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Meat Processing and Marketing Workshop Series
$10 per farm October 22 & 23 | 6:30 - 8:30pm
Two locations to choose from in our region: Cobleskill & Ballston Spa
Other locations available
Dinner included

Topics Covered:

• Evaluating Livestock for Ideal Harvest Timing
• Livestock Handling & Delivery for Meat Quality
• How to Work with your Processor & Navigate Difficult Situations
• Carcass Math Break-Down & Pricing
• How Much Value does Value-added Add?
• Creating Consumer and Processor-friendly Bulk Meat Sales
• An introduction to MeatSuite.com, the Cornell Meat Price Calculator, and the forthcoming Meat Processor Directory.

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Feeders School
$50 per person
October 29 and 30 | 10am - 3 pm
Two locations to choose from: Little Falls and Schuylerville
Lunch included

English & Spanish

Topics Covered:

• Feed economics and feed management
• Dry Matter and feeder math
• Feed consistency and TMR audits
• Troubleshooting Mixer Wagons
• Bunk Silo management

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Ag Energy Efficiency NY Regional Program Series
Free
Wednesday, November 6 | Noon - 1:30pm
CCE Columbia-Greene Counties
479 NY-66
Hudson, NY 12534

The program will provide helpful information specifically for agricultural producers / agribusinesses to become familiar with how energy efficiencies can help save money and increase productivity.  Topics include:

• learn about various statewide programs that can assist in identifying how to save energy both within the farm homestead as well as in barns and agricultural equipment
• learn what an energy audit is and how it helps identify improvements for energy efficiencies
• overview of energy efficiency technologies within agricultural production
• grant and financing opportunities for upgrading equipment or renewable projects

Registration is required. Click here for a full list of dates and locations.    For more information or questions regarding this program series, contact us at agenergyny@cornell.edu.

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Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue: Awareness Course
$200
Thursday & Friday, November 7-8 | 8am - 5pm
CCE Madison County
100 Eaton St 
Morrisville, NY 13408

Includes breakfast and lunch for both days.  Includes dinner for the first day.

Join us for this two-day program targeted to firefighters, veterinarians, EMS, animal control officers, equine breeders, equine trainers, large animal facility operators, large animal transporters, large animal owners, students, and stakeholders who want to be prepared and safe in an emergency.  Minimum age: 18

This program aims to cover the practical considerations, behavioral understanding, specialty equipment, techniques, and methodologies behind the safe extrication of a live large animal from entrapments (trailer wrecks, ditches, mud, barn fires) in local emergencies and disaster areas.

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Agricultural Supervisory Leadership, Transition to Supervisor
$275
November 6 - December 17
Online via Moodle

Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development's flagship online course, Transition to Supervisor, equips aspriing and new managers with essential leadership skills tailored for the agricultural industry.  The course covers a range of crucial topics, including making the transition to supervisor, improving communication, understanding difference, managing conflict, leading a multicultural team, and building strong relationships.  It is designed no only fro new managers but also for those looking to step into supervisory roles.  Experienced managers can also benefit from the course, gaining fresh insights to enhance their leadership effectiveness and better manage teams in a dynamic, diverse work environment.

Materials release on November 6 with live weekly Zoom discussions every Tuesday at 3 PM EST. 

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Organizing Work for High Quality Results - Spanish
$275
November 6 - December 17
Online via Zoom

Whether you are a manager with many years of experience looking for ways to improve your skills or you are just starting out and want to learn more, this "Leading for Quality Results" course will provide you with the tools you need to successfully lead your team and your ranch. You will learn how to align your expectations with employee performance to achieve consistent excellence. You will discover techniques to delegate tasks efficiently, empowering your colleagues to be more independent and excel in their roles. You will learn how to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective measures to ensure your ranch operates at peak performance.

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NY Farm to School Summit
$160
Wednesday - Friday, November 20 - 22 
Syracuse Oncenter 
411 Montgomery St
Syracuse, NY 13202

Producer benefits include:

• Great educational content, including a track designed specifically for producers.  Come learn how your peers have successfully sold to school markets.
• Ample opportunities to forge business-to-business connections.

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Farm Beginnings: Intro to Farm Business Planning
Offered in English and Spanish 
January - March 2025
Online and in-person

Registration deadline is November 3.

GrowNYC's 10-week farm business courses are for experienced farm workers who want to start their own farm businesses in the Northeast. La Nueva Siembra is offered in Spanish and Farm Beginnings in English. Participants will learn about the foundations of building a farm business and developing their own business plan. 

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Farmers Helping Farmers: Assistance for Hurricane Helene Victims

Many herds and homes in Western North Carolina have been hit hard by Hurricane Helene. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) is helping to connect farmers who have lost their feed supply during the disaster with others who have hay or feed to donate.

Three donation sites for livestock supplies are open in North Carolina to help those affected by Hurricane Helene. Needed items include round and square hay bales, grain mix and pellets for cattle, and fencing supplies. Click here for more information.

If you are able to assist livestock producers through providing feed or supplies, please click the link above, or click here to learn how.

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Opportunity for Organic Dairies

Participate in this USDA multi-state project and receive a free evaluation of your milking equipment and parlor routine, a bacteriology test of your bulk tank, and a $100 Amazon gift card.

Contact Daniela for more information and to sign up at 315-749-3486 or DG647@cornell.edu

What will you get? 

• Bacteriology results from your bulk tank on 2 occasions.
• Milking equipment check
• Parlor timing and hygiene evaluation
• A report summarizing your farm's specific mastitis risk factors and a follow up report.
• $100 online Amazon gift card as a token of thanks for the time dedicated to the project.

What will participating farms be asked to do?

Participating farms will be interviewed over the phone/web conference to complete a milk quality survey, and then we will spend 1/2 at the dairy conducting the evaluation including during one of their milking shifts. We will return for a second evaluation ~ 1/2 year later. We will be taking extra precautions from a biosecurity standpoint.

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Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey

To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.

The data that is collected, and the subsequent reports/findings/resources will be helpful for all of us to answer that call of "what's the average rental rate in my area" and "how much do people charge to combine oats".

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USDA Launches Assistance Network to Support Financially Distressed Farmers and Ranchers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Distressed Borrowers Assistance Network, an initiative designed to provide personalized support to financially distressed farmers and ranchers across the nation. Through a series of Cooperative Agreements, this national network will connect distressed borrowers with individualized assistance to help them stabilize and regain financial footing. 

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List on MeatSuite for FREE

MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products

How do I join?

Farmers can click here to create a free farm profile.  You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live.  You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.

If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu

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NYSERDA's Agriculture Programs

Three programs :

• Agriculture Energy Audit Program (AEAP): This program offers NY state farmers no-cost energy audits to help identify energy efficiency opportunities on their farm.
• REAP Technical Assistance Program (RTAP): This program has been designed to assist farmers at no-cost to make applications to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).  If awarded, farmers can receive up to 50% of the total project cost.
• Energy Best Practices for Agriculture: The best practices have been developed to help educate producers with energy-efficient technologies, how they function, the average cost, and the average payback in years.

To learn more about these programs and eligibility, click here.

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Video: Endangered Species Act and Pesticides: An Example

Bill Chism, chair of the Endangered Species Act Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)'s acclaimed March 20, 2024 webinar on how pesticide labels may change to protect endangered species is now available on NYSIPM's YouTube channel. 

Video: Quebec Farmer Panel on Life After Neonics

Four years ago, neonicotinoid seed treatments were banned in Quebec (the provisions in NY's Birds and Bees Act are similar to this law).

Recently, UVM extension hosted a Quebec Farmer Panel on Transitioning Away From Neonic Treated Seeds.

The discussion was recorded and can be viewed for free and unedited.

Opinion article can be found here by Louis Robert.

NY Farm Bureau's statement on NY's Birds and Bees Act.

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NY FarmNet E-newsletter

Click here to sign up at the bottom of their webpage.

The Farm Hand e-newsletter is the newest monthly resource from NY FarmNet.  Each month they will bring readers information, resources, and news about how NY FarmNet supports agriculture across NYS.

NY FarmNet's free, confidential services are available to all farmers, farm families, and agribusinesses operating in New York State, regardless of size or type.  They help farmers with a variety of personal and financial issues - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  NY FarmNet can be contacted at 1-800-547-3276 or by email at nyfarmnet@cornell.edu

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Dairy Market Watch

September's Dairy Market Watch is now available for sharing, downloading, or viewing here.

Dairy Market Watch is an educational newsletter to keep producers informed of changing market factors affecting the dairy industry. Dairy Market Watch is published at the end of every month, funded in part by Cornell Pro-Dairy, and is compiled by Katelyn Walley, Farm Business Management Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension's Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Program.

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