June 3, 2010
Contact: Joe Lawrence, 315-376-5270; also see list at end of release

NNY Forage Quality Cup Winners Announced

The Cornell Cooperation Extension associations of Northern New York and the Dairy One Forage Lab have announced the county and regional winners of the 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup. The friendly competition provided farmers in the state’s six northernmost counties the opportunity to submit forage samples for analysis and win cash prizes.

NNY Forage Quality Cup co-organizer Joe Lawrence, agronomist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County, says, “Forage is a critical component for maintaining dairy herd health and strong milk production. High quality forages are the backbone of ruminant nutrition and milk production. Producing high quality forages on the farm helps keep feed expenses down. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup competition and recognize their skill at producing high quality feed for their cows.”

Forage samples were judged on a county-by-county and a regional basis for forage quality analysis and the milk per ton calculation based on the University of Wisconsin MILK2006 program. Farmers submitted entries in two categories: corn silage (non-BMR) and haylage/baleage, and received a standard forage analysis from the Dairy One Forage Lab in Ithaca for each entry.

The top rated samples in each county received $50 cash prizes; the NNY regional winners selected from all six counties won a $200 cash award.

Blue Seal Richer Dairy Nutrition; Cargill Animal Nutrition; D&D Spray Service; Farm Credit East, ACA, Burrville and Potsdam; Feed Commodities International, Inc.; Miller Spraying; and Renaissance Nutrition, Inc. co-sponsored the competition.

The 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup Haylage category winners by county are:
Clinton County: Hidden View Farm: Dan, Don & Dale Tetreault, Champlain
Franklin County: Vincent Farms: David & Silas Vincent, Malone
Jefferson County: Finney Family Farm: Jim & Dan Finney, Adams
Lewis County: Campany Homestead: Gary & Carla Campany, Croghan
St. Lawrence County: Lavack Farm: Jay & Karen Rizza, Antwerp

The 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup Corn Silage category winners by county are:
Clinton County: Hidden View Farm: Dan, Don & Dale Tetreault, Champlain
Franklin County: Vincent Farms: David & Silas Vincent, Malone
Jefferson County: Forrester Farm: Dennis Forrester, Henderson, NY
Lewis County: Silvery Falls Farm: Dale & Steve Farney, Lowville
St. Lawrence County: Lavack Farm: Jay & Karen Rizza, Antwerp

The 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup Haylage category regional winner is the Finney Family Farm: Jim & Dan Finney. Runner-up in this category is Hidden View Farm: Dan, Don & Dale Tetreault.

The 2010 NNY Forage Quality Cup Corn Silage category regional winner is the Silvery Falls Farm: Dale & Steve Farney. Runner-up in this category is Forrester Farm: Dennis Forrester.

Cornell Cooperative Extension interviews with the Northern NY Forage Quality Cup winners and tips for achieving high quality forage will be shared to help other farmers follow their success model. Watch for Extension newsletters, educational programs on forage production and posting on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

For more information on forage production in NNY, contact:
• Clinton and Essex counties: Anita Deming, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County, Westport, 518-962-4810 x409
• Franklin and St. Lawrence counties: Stephen R. Canner, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, Canton, 315-379-9192
• Jefferson County: Ron Kuck, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, Watertown, 315-788-8450
• Lewis County: Joseph R. Lawrence, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County, Lowville, 315-376-5270. # # #