begun identifying opportunities to develop best practices for nutrient conservation to support both crop production and environmental stewardship.

Project leader Laura Klaiber, Nutrient Management Researcher at W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, N.Y., explains, “Although tile drainage naturally exports some level of nutrients, until the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program established these research trials there had been very few in-depth year-round studies in this region designed to investigate how the use of tile drainage directly impacts runoff and nutrient cycling in agricultural fields.”

For some farms, the use of tile drainage significantly benefits crop yield, yield consistency, and crop quality; allows farmers to access fields sooner for spring planting and later in the fall for harvesting and cover crop planting; and can reduce soil erosion.

Photo: Leanna Thalmann/Miner Institute

In the on-farm study, corn yields were 30 percent greater from the tile-drained field than an adjacent undrained field. Klaiber says the improved drainage may have created better conditions for root development and increased nitrogen mineralization rates in the soil, resulting in greater nitrogen availability for crop growth.

Overall, phosphorus losses across all trial plots were below thresholds for freshwater eutrophication.

However, Klaiber points out, “The data indicates that there is a pool of phosphorus at the soil surface which could pose a risk for higher losses during a year with more precipitation, particularly in the undrained field where there is a greater risk of surface runoff and erosion. These northern New York trials suggest that continued development, and use, of best management practices, such as cover cropping, would support efficient nutrient uptake and minimize nutrient loss, particularly in the spring season.”

Separate projects funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program are assisting farmers with whole farm nutrient balancing and refining precision manure and fertilizer application guidelines that help reduce the amount of phosphorus available for runoff, while supporting successful crop development and potential cost savings.

The complexities of weather interaction with different crops, cropping systems, field management, soil types, soil fertility, and topography are in the wings for next-step research and evaluation.

“As we all know, weather events can be highly variable and extreme, so multi-year data collection that increases our knowledge base is the foundation for developing the best management recommendations to positively impact nutrient use, farm economics, and environmental stewardship,” Klaiber points out.

The results of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded tile drainage projects are posted at https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/field-crops/drainage-management/, and have been presented at regional Crop Congresses; at watershed events in New York State; to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Tile Drainage Advisory Group; and to the House Agriculture and Forestry Commission, Montpelier, VT.

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.