Precision agricultural practices continue to be more widely adopted each year by western New York farmers in order to increase yields, reduce fertilizer, chemical, and labor costs, and protect the environment. Many practices are part of precision agriculture. Soil sampling based on small grids (0.5-5 acres), soil types, or soil management zones allows farmers to vary their rates of lime and fertilizer applications along with seeding rates of corn and soybeans to capture more yield on the productive areas and conserve resources on less productive sections of their fields. Traditional probe sampling, electrical conductivity, and on-the-go sensors are used for precision soil sampling. Auto-guidance systems greatly improve the efficiency of chemical applications, fertilizer applications, and seeding patterns by reducing overlaps, eliminating gaps, and reducing operator fatigue. Yield monitors allow farmers to further refine their management by accurately recording the yield variations across management zones in each field. Satellite imagery, aerial photography, tool-bar mounted cameras and sensors, and agricultural drones (UAVs) provide additional tools to map and monitor soil variation and crop progression. The NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team continues to support the adoption of precision agricultural practices through educational programming in partnership with the Wyoming County Dairy Institute, work with industry representatives, and on-farm research of new technologies. Throughout northwestern New York precision agricultural services and equipment are provided by, but not limited to, Growmark FS, Monroe Tractor, Agrinetix LLC, Fingerlakes Agronomics Inc, BCA Ag Technologies, Oxbo, and Western New York Crop Management Association. 

Growing Great People: Training Skills for Dairy Farmers

June 29, 2022
Clifton Springs, NY

Become an Effective On-the-Job Trainer!  This hands-on workshop is for all farm managers, supervisors and employees who are involved with training other employees. More than one participant per farm is encouraged to attend. Learn together in both English and Spanish. 

Growing Great People: Training Skills for Dairy Farmers

June 30, 2022
Pavilion, NY

Become an Effective On-the-Job Trainer!  This hands-on workshop is for all farm managers, supervisors and employees who are involved with training other employees. More than one participant per farm is encouraged to attend. Learn together in both English and Spanish. 

Calving Workshop: Ontario County

July 1, 2022
Stanley, NY

Registration Now Open!  To pull or not to pull? That is (one of) the questions dairy farm personnel have while working in the maternity area on a farm.

This workshop will teach best calving management practices to minimize stillbirth rates and improve calf and cow health during and directly after the calving process.

State Agriculture Commissioner lifts ban on poultry shows, auctions in NYS

On June 3, New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced the end of the bans on live poultry shows, exhibitions, auctions, sales, meets, and swaps in New York State. The decision to lift the bans comes as cases decrease nationwide, including in New York state, which has not had a detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in nearly two months.

The NWNY Team Blog

Our goal for this blog is to share with farmers and allied industry professionals, technical and applicable resources regarding all aspects of dairy farming, livestock and small farms, field crops and soils, and topics related to farm business management and precision agriculture.