The NWNY Team Specialists work together with Cornell faculty and extension educators statewide to address the issues that impact the dairy, livestock and field crops industry. Our Specialists have varying areas of expertise but work as a team to provide educational programs and information to commercial producers and agri-business professionals in our regions.

Libby Eiholzer

Bilingual Dairy

Areas of Interest: Employee Management, On-farm Training and Meeting Facilitation, Document Translation

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Nancy Glazier

Small Farms & Livestock

Areas of Interest: Grazing, Production, Management, and Marketing to Enhance the Viability of Family Farms

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John Hanchar

Farm Business Management

Areas of Interest: Economic Analysis, Farm Financial Management Education, Family Business Transition

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Ali Nafchi

Precision Ag

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Joan Sinclair Petzen

Farm Business Management

Areas of Interest: Financial Analysis, Taxes, Business Succession Planning, Managing & Motivating Employees

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Jodi Putman

Field Crops

Areas of Interest: Agronomy, Forage Quality, Nutrient Management and Soil Health & Fertility, Industrial Hemp

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Margaret Quaassdorff

Dairy Management Specialist

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Mike Stanyard

Team Leader, Field Crops

Areas of Interest: Crop Production & Storage, Insect, Disease & Weed Management.

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AGROTOURISM - FREE FARMER TRAINING! ENROLL and GROW YOUR BUSINESS

May 9 - March 1, 2020

Rochester, NY

Expand your farm operations by starting Agritourism, either as your primary or as an add-on activity on your farm. Increasing your farm visibility, connecting with the community, educating the public, creating new local markets, sharing your knowledge and pride - these are just a few attributes that come with Agritourism.

We are inviting all farmers in the Genesee Valley Region (Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates) to enroll in this FREE Agritourism Farmer Training program.  

Calling all 9th-12th graders! 4th Annual Precision Agriculture Day at Genesee Community College

May 21, 2019
9:00 am - 1:30 pm Register by Friday May 10th! $15/per person includes lunch
Batavia, NY

Calling all 9th-12th graders!  We have an exciting new program for students interested in technology, science, engineering, and agriculture!

Human Resource Management on the Farm - 2 sessions! Register by Friday 5/17!!

May 21 - May 22, 2019
12:00 - 2:00 pm (2 sessions! Day 1 CCE- Ontario, or Day 2 CCE - Wyoming)

Are you looking for motivation and resources to implement new Human Resource Management practices on your farm?

Join us for one of two sessions in WNY this spring. At each session, we'll discuss:

USDA Announces New Decision Tool for New Dairy Margin Coverage Program

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2019 ? Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced today the availability of a new web-based tool - developed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin - to help dairy producers evaluate various scenarios using different coverage levels through the new Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized DMC, a voluntary risk management program that offers financial protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. It replaces the program previously known as the Margin Protection Program for Dairy. Sign up for this USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) program opens on June 17.

"With sign-up for the DMC program just weeks away, we encourage producers to use this new support tool to help make decisions on participation in the program," Secretary Perdue said. "Dairy producers have faced tough challenges over the years, but the DMC program should help producers better weather the ups and downs in the industry."

The University of Wisconsin launched the decision support tool in cooperation with FSA and funded through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Office of the Chief Economist. The tool was designed to help producers determine the level of coverage under a variety of conditions that will provide them with the strongest financial safety net. It allows farmers to simplify their coverage level selection by combining operation data and other key variables to calculate coverage needs based on price projections.

The decision tool assists producers with calculating total premiums costs and administrative fees associated with participation in DMC. It also forecasts payments that will be made during the coverage year.

"The new Dairy Margin Coverage program offers very appealing options for all dairy farmers to reduce their net income risk due to volatility in milk or feed prices," said Dr. Mark Stephenson, Director of Dairy Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin, Madison. "Higher coverage levels, monthly payments, and more flexible production coverage options are especially helpful for the sizable majority of farms who can cover much of their milk production with the new five million pound maximum for Tier 1 premiums. This program deserves the careful consideration of all dairy farmers."

For more information, access the tool at fsa.usda.gov/dmc-tool. For DMC sign up, eligibility and related program information, visit fsa.usda.gov or contact your local USDA Service Center. To locate your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-locator.

New Guidance for Mortality Disposal Issued

NYS Department of Ag and Markets has posted guidelines on disposal of livestock carcasses, in response to reports that some rendering companies have halted pickups from farms.

https://nwnyteam.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=761&crumb=dairy|1