Field Crop Update, September 14, 2023
Erik Smith, Area Field Crop Specialist/Team Leader
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
1. Announcements and Weather Outlook
Corn silage harvest is here! …for some. Remember your silking date and check section 2 for a ballpark estimation of when your crop
might reach 35% dry matter. And the short-term weather should be good for dry-down:
2. Growing Degree Days See: Climate Smart Farming Growing Degree Day Calculator. Check your location, planting date, and silking
date. Silage corn needs 750-800 GDD (depending on hybrid maturity) after silking to reach a whole plant DM of 32%. Under typical late season
dry down conditions we can expect the crop to reach 35% DM four to seven days later (Remember that we can expect to accumulate 20-25
GDD per day or even up to 30, so it's not a large window). For more details, see this article. No matter what the numbers say, check your crop!
Blue: Time to make plans (35% DM anywhere between 5 - 11 days from now, depending on maturity)
Green: Gas up the harvester and the trucks (35% DM in 2 - 8 days, depending on maturity)
Yellow: See you in the field (35% DM in less than a week):
Red: It's either already in the bunk or it's going for high-moisture corn or it's going in the bin for grain (DM likely > 35-40%)
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.
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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.