Farm briefs: March 7, 2009

Duprey gains recognition
from Farm Bureau

ALBANY — State Assemblywoman Janet Duprey has been named to the New York Farm Bureau's "Circle of Friends."

The award is based on her voting record and legislative support on issues of importance to New York agriculture.

In a press release, Duprey said she was honored by the recognition.

"Agriculture is a large aspect of the North Country's economy and it is important for us to preserve our farms," she said. "I am and will remain an advocate for farm families in New York state, especially during these difficult times where dairy farmers are not receiving a comparable percentage value of the milk they are producing."

The New York Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, volunteer organization based in Albany that is financed and controlled by member families for the purpose of solving economic and public-policy issues challenging the agricultural industry.

Class to focus on
kidding and lambing

PLATTSBURGH — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County will be hosting a Kidding/Lambing Class for Beginners on Saturday, March 20, at 10 a.m.

The workshop will be presented by video conference from Canton. We will cover the basics of what to do at lambing or kidding time, what to do in an emergency and how to care for an orphan kid/lamb if needed. This is a good chance to ask questions for the beginning farmer.

There is a $5 fee for the class and pre-registration is requested by March 17. Call the Clinton County office at 561-7450 or e-mail phh7@cornell.edu.

Agri-Mark, dairy
farmers share profit

METHUEN, Mass. — Agri-Mark, the Northeast's premier dairy-farmer cooperative, has announced a profit after taxes of $14.9 million for the year 2009. Agri-Mark sales of its members' farm-fresh milk and of its award-winning dairy products, especially its Cabot and McCadam brands, were $655 million last year.

The importance to its farmers of this level of profit from operations — Agri-Mark's second-best operating results ever — as well as $17.5 million in market premiums throughout the year — was pivotal in a year that saw farmgate milk prices plunge to lows last seen during the Carter administration.

"It was a terrible year on the farm, but fortunately 2009 was a very good year for Agri-Mark in which we generated $14.9 million in year-end profits from which we returned $5.6 million in cash back to our members," said Agri-Mark CEO Paul Johnston.

Johnston said that because the business was profitable throughout the year, the co-op was able to make two cash payments to farmers even before year-end, during a time when farm families really needed it. The third cash payment for year-end profits was just mailed to the co-op's members last week.

Agri-Mark's year-end profit allocation to its 1,250 dairy farmers from New England and New York is 45 cents per hundredweight, or roughly three-hundredths cent per gallon for all of the milk each farm family marketed through the cooperative during the 2009 calendar year. This represents earnings of roughly $9,000 for the average Agri-Mark member milking 100 cows.

Johnston said the financial results are particularly satisfying because during the past three years the business has generated a total of $45 million in year-end profits in periods of both high and low milk prices and up-and-down economics.

In addition to the profits distributed in cash during the year, Agri-Mark farmers also received an extra $17.5 million in their monthly milk checks throughout 2009 for milk quality and other incentives that the co-op was able to negotiate with its customers and return directly to them.

Turfgrass trade show to be held
LAKE PLACID — The New York State Turfgrass Association's Adirondack Regional Conference will be held on March 18 at the Crowne Plaza Resort and Golf Club in Lake Placid.

Educational sessions offering New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Vermont Agency of Agriculture credits, GCSAA education points, and ISA and STMA Continuing Education Units will be presented by university professors and industry experts. A variety of topics will be covered including golf turf, sports turf, and lawn and landscape integrated pest management. During the morning general session, Dr. Pat Vittum, with the University of Massachusetts, will give updates on AceleprynTM and ProvauntTM. This presentation, made possible by a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund, will review the mode of action and effectiveness of these two relatively new insecticides that have recently been registered for use in turf.

Dr. Marty Petrovic will present a general session on nutrient management and water quality. He'll discuss water-quality problems, phosphorus and nitrogen management, and the affect of nutrition on pest problems. Vendor exhibits of the latest green-industry products, equipment and services will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additional exhibitor information and a complete program schedule including session titles, speakers and credits offered are available on the association's Web site.

The popular roundtable discussion format will be held from 1-2 p.m. This program offers participants the opportunity to choose from a variety of pertinent discussion topics, have lunch with an industry expert and exchange ideas with colleagues. This year's topics will include AceleprynTM, putting-green drainage, sports turf management, weed management, Dollar Spot and healthy soil. For a complete list of discussion titles and facilitators, visit the roundtable discussion list on the Web site.

The conference is sponsored by the association, Environmental Stewardship Fund, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Adirondack Golf Course Superintendents Association. Visit the Web site to download a copy of the Adirondack Regional Conference brochure or to access the on-line attendee registration or on-line exhibitor registration forms. For more information, contact the association at 783-1229, fax 783-1258, visit www.nysta.org or email nysta@nysta.org.

Spring Beef Week coming
to North Country

PLATTSBURGH — The Northern New York Spring 2010 Beef Week road show will provide livestock farmers with the latest production and farm business-management tips. Programs are set for Wednesday in Plattsburgh and Thursday in Malone.

The agenda includes:

Dr. Michael E. Baker, Cornell University Beef Specialist: Making Business Decisions, What You Need to Know and Goals to Work Toward.

Banking industry representatives tell what is needed to take to the bank to secure a loan.

Jessica Prosper, farm business management educator with CCE Franklin and St. Lawrence County: Is There a Beef Farm Business Summary in Your Future?

Betsy Hodge, small-livestock educator with CCE St. Lawrence County: Quick Assessment of Beef Producer Needs.

Cornell University and the Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Northern New York are working with regional farmers now to build a database documenting the profit potential for Northern New York livestock producers. That data will help producers identify critical areas of opportunity.

Producers are encouraged to register for the program Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Plattsburgh, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County, cost $5, call 561-7450. A session will be Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Malone at North Country Community College, cost is $5, register with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County, 483-7403.

For more information, contact Betsy Hodge at Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County at 315-379-9192 or via e-mail at bmf9@cornell.edu.

Training for farmers-market sellers offered
KEESEVILLE — Farmers interested in selling their locally grown and processed products at farmers markets in 2010 can take advantage of little to no-cost tips for doing so at pre-season trainings offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Topics for the workshops include making your farmers market display work with hands-on opportunities to create displays, direct-market selling of meat products, and how to comply with current food-sales regulations and inspectors.

Workshops are scheduled for Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Chateaugay Knights of Columbus Hall; and Saturday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Keeseville Ausable Grange Hall.

Workshops co-organizer and Northern New York Local Foods Specialist Bernadette Logozar, a rural and agricultural-development specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Franklin County, said farmers who have taken this training say the workshops provide them a concentrated time to focus on developing or improving their farmers market display, which translates to better sales and income opportunity. Logozar said the workshops also often offer a creative networking mix of farm and non-farm sellers.

"Particularly for agricultural producers, we focus on how to maintain proper safety and handling practices from the field to the customer — that can be as simple as placing your restocking crates of produce on tarps," she said. "A creative twist on that would be to cut a green tarp into the shape of a pumpkin leaf for displaying pumpkins for sale. These are the types of tips and ideas that come out of the pre-season training workshops."

Those interested in registering for the workshops may call the Cornell Cooperative Extension office for the county hosting the workshop: Keeseville, CCE Essex County, 962-4810, Ext. 404; Chateaugay, CCE Franklin County, 483-7403.

For more tips on selling food locally, visit the Regionall/Local Foods section of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Web site at www.nnyagdev.org.

Pesticide-applicator
training being offered

PLATTSBURGH — Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering classes with pesticide recertification credits on Monday, March 22, in Plattsburgh and on Tuesday, March 23, in Westport. The same program will be held both days with separate morning and afternoon sessions.

The morning session on insects and diagnosing problems has two credits in all core categories. The afternoon has two concurrent sessions, one on field crops with two credits in categories 1a and 21 and the other on lawn and landscape with two credits in categories 3a and 25. The sessions will all be held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension offices except for the Monday afternoon field-crops session which will be held at Miner Institute in Chazy.

The cost is $20 per half-day session and registration is required by March 17. The morning session runs from 10 a.m. to noon and the afternoon session runs from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Call Amy Ivy with questions or to register at 561-7450 or 962-4810, Ext. 0, or email adi2@cornell.edu.

Equine conference set
at Miner Institute

CHAZY — EquiDay 2010 at Miner Institute in Chazy is a day-long symposium on horse topics and a mini-expo to launch the spring season in the North Country.

On Saturday, March 20, the doors will open at 9 a.m. for free registration and refreshments with the speaker program starting at 10 a.m. and continuing until 3:30 p.m. with a door prize drawing. Lunch is available for purchase to benefit a local 4H club.

Horse training is a huge topic that is always of great interest, but the best place to start is with a discussion by Dr. Stephen Mackenzie, an equine studies professor at SUNY Cobleskill, on How Horses Learn. The author of the book Fundamentals of Free Lungeing: An Introduction to Tackless Training, Mackenzie will take some of the mystery out of the horse's learning process to help clarify the role of a trainer.

Dr. Betsy Greene, Vermont's Extension equine specialist, was recently presented with the eXtension's Individual Achievement Award at their national conference. An online resource, eXtension, pronounced "e" extension, is a partnership of 74 universities which provides objective, research-based information and learning opportunities. Professional educators with expertise in specific areas join together to form a community of practice, providing educational resources to the public. Greene will walk participants through her community of practice, HorseQuest, which provides reliable and up-to-date information in equine science and management.

Katie Ballard, Miner Institute's director of research, will talk about breeding considerations for mare owners.

The other end of the life spectrum is the senior horse. The life expectancy of a horse has increased dramatically over the years and with that has come the need for better understanding of how to care for older horses. Karen Lassell, equine manager at Miner Institute, will share some key points in managing the older horse and have many anecdotes from the senior equine population at the farm.

Adirondack Tack of Plattsburgh will put on a fashion show and describe the outfits for various disciplines.

EquiDay is held in the Miner Center building of Miner Institute on Route 191 just west of Exit 41 on I-87, rain or shine. For more information, visit www.whminer.org, or contact Karen Lassell at 846-7121, Ext. 120 or email lassell@whminer.com.

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