Upcoming Events & Opportunities: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
General Contact Information, Administrative Assistants
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
Dairy Systems and Technology Showcase - Farm Tours
Free, registration required
November 6, 10am - 12:30pm & 1 - 3pm, and November 7, 10am - 3pm
Locations Include: Amsterdam, Fultonville, and Earlville
Guided facility walk through of new dairy systems and technologies on farms across NYS led by CCE Dairy Specialists, PRO-DAIRY, and other industry experts.
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Dairy Spanish Webinar Series
Free
Wednesdays, until November 5 | 1 - 2pm EST
Zoom
To help Wisconsin Spanish dairy workers and the Spanish dairy community to get the most current and update research information, UW-Extension has developed the Dairy Spanish Webinar El "Break" Info-Lechero 2025. This Webinar is an update on different dairy topics covering reproduction, data management, animal welfare, animal nutrition, genetics selection, environment and more.
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If I'm Not Here Tomorrow: Estate Planning for Young Farm Families with Children
Free
Wednesday, November 5 | 1 - 2pm EST
Zoom
Estate planning sounds complex and expensive - but it doesn't have to be. A few simple steps now can save your family a world of stress later.
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Employee Development and Training
$275 for NYS residents, $325 for out of state residents
Course begins November 12, Zoom discussions Nov. 18 - Dec. 23, 3 - 4 PM EST
Zoom and course
Three leadership practices are essential for supervisors: setting clear expectations, employee training and development, and providing performance feedback. In Employee Development and Training you will learn best practices to plan and conduct training that engages employees, supports retention, and helps ensure great quality work. You will also learn how to create a culture of continuous learning and performance improvement through employee development, coaching, and career planning.
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Seleccion y organizacion del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team, Taught in Spanish)
Course begins November 12, Zoom discussions Nov. 18 - Dec. 23, Noon - 1 PM EST
Zoom and course
In this course, we'll identify how to write job descriptions for available positions to attract the best candidates. You'll learn how to find employees with the desired profile, how to interview and select the right people. You'll discover how to complete new employee paperwork, employment authorization, and onboarding—that is, how to effectively incorporate new employees into the farm in a successful and productive manner.
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$75 per person
- December 1: Kickoff Webinar (Noon - 2pm EST)
- December 9: Elks Lodge, Greenwich NY
- December 10: Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown, NY
- December 17: Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY
- December 18: Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY
- December 22: Concluding Webinar (Noon - 2pm EST)
The Roadshow delivers essential updates on labor law, regulations, and workforce best practices—tailored for farm owners, managers, and ag service providers. Sessions also focus on practical strategies to boost communication, strengthen retention, and build a positive workplace culture.
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Dung Beetles of New York State
Learn more about dung beetles in cattle and dairy pastures in New York State and how beneficial they are to the soil and pasture ecology.
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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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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.
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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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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
Dairy
Livestock
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
If I'm Not Here Tomorrow: Estate Planning for Young Farm Families with Children
November 5, 2025
Free webinar
Dairy Systems and Technology Showcase - Farm Tours
November 6, 2025 : Farm Tour - Creek Acres Farm
Amsterdam, NY
Free event, but registration required. Brand new freestall barn. All attendees must wear clean clothes and boots, and scrub and disinfect footwear upon arrival and before leaving.
November 6, 2025 : Farm Tour - Glenvue Dairy Farm
Fultonville, NY
Free event, but registration required. Under construction 10 robot farm. All attendees must wear clean clothes and boots, and scrub and disinfect footwear upon arrival and before leaving.
November 7, 2025 : Farm Tour - Indian Camp Farm & Dairy
Earlville, NY
Free event, but registration required. Four robot barn and new manure aeriation system. All attendees must wear clean clothes and boots, and scrub and disinfect footwear upon arrival and before leaving.
Seleccion y organizacion del personal (Staffing and Organizing Your Team, Taught in Spanish)
November 12, 2025
Course begins Wednesday, November 12. Live Zoom discussions: Tuesdays, Noon - 1PM EST beginning November 18 through December 23.
Announcements
Sign Up for Our Weekly E-Newsletter
We send out a bi-weekly e-newsletter that has announcements, upcoming programs, and opportunities for you! Registration is quick, easy, and free. Click here to sign up today!Farmers Can Join 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.Why should farmers join?
1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.
How do I join?
Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ 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.
While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.