October 5, 2009
Contacts: See list below

New Educators, New Programs Offer NNY Farmers Resources for Tough Times; Host of Programming Begins October 6

When times are tough, it is good to have many minds working on opportunities to overcome the issues. Farmers in Northern New York can now draw on the assistance of new agricultural educators and educators taking on new roles in support of the diverse agricultural sectors of the region.

Resources for Dairy Farmers
Emily Myers is the new Cornell Cooperative Extension Dairy Educator, specializing in dairy herd management systems, serving Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties as part of the new Eastern Northern New York Dairy Program partnership of the Cornell Cooperative Extensions (CCE) and the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute.

One of Emily’s responsibilities will be working with the Northern NY Dairy Institute initiative to dairy producers and their employees refresh and develop skills. Emily is a Cornell University graduate with a degree in animal science with a concentration on dairy nutrition and management. While earning her master’s degree in dairy nutrition at the University of Vermont, she conducted research on the effects of feeding low-starch, low-forage diets high in byproduct feeds to dairy cows at the Miner Institute.

Emily, a Western NY native, says, “I am interested in all aspects of dairy management and am excited to begin working with Extension and the farmers of Northern New York.”

Emily Myers can be reached at 716-572-7168 or by email at erm35@cornell.edu. 

Emily is one of several CCE educators that will be hosting the Northern NY Dairy Institute course that begins in October 6th in Watertown, October 7th in Lowville and Canton, October 19 in Malone, and October 21 in Chazy.

Dairy Profit Teams and NNY Beef Week
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County Farm Business Management Educator Jessica Prosper has been named the NY Center for Dairy Excellence Dairy Team Regional Coordinator for Northern New York. Her tasks include monitoring the success of the Dairy Profit Teams that are advising dairy owners in the region and facilitating information exchange among the teams.

There are currently nine Dairy Profit Teams operating in Northern New York. Agricultural educators in all six NNY counties are available to advise dairy owners and to assist in developing advisory teams.

Jessica has also organized the annual Northern NY Beef Week series with programs set for October 6 in Watertown, October 7 in Clinton County, October 8 in Malone and October 9 in Canton.

Jessica Prosper can be reached at 518-483-7403 or by email at jlr15@cornell.edu.  

Help for Small Farms & Livestock Producers
Peter Hagar is the new general agriculture educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County. He is covering production areas other than dairying. Through Extension’s Small Farm and Livestock programs, he is helping farmers diversify their operations and with start-up of new agricultural enterprises.

Peter was born and raised in Clinton County and from an early age was active with 4-H and owned various farm animals including goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens and horses in his suburban backyard. He earned his agriculture degree at Cornell University and went to work on several farms and as an artificial insemination technician, a farm store manager and a veterinary hospital manager. He currently operates his own small farm producing beef, hay and eggs.

Peter will be assisting with Beginning Farmer Training on October 24th at the Ausable Valley Grange in Keeseville as a joint effort with Anita Deming of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County. He will also be participating as the Clinton County host of the Marketing Your Product for Profit course series that begins in early November in Plattsburgh.

Peter Hagar can be reached Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9am to 4:30pm at 518-561-7450 x108, or by email at phh7@cornell.edu.

Crops Research in NNY Soils and Climate
Eric Young joined WH Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, NY, in June 2009. He is managing the Institute’s field crop operations and oversees research addressing the economic and environmental implications of crop production.

Eric was raised on a Cortland County, NY dairy farm. He holds an environmental science degree from SUNY Plattsburgh and worked as a research technician at Miner Institute before completing a master’s degree in plant and soil science at the University of Vermont. Eric worked as an extension agronomist and nutrient management/CAFO planner before earning his Ph.D. in soil science at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. During three years of postdoctoral study, he focused on phosphorus transformation in soils.

One of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded projects for which Eric will soon issue a results report is research on the how copper sulfate used footbaths to prevent hoof ailments in dairy cows and discarded into manure applications can affect crop yield, forage content, and how quickly a field reaches its regulated limit for copper load.

Eric Young can be reach at 518-846-7121 or by email at young@whminer.com.  

Producing Corn, Soybeans, Grains, Biofuel Crops…
Need help controlling weeds in your field crops? Interested to know more about opportunities to produce biofuel crops or corn, soybeans or feed grains? Contact Stephen Canner, who joined Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County a little more than a year ago. He also helps farmers in Franklin County. Stephen studied agronomy at University of Minnesota and Montana State University and worked for five years as a researcher on cultural weed management in Montana and Colorado before moving to New York.

Farmers interested in late season Corn Stalk Nitrate Test sampling and analysis may contact Stephen. There are some opportunities for free sampling and analysis. Tests must be collected one week before or after the corn harvest.

Stephen is planning winter workshops on hay and silage preservation and planter calibration.

Stephen Canner can be reached at 315-379-9192 or by email to src93@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) offices in all six NNY counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence offer an ongoing diverse lineup of programs on agricultural, horticultural, local foods, nutrition, and business development. Contact your local CCE office for a calendar of programs and more details. A regional program that will begin in early November

All of the educators provide support to projects funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. To learn more about farming in Northern New York, visit the website at www.nnyagdev.org.  #