Increasing Milk Production with Energy Efficient Lighting
Jackson Wright, Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
January 2, 2013
Common light fixtures found on dairy operations are T8 fluorescent, metal halide, high pressure sodium, and more recently, light emitting diode (LED). Each fixture has a unique set of benefits and drawbacks. For instance, fluorescent lights are energy efficient and usually pay for themselves within 2 years of installation. On the other hand, fluorescent fixtures require maintenance, perform poorly under cold or hot conditions, and contain mercury which could be disastrous should a bulb break around lactating cows. High intensity discharge (HID) fixtures provide ample light at ground level when ceiling heights are greater than 12 feet. However, these fixtures require a long pre-heat or start-up time. Finally, LED lights can provide high energy efficiency with a reported 100,000 hour operating life. This is significantly longer than the reported 20,000 hour operating life of fluorescent and HID fixtures. Moreover, LED lights are expected to have lower maintenance costs, contain no mercury, and provide instantaneous reliable light. Though LED fixtures are expensive when compared to the other fixtures.
These unique attributes can make it confusing to select fixtures best suited for dairy operations. However when considering implementing LDPP, LED fixtures may provide an edge. Consider this: lighting performance is often measured based on lumens/watt. This can be a misleading for dairy producers because lumens represent effective light for the human eye. Dairy cows perceive light differently than humans meaning a light fixture can provide ample lumens/watt, but may not provide light in the appropriate spectrum to stimulate milk yield. For instance, high pressure sodium fixtures provide high lumens/watt; however light output from these fixtures is biased towards longer wavelengths which cows cannot perceive. Fluorescent fixtures provide ample effective light for the cow; however under cold conditions light output of fluorescent fixtures can decrease by more than 40%. Cold conditions would be typical of most barns during the winter months, precisely when supplemental lighting from light fixtures would be required. LED fixtures can provide light in the same spectrum as sunlight and are more reliable under cold conditions. These two considerations suggest LED fixtures may be best suited for implementing LDPP; however this scenario needs to be investigated under barn conditions.
Currently, Pro-Dairy is conducting a study investigating the cost benefits of LED lighting systems and T8 fluorescent lighting systems on dairy operations. This study will account for the initial cost of the fixtures, fixture performance, operating life, expected energy savings, and milk production to determine which lighting system is the most cost effective for dairy producers.
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Upcoming Events
Beginning Farmer/Hobby Farmer Workshop $5/pp, class size is limited, so pre-register by April 15th!
April 27, 2019
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Canandaigua, NY
This hands-on workshop is for beginning or part-time farmers who would like to improve their farm machinery skills, learn to properly and safely maintain their equipment to protect their investment. If you have been thinking about buying a tractor, new or used, two-wheel or four-wheel drive, compact or utility or more come join us. Topics include: selecting the right size/type tractor for the job; basic maintenance; staying safe around tractors and equipment; attaching implements properly; and information about ROPS and SMV's. There will be time for questions.Pre-registration requested by April 15, 2019 email Amy with your name, address, and phone number or call 585-394-3977 x 429.
Fee: $5.00/person. Class size is limited.
2019 Pastured Poultry Seminar, lunch included so please register by May 10th! $25/person
May 18, 2019
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.w/ coffee & donuts with the Program running from 9:00 a.m. - 5 p. m.
Attica, NY
The main speaker this year is Eli Reiff of Mifflinburg Pennsylvania. Eli raises broilers, turkeys, sheep, and beef, all on pasture. Topics to be covered will include the pasture, feed and nutrition, marketing, costs, and much more. As we grow as farm operators and get bigger, we may not pay as much attention to the basics as we should. So those areas are where we will start, and then expand to cover the group's interests.Mike Badger, Director of the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association will also be available for a round-table discussion. Plans are to have representatives from Farm Bureau, NYCAMH for farm health and safety, Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wyoming County, as well as others.
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!Would you like to:
- Learn about how Drones collect information
- Check out some potential career opportunities that have new and ever-changing technology
- Learn how these technologies can be used in our own backyards in WNY
- Discover potential and exciting career opportunities
Announcements
Producers Previously Enrolled in the LGM Program Now Eligible for MPP
Dairy Producers Previously Enrolled in the Livestock Gross Margin Program Now Eligible for 2018 Margin Protection ProgramThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that dairy producers who elected to participate in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program (LGM-Dairy) now have the opportunity to participate in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) for 2018 coverage. Sign-up will take place March 25 through May 10, 2019.
Eligible producers can enroll during the sign-up period at their local USDA service center. To locate your office, visit farmers.gov.
Smart Farming Team Technical Assistance Grant Application
The Labor Ready Farmer Project is offering grants to provide up to 12 hours of Technical Assistance (TA) consulting services to farms who want to make improvements to their farm's processes in hiring, training, managing or evaluating employees. Applicants will choose from one of the following four areas for TA assistance and identify a specific project. If selected they will be matched with a "Smart Farming Team" of consultants who will provide one on one technical assistance.- HIRING EMPLOYEES 101 - GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START
- ONBOARDING & TRAINING EMPLOYEES QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY
- FINE-TUNING & IMPROVING THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
- H2-A READINESS
Nicole Waters - Beginning Farmer Project Coordinator
Plant Science Building, Room 15b
Tower Road, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607-255-9911
Email: nw42@cornell.edu
Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
USDA Announces January Income over Feed Cost Margin Triggers First 2019 Dairy Sa
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2019 ? The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that the January 2019 income over feed cost margin was $7.99 per hundredweight, triggering the first payment for eligible dairy producers who purchase the appropriate level of coverage under the new but yet-to-be established Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.DMC, which replaces the Margin Protection Program for Dairy, is a voluntary risk management program for dairy producers that was authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill. DMC offers 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.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced last week that sign up for DMC will open by mid-June of this year. At the time of sign up, producers who elect a DMC coverage level between $8.00 and $9.50 would be eligible for a payment for January 2019.
For example, a dairy operation with an established production history of 3 million pounds (30,000 cwt.) that elects the $9.50 coverage level for 50 percent of its production could potentially be eligible to receive $1,887.50 for January.
Sample calculation:
$9.50 - $7.99 margin = $1.51 difference
$1.51 times 50 percent of production times 2,500 cwt. (30,000 cwt./12) = $1,887.50
The calculated annual premium for coverage at $9.50 on 50 percent of a 3-million-pound production history for this example would be $2,250.
Sample calculation:
3,000,000 times 50 percent = 1,500,000/100 = 15,000 cwt. times 0.150 premium fee = $2,250
Operations making a one-time election to participate in DMC through 2023 are eligible to receive a 25 percent discount on their premium for the existing margin coverage rates.
"Congress created the Dairy Margin Coverage program to provide an important financial safety net for dairy producers, helping them weather shifting milk and feed prices," FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce said. "This program builds on the previous Margin Protection Program for Dairy, carrying forward many of the program upgrades made last year based on feedback from producers. We're working diligently to implement the DMC program and other FSA programs authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill."
Additional details about DMC and other FSA farm bill program changes can be found at farmers.gov/farmbill.
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