Combat High Grain Costs by Making High Quality Forage
David Balbian, Area Dairy Specialist
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
Last Modified: May 1, 2014
One of the best ways to reduce grain cost is by feeding less of it. However, you do not want to reduce production at the same time.
Drop Kevin or myself an email to be put on our spring forage quality monitoring list. We track alfalfa height in fields all over our region. Data is sent to you approximately twice a week as to the progress of grass, alfalfa, and mixed stands with projected dates to harvest for lactating cow quality. Don't get caught off guard and miss out on top quality hay crop by harvesting too late. With slumping milk prices and high grain costs you cannot afford to have anything but the best quality.
Upcoming Events
El "Break" Info-Lechero 2025
September 3, 2025
September 10, 2025
September 17, 2025
September 24, 2025
October 1, 2025
October 8, 2025
October 15, 2025
October 22, 2025
October 29, 2025
November 5, 2025
Dairy Spanish Webinar Series, free but registration required. Only available in Spanish.
Mental Health First Aid Training
September 19, 2025
Cobleskill, NY
Free training
Retirement Accounts for Farmers
October 8, 2025
Free webinar
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.