Contact Us
If you know which specialist you would like to reach, you can find their contact information below.
Nicole Tommell
Area Ag Business Management Specialist/Team LeaderCCE Herkimer County
5657 State Route 5
Herkimer, NY 13350
phone 315-866-7920 X230
cell 315-867-6001
fax 315-866-0870
email Nicole
David Balbian
Area Dairy SpecialistPO Box 177
Galway, NY 12074
phone 518-312-3592
email David
Ashley McFarland
Area Livestock SpecialistCCE Herkimer County
5657 State Route 5
Herkimer, NY 13350
phone 315-866-7920 x228
cell 315-604-2156
email Ashley
Erik Smith
Area Field Crop SpecialistCCE Herkimer County
5657 State Route 5
Herkimer
cell 315-219-7786
email Erik
Dairy
Livestock
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
Livestock Trainings Offered Online
March 25 - December 31, 2020
During this time away from the field we have had quite a few producer's asking about certifications offered online. Virtual: To Market, To Market
October 6 - November 10, 2020
9am - 12pm
Have a great idea? This exciting six-week class will help you develop a product or service from start to finish! Local CCE Educators Mariane Kiraly, David Cox, Nicole Tommell, Laura Basillio and Jim Barber have partnered to offer "To Market, To Market," a six-part series to be held virtually and in-person at five regional locations to make your learning experience comfortable, safe, and flexible. Participants will learn how to develop and screen an idea, analyze current trends, develop a budget, consider cash flow, determine pricing, manage marketing and distribution, access funding, test a prototype, consider legalities, manage risk, navigate regulations, and much more. A logical, process-oriented curriculum will lead to dynamic business plans that create new economic opportunities in the region.Virtual: Design Your Succession Plan
October 8 - October 29, 2020
6:30pm - 8pm
How will your family farm operate in the future when the owner retires or is gone? Are you currently working with another generation who may be questioning their role in the future of the farm or are you yourself questioning your current role?To help NYS farm families start their succession planning process, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators will be utilizing a new interactive program designed by North Dakota State University Extension, Design Your Succession Plan. This program will provide tools and resources for producers who want to begin the succession planning process.
Announcements
Onboarding Dairy Employees~Safe, Engaged and Productive from Day One
Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development is seeking farmers to participate in the second year of an onboarding project funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute.Employee onboarding is a management process to bring new employees into the farm business, complete necessary paperwork, equip them with safety and performance knowledge and skills, and help them feel connected to and engaged with a worthwhile team.
Find all the details at their website: http://agworkforce.cals.cornell.edu/onboarding/
Building Resilience During COVID-19 Requires Deligence
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked with farmers to help build resilience for their businesses. In building resilience, we must also remain diligent in maintaining health and safety requirements.The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and the NYSDOH - New York State Health Department are reminding agritourism businesses that they must adhere to the COVID-19 New York Forward guidance. This comes in response to a recent outbreak associated with a NY agritourism farm.
Learn more about the guidance agritourism farms are subject to, as well as our recommended management and communication strategies for agritourism activities on your farms as you navigate the COVID-19 outbreak at the Small Farms website.
Resources for Farm Business Safety Plan Required
As the New York Forward plan is implemented across the state, businesses of all kinds are required to have a COVID-19 written safety plan in place. Both essential agricultural businesses that have remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and those non-food related agricultural businesses who will re-open must have a safety plan. A task force of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) specialists developed a new set of resources to help farms comply with this requirement and efficiently prepare plans during this busy time of the year. NY Forward Business Safety Plan Support for Farms contains:- Plan Templates
- Considerations and Examples for Your Plan
- Key References and Support Documents
See the complete guidance
Dialing Into Your Best Dairy-Podcast series
Find the podcast series "Dialing Into Your Best Dairy" on the PRO-DAIRY website.PRO-DAIRY offering Webinars and Podcasts
PRO-DAIRY has sent out a list of Webinars and Podcasts. Find this list and more at our Resource page.Team Programming and the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak
To all of our valued program participants and partners:The Central NY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team will not be conducting any meetings or in person assistance until further notice. All scheduled meetings have been cancelled as we look to support efforts to minimize the spread of COVID-19. If possible we may move them to an online format.
We will continue to monitor the situation and keep in touch with you.
Please continue to reach out to us by cell phone, email, and text as we will gladly respond. We will also continue to contact you by those same methods as we put out newsletters or share other pertinent pieces of information.
Again we are still here expecting to assist you as always, just for the near future not in the in-person way we have in the past.
Stay healthy.
Erik Smith, Field Crop Specialist
David Balbian, Area Dairy Specialist
Ashley McFarland, Area Livestock Specialist
Nicole Tommell, Area Ag Business Management Specialist
COVID-19 response:
Need information? View the following Cornell CALS and CCE Resource Pages Updated Regularly
General Questions & Links: NY Extension Disaster Education Network
Food Production, Processing & Safety Questions
Employment & Agricultural Workforce Questions:
Cornell Small Farms Resiliency Resources
David Balbian, Area Dairy Specialist
Ashley McFarland, Area Livestock Specialist
Nicole Tommell, Area Ag Business Management Specialist
COVID-19 response:
Need information? View the following Cornell CALS and CCE Resource Pages Updated Regularly
General Questions & Links: NY Extension Disaster Education Network
Food Production, Processing & Safety Questions
Employment & Agricultural Workforce Questions:
Cornell Small Farms Resiliency Resources
Prevention & Control of the Novel Coronavirus for Farms
Find the an article on how to prevent and control the Novel Coronavirus on farms at: Novel Coronavirus Prevention & Control for FarmsInterim Guidance for Animal Care Operations
Interim Guidance for Animal Care Operations release from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets on March 22, 2020. Find article hereLinks to Services
As we navigate through some very uncharted territory over the next few days/weeks/ months, the CNYDFLC team would like to offer you a list of services that may be of help to your farm business. Remember, our entire team is only a phone call, email or video conference away. Please do not hesitate to contact us if a need arises, we will do our best to assist you in the ways previously mentioned. Find our contact information for each team member on the Contact Us page.The list of websites and/or phone numbers can be found at our Resource page.