Business
Farm Business Management efforts of the NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program seek to increase the likelihood that the region's farm business owners achieve desired results by applying enhanced general business management, and farm financial management skills.To achieve the above purpose, program specialists Petzen and Hanchar develop and deliver extension education opportunities designed to enhance participants' management skills, and abilities to apply principles and ideas from finance and economics in a management context.
Owners of farm businesses enhance their management skills, their capacities to measure the financial condition and performance of their businesses, and their capacities to utilize economic principles in decision making via workshops, classes, presentations, writings, and individual farm business summary and economic analysis work.
Management Education. Emphasis is on enhancing the planning, implementation and control functions of the farm business manager.
Farm Finance and Economics. Emphasis is on enhancing participants' abilities to measure the financial condition and performance of the business for management purposes, and to use economic principles in decision making. Basic and Advanced Farm Financial Management workshops, Cornell University Cooperative Extension's Dairy Farm Business Summary Program, and other Farm Business Summary and Analysis tools play prominent roles here. Economic analyses of proposed changes to farm businesses provide farm business owners with information for decision making -- for example, economic analysis of tractor drawn tile plows, intensive wheat management systems, cow comfort practices, stacked corn hybrids, hay conditioners, zone tillage depths and others.
BUSINESS CATEGORIES
Are You Milking Some Cows You Shouldn't Be?
This article shares resources from Pro-DAIRY to help you develop management strategies for your dairy moving forward. It shares some lessons from the historical Milk Diversion Program that might help inform decision making in this price downturn. Your business must be nimble and ready to change production practices to bring costs in line with the prices you are receiving and paying. Eventually, markets will reopen and sales will return. In the meantime, easing back on the throttle in how we manage cows and how many cows we keep could be good strategies for the current situation.
" Do's and Don'ts for Dairy farmers When Facing Financial Difficulty"
During times of financial difficulty it is important to be mindful and methodical in financial decision making. " Do's and Don'ts for Dairy farmers When Facing Financial Difficulty" provides guidance on making objective decisions during a financial downturn.
Dairy Culture Coach Spring 2020
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The latest issue of the Dairy Culture Coach includes the following topics:
- Reliable Resources for Spanish- & English-Speaking Farmworkers about COVID-19
- Spanish Webinar: Mastitis Treatment Decisions
- Growing Great People Webinars
- Bring Your Own Bag
Some Thoughts on the Current State of Dairy Markets - April 1, 2020
Joan Sinclair Petzen, Farm Business Management
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
Excerpts from information provided by Andrew Novakovic, PHD, Professor Emeritus, Cornell University and, Dr. Mark Stephenson, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Dairy Culture Coach December 2019
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The latest issue of the Dairy Culture Coach includes the following topics:
- An Overview of The Farm Laborer Fair Labor Practices Act (FLFLPA)
- Tools to help you make management decisions related to the FLFLPA
- Vocabulary related to the FLFLPA
- Additional resources on the FLFLPA
Please feel free to contact Libby with questions, to subscribe to the newsletter, or to make suggestions for future content. geg24@cornell.edu or 607-793-4847.
Dairy Training Resources
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
This document will guide you to many of the resources available for training dairy farm employees. Topics include:
- Safety
- Animal Handling
- Calf Care
- Milk Quality
- Calving Assitance
- Reproduction
- Herd Health
- Lameness/Hoof Trimming
- Forages/Feeding
- Creating Human Resource Management Documents
- Employee Housing
- Learning Spanish/English
Dairy Culture Coach September 2019
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The latest issue of the Dairy Culture Coach includes the following topics:
- Improving Human Resource Management
- Silage Harvest Vocabulary
- The Importance of Corn
- La Importancia del Maíz
- Consulate Updates
Please feel free to contact Libby with questions, to subscribe to the newsletter, or to make suggestions for future content. geg24@cornell.edu or 607-793-4847.
Pricing Corn Silage -- Fall 2019
John Hanchar, Farm Business Management
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
- Analysis suggests corn silage price depends on corn silage quantities, alfalfa hay price, the price received by farmers for milk, and corn grain price.
- Analysis for NY suggests that estimated corn silage price is most sensitive to corn silage quantities, alfalfa hay price and corn grain price.
- Price estimates combined with understanding of relevant supply and demand factors from an individual farm business owner's perspective can aid decision making regarding corn silage price. Given recently available alfalfa hay and corn grain prices (May through July, 2019, and August 27, 2019, respectively), price analysis for NY suggests an estimated corn silage price of about $45 per ton. The Fall 2018 estimate was about $41 per ton.
Human Resource Management Self-Assessment
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
This self-assessment is designed to help you evaluate the human resource management practices on your farm and help you prioritize areas for improvement.
Dairy Culture Coach June 2019
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The latest issue of the Dairy Culture Coach includes the following topics:
- Human Resource Management on Dairy Farms
- Summer Housing Reminders
- Recordatorios Sobre las Casas en el Verano
- Animal Handling Webinars
- Seminarios Web Sobre el Manejo de Animales
Please feel free to contact Libby with questions, to subscribe to the newsletter, or to make suggestions for future content. geg24@cornell.edu or 607-793-4847.
Resources for Making a Decision on the Dairy Margin Coverage Program
John Hanchar, Farm Business Management
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
Decision making for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program benefits from the availability of two recent webinars.
Webinar for Dairy Producers will Cover New Dairy Margin Coverage Program
John Hanchar, Farm Business Management
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The USDA/Farm Service Agency in New York is partnering with the NYS Crop Insurance Education Program to present a webinar for dairy producers.
Dairy
Livestock
Grazing
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
Corn Congress - Batavia Location
January 6, 2021
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Batavia, NY
Please join the NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crop Team for our annual Corn Congress. DEC re-certification points and Certified Crop Adviser credits available, so bring your picture ID. Lunch is included. Hear from program-related professionals and visit with our sponsoring vendors. Corn Congress - Waterloo Location
January 7, 2021
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Waterloo, NY
Please join the NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field CropsTeam for our annual Corn Congress. DEC re-certification points and Certified Crop Adviser credits available, so bring your picture ID. Lunch is included. Hear from program-related professionals and visit with our sponsoring vendors. Soybean & Small Grains Congress - Batavia Location