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
Dairy Culture Coach Summer 2020
Libby Eiholzer, Bilingual Dairy
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The latest issue of the Dairy Culture Coach is out, including the following:
- New and Effective Method for Cockroach Control
- What is the Census?
- ¿Qué es el Censo?
- Encuesta Sobre COVID-19 Survey (For industry, dairy producers, and dairy farm workers)
- Spanish Farm Management Program Inquiry
- Farmworker Survey about COVID-19 from NYCAMH
Thanks and as always please reach out with any questions or comments!
Farm Financial Management Practices for Unfavorable Economic Conditions
Sound financial planning and control improve owner's abilities to manage their businesses during unfavorable economic conditions. Consider the current environment affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of rain in many areas. Budgeting is a valuable farm financial management practice for these situations. Visit (Brandie, please insert link here) to learn more about budgeting and its value in managing your farm business.
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.
Dairy
Livestock
Grazing
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
Herbicide Resistant Weed Control Virtual Field Day
October 21, 2020
This free online event will offer 2 DEC pesticide applicator credits and CCE CEU's. Pre-Registration is required for DEC credits!
Announcements
*NEW* 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.The blog will feature Crop Alerts, Dairy Alerts, Bilingual (Spanish) Resources, Upcoming Events and more from our team members. This blog is free for everyone to use, explore and enjoy. When new material is published, subscribers will receive an email notification.
We hope you enjoy this new platform, and are looking forward to engaging with you in the future!
Dialing Into Your Best Dairy - * New Podcast Series *
Dialing Into Your Best DairyA Podcast Series
Hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Dairy Specialists and Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
Episodes in this series will discuss management practices and tips to reach your herd's full genetic potential. In 8 episodes, PRO-DAIRY and CCE Dairy Specialists will discuss the different life stages of the dairy cow, including raising calves through the milk phase and weaning; managing weaned heifers up to freshening; making decisions about which replacements to keep including talking about inventory, disease prevention, and culling decisions; feeding and nutrition management during lactation; facilities, time management, and ventilation considerations throughout lactation; and management factors around reproduction, gestation, and the dry period.