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May 28, 2024 Forage Quality Scissors Cut Results

Make Hay…

when the sun shines again!

With a few days of rain in the last week, hay harvest went on pause after a great start. Most farms have started first cutting, and it’s a good thing since maturity is ahead of normal. Yields look good, but quality will likely be lower than what you experienced last year.

Grass jumped an average of 11 inches and legumes grew 8 inches. Grass fiber content (NDF) increases slowed from almost 1 point per day the previous week to 0.63 point per day, with grasses averaging 65%, mixed stands 64.5%, and alfalfa 42%. With the grasses heading, fiber content increases have nearly maxed out, but fiber digestibility is decreasing rapidly, dropping on average 1 point per day.

Grasses and mixed stands are past dairy quality. Legume fields are dairy quality. Beef producers should harvest for growing yearlings lactating cows. Harvest for dry brood cows and can wait 10-14 days yet.

Dairy producers should be harvesting legume stands now for lactating dairy cattle.

Harvested fields are re-growing quickly. Remember, second cut yields can be almost equal to first on early cut. Plan and prepare now to start second cut 30-35 days after first cut, even if all your first cut is not complete. NDF in second cut increases almost as fast as in first cut, even though the plants aren’t heading.
With ample moisture – applying 50 lbs. of nitrogen to grass hayfields after 1^st cut will boost yield and quality. If there is no rain in the forecast, use a volatilization inhibitor on urea.

Stay safe and enjoy the hay harvest season.

Our next sample day will be Tuesday June 4 for any remaining fields.

Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference 2024

Thursday January 11, 2024

SUNY Delhi, Delhi, NY

Come and join farmers from around the region for this premier agricultural event. Our top-notch speakers will be presenting timely information about Dairy, Livestock, and Horticulture production as well as Grazing Management with a focus on effective practices for farmers in the Catskill Region. Conference includes 15 workshops for all types of farms, a delicious local foods lunch, and opportunities to connect with like minded farmers from across our region.

Registration begins at 9:30 am with Early Bird sessions at 10:00 am. Dairy, Livestock, Grazing, and Horticulture tracts start at 11:00, 1:40 and 2:40

Registration $35 Deadline January 5

Early Bird Sessions 10:00 am

10:00 am Introduction to USDA Programs:

Brian Sheridan, Aaron Masters, USDA FSA, Tony Capraro, USDA NRCS

Aaron Masters, FSA Farm Loan Officer will speak on FSA’s lending programs, including eligibility and how to apply. Brian Sheridan, County Executive Director will give an overview of existing FSA programs, and how to get started with FSA programs. Tony Capraro, Asst. State Conservationist for Field Operations SE Area will give an overview of current NRCS programs, how to locate specific Field Offices for assistance, program eligibility, and how to apply for NRCS Programs.

10:00 am Economic Viability Farmer Grants:

Kristan Morley, WAC Economic Viability Program

Learn about Economic Viability Program initiatives in the NYC West of Hudson Watershed

1) the development of professional business plans to better position these businesses for improved economic profitability and sustainability

2) activities that enhance economic viability through marketing, training, staffing and event/mileage reimbursement grants

3) those seeking professional services in transition, estate planning or succession planning.

Dairy Track

11:00 am Transitioning a Farm Business to the Next Generation:

John Lehr, Farm Credit East

John J. Lehr, Farm Business Consultant with Farm Credit East will be presenting on the process of transitioning business ownership and management to the next generation of operator(s). Strategies for management succession will be shared as well as the cash flow considerations of maintaining smooth business operation during the transfer process. In addition, potential hurdles to succession and the softer side of management transfer will be discussed as well.

1:40 pm Mineral Nutrition for Dairy

Dr. Tom Tylutki, Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems

Minerals for replacement heifers… Do we really need to worry about them? Minerals play a key role in the performance we expect from our heifers. Be it growth, reproduction, or health, matching the animal’s requirements with the correct levels of minerals pays BIG dividends! Come explore how requirement levels match up with the minerals already supplied by your forages and grains. Once we know the nutrients naturally present in our feeds, we can develop a strategy to cost effectively supplement minerals and vitamins to achieve our desired outcomes.

2:40 pm The Hidden Costs of NOT Growing Your Heifers Right

Bill Prokop, DVM Attica Veterinary Associates P.C

Did you know that cows have a pretty specific number of productive days in their life? And that the older the heifer is at calving, the less potential productive days she has left? Or how about the fact that if we ‘insult’ a calf before it is born, her daughters will give less milk too? We typically hear only about the ‘cost’ of raising heifers in relation to age of first calving, but everything from how many heifers you need to raise, to milk production potential one to two generations from now are all impacted. It’s beyond costs.

Livestock Track

11:00 am Mineral Nutrition for Livestock

Dr. Tom Tylutki, Agricultural Modeling and Training Systems

Do we really need to worry about minerals for beef cattle, sheep and goats? Minerals play a key role in determining the growth, reproduction, and health of our animals. Matching the animals’ requirements with the correct levels of minerals pays BIG dividends. Come explore how the varying requirement levels by species match up with what our forages and grains naturally supply. Once this is known, we can develop strategies for minerals and vitamins that are cost effective and enhance the performance of our animals.

1:40 pm Emerging and Evolving Livestock Diseases

Dr. Mary Smith, DVM, Professor Cornell University

Dr. Smith will draw from her extensive knowledge and experience to cover several conditions of sheep and goats that are receiving increasing recognition in New York State. Symptoms and means of prevention will be discussed for common issues like predation, meningeal worm, and Lyme disease as well as less common ones like Cache Valley virus that can cause severe fetal malformations. Prevention of anthelmintic resistance will be discussed and how misguided attempts to prevent meningeal worm are adding to the resistance problem.

2:40 pm Successfully Selling Meat

JJF Farm, East Jewett, Albano Farms, Stamford, Evans & Evans Farm, Andes

Direct to customer meat sales have become an important source of revenue for many livestock farms. This panel will share how they have increased their sales and provide quality service to their customers. Following short presentations from each farm, there will be a moderated question and answer session.

Grazing Track

11:00 am Grazing Wet Areas of Your Farm

Russ Wilson, Wilson Land & Cattle Co.

Russ manages his 220 acres of pastures for over 300 days of grazing each year. Many of these acres have wet soil conditions for significant portions of his grazing season. Russ will explore and explain how he manages these areas with the goals of enhancing forage production considering the diversity of plant species while promoting wildlife and water quality conservation.

1:40 pm Watering Systems Design, Troubleshooting, & Maintenance

John Benscoter, Retired NRCS Engineering Technician, Russ Wilson, Wilson Land & Cattle Co.

John will provide key design considerations and management strategies that optimize watering efficiency for your animals on pasture while at the same time keeping the system functioning with a minimum of maintenance in all seasons. Russ will share how he uses cost effective strategies to address water challenges in his grazing system with a focus on ensuring a reliable water supply throughout the year.

2:40 pm Multi Species Grazing-What We’ve Learned

Ronald Kuck, CCE Cayuga County

Grazing two or more species of livestock, at the same time, in the same pastures is actually the most common farming approach in the world. Ron will explain the various ways that multi species grazing can be implemented and detail the benefits to your land with the additional management lessons learned on farms and from research. Multi-species grazing can increase pasture health and diversify your livestock sales with the ultimate goal of getting the most profit out of your pasture acres.

Horticulture Track

11:00 am To Bee or Not to Bee: Encouraging Pollinators on Flower and Vegetable Farms

Garet Livermore, CCE Herkimer County

This session looks at the emerging research on the competition between western honey bees (Apis mellifera) and native pollinators and whether keeping bees is beneficial or harmful. It also presents model practices to encourage native pollinators that includes an overview of native resident and migrating pollinators of upstate New York and their habitat needs.

1:40 pm Growing at Flower Hill Farm

Nicole Pitt, Owner, Flower Hill Farm

Nicole will discuss how a love for her land led to the formation of a flower farm and how social media garnered her small business a global audience. She also will talk about if social media is hurting or helping my business and discuss if flower farming is sustainable without other sources of income?

2:40 pm IPM Strategies for Vegetable and Cut Flower Producers

Betsy Lamb, NYS IPM Program, Cornell University

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) addresses key growing challenges and embraces recent technological advances, including biological control and the integration of disease resistant varieties. Coping with emerging pests, adaptation to climate change, innovations in pest monitoring, community engagement, and regulatory considerations all shape the evolving landscape of IPM, emphasizing sustainable practices and economic viability.

Lunch 12:00 noon

Managing the Changing Weather

Jeffrey Potent: Columbia University

Successful farming has always been about managing the changes around us. Jeff will describe a new research project working with farmers to adapt best management practices to protect water quality and farm productivity in response to anticipated changes in weather patterns.

Corn Dry Down Results 9-14-2023

Corn generally looks good in the region, let’s get it across the finish line with a well-timed harvest to maximize quality. The dry spring and wet summer have resulted in lots of variability in many fields. Corn maturity is behind average even though recent hot weather has helped. The only way to be sure of picking the best harvest timing is to base your decision on whole plant dry matter.

CCE and WAC teamed up with Dairy One, and their portable NIR, to test corn dry matter this week and the results are in the chart to the right. Samples varied from ¾ milk line to ears still in milk stage, but ear stage alone was not adequate to guess dry matter (DM) content. DM is the best way to decide on harvest readiness, because it best predicts fermentation quality. We recommend 32 – 36% DM for bunk silos and bags, 35 – 38% DM for upright silos. Remember proper length of cut, thorough kernel processing, and adequate packing are all critical in making quality corn silage.

The samples tested on September 14th averaged 29% DM with a range of 23% DM to 32% DM. With the help of Dairy One NIR, were able to measure starch content as well, which averaged 31% with a range between 25% and 36%.

As corn matures it will increase in starch content, and increase in yield. Harvesting too early will sacrifice yield and energy content. Harvesting too late will yield poorer fermentation and lower starch digestibility. Corn will mature and dry down at about ½ to ¾ point of DM per day. Only two fields tested have reached 32%DM and are ready to chop right now, ½ of the fields need another week, ¼ are 10 days to two weeks away, while the other ¼ are two weeks or more from harvest dry matter. See chart below for more details.

Harvesting too early (<32% DM) results in reduced yield, reduced silage starch content, challenged fermentation and increased risk for silo juicing (which is a potent pollutant as well as tough on silos). Harvesting too late (>40% DM) will lead to poor fermentation and lower starch digestibility. Continuing to monitor whole plant DM is critical. Getting DM into the target zone yields best fermentation. Use of reputable inoculants helps on corn silage, especially when it is getting dry. Inoculants containing Lactobacillus Buchneri have been shown to be effective with corn silage. Increasing chop length with wetter silage may also reduce silo juicing.

Sample Results 9/14/23

Town	Ear Maturity	DM%	Starch %
Davenport	½ milk line	29	32
Edmeston	¼ milk line	28	32
Edmeston	½ milk line	29	33
Edmeston	⅓ milk line	30	34
Edmeston	¼ milk line	30	35
Edmeston	½ milk line	31	35
Edmeston	½ milk line	32	36
Franklin	E. Dent	27	30
Franklin	½ milk line	30	35
Franklin	⅔ milk line	30	33
Franklin	⅓ milk line	33	34
Guilford	½ milk line	29	34
Guilford	¼ milk line	30	31
Halcott	Milk	24	25
Halcott	Milk	24	27
Halcott	Milk	26	28
Hallstead	Milk	28	29
Kortright	Milk	27	29
Kortright	E. Dent	31	32
Kortright	¼ milk line	32	32
Meredith	Milk	24	25
Norwich	¼ milk line	31	34
Roxbury	½ milk line	29	30
Roxbury	½ milk line	30	33
Sidney	E. Dent	28	29
Sidney	⅓ milk line	29	32
Stamford	E. Dent	24	28
Stamford	Milk	25	29
Stamford	E. Dent	27	31
Stamford	¾ milk line	30	30
Summit	⅔ milk line	29	32
Tompkins	Milk	29	31
Tompkins	Milk	30	31
Tompkins	E. Dent	30	32
Tompkins	E. Dent	30	31
Tompkins	E. Dent	30	30
Unadilla	½ milk line	29	31
Walton	¼ milk line	29	31
	Average	28.7	31.2

Thanks to Dairy One Integrated Farming Solutions Consultant Tim Lewis for coming to both dry down days and providing rapid analysis of our samples!

2023 Corn Stage and GDD Report

By: Ben Hepler, Nutrient Management Community Educator

It is that time of year again! Forecasting silage harvest dates after tasseling using Growing Degree Days (GDD) is a great way to help plan your harvest and be successful.

It takes out half of the risk by forecasting silage harvest after the corn has tasseled. Through research done by Dr. Bill Cox at the Musgrave Research Farm, corn with a relative maturity (RM) of 96-99 need about 750GDD after tasseling to get it near silage maturity. Corn with a RM of 100-115 need about 800GDD. Both methods get the corn to about 32% dry matter (DM). Four to six days may pass before corn is ready to chop at the 35% or higher DM. By using the Climate Smart Farming website, you can track GDD by field location and see what the forecasted harvest date might be. In the example below, we changed the planting date to the tassel date and enable targets to 800GDD. This will give a forecasted harvest window. Once corn starts to dry down, it averages .5% per day depending on weather. As corn silage harvest approaches CCE of Delaware County Ag team will be collecting corn samples to test their dry matters. This will help pin point the week to start harvesting and get the most from your corn crop.

Remember that all things depend on the weather and the Climate Smart Farming website is only a guide to work out when corn silage might be ready.

Early planted Corn started to tassel between July 23^rd and July 25^th. Using 800GDD as the target for reaching silage maturity and utilizing the Climate Smart Farming website, silage harvesting equipment should be ready around September 17^th with actual harvesting taking place a few days later.

For More information on using the Climate Smart Farming website, type www.climatesmartfarming.org or to learn more about the GDD tool, type http://climatesmartfarming.org/videos/csf-growing-degree-day-calculator-video-introduction-and-practical-usage/

Growing Degree Day Corn Silage Maturity Chart

Projected date of 32% DM date based upon silking date, location, and GDD forecast
GDD, Base86/50	Silking Date
Location	July 24 (750GDD)	July 24 (800GDD)	August 4 (750GDD)	August 4 (800GDD)
South Kortright (elev. 1565ft)	Sept. 12	Sept. 17	Sept. 30	Oct. 8
Grand Gorge (elev. 1940ft)	Sept. 13	Sept. 18	Oct. 2	Oct. 10

Scissors Cuts 5/30/2023

Dry Weather, Slow Changes

With continued dry weather this week, grass and legume growth was variable, some fields had no change in height while others gained 8 inches. Many grasses are heading, but some fields are maturing a little more slowly than expected, alfalfa is bud stage. Even with slower growth we would expect grasses be rapidly heading and legumes to continue to early bloom stage this week.
Grasses and mixed stands are past prime dairy quality this week. Legumes are arriving at peak quality and will likely pass prime this week as well. All fields are at target quality for growing yearlings and lactating beef cows. Producers looking for forage for mature dry beef cows should wait at least another week.
Grass fiber content changed at a more normal pace this week, advancing about ¾ point per day, legume fiber increased more slowly. Fiber digestibility (NDFD) continued a steady pace downward decreasing another 4½ points during the week.

Estimated days from 5/30 to reach target quality for classes of cattle

		Beef
	Dairy	Growing Calf	Growing Yearling	Lactating Cow	Mature Dry Cow
Grass	Past	Past	NOW	NOW	7-10 Days
Mixed	Past	Past	NOW	NOW	7-10 Days
Legume	NOW	Past	NOW	NOW	7-10 Days

The Table below has each sample location, listed by Town and elevation, and lists the species sampled, average height, Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD), and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). We have sampled grass, legume and mixed legume/grass fields across the county and at elevations from 1070 to 2240 feet. Look for locations with similar forage type and elevation to your farm.

Delaware County Scissor Cuts Results				May 23, 2023				May 30, 2023
Farm	Town	Elev	Species	Ht	aNDFom	NDFD	TDN	Ht	aNDFom	NDFD	TDN
Darling	Andes	1505	Red Clover	22	30.2	52	66	24	33.1	50	68
Eisele	Andes	1412	Orchardgrass	21	45.4	68	68	22	50.7	63	67
Evans	Andes	2240	Mixed Grasses	13	48	65	66	13	55	60	66
Gladstone	Andes	1960	RClov(35%)Grass	13/22	41.4	56	68	mowed	40.7	60	67
Mattson	Colchester	1080	Alf(60%)Tfesc	29/32	42.6	54	63	35/38	44.4	49	65
Frisbee	Delhi	1380	Mixed Grasses	29	49.8	60	68	34	53.1	61	66
Mushkoday	Delhi	1340	Alfalfa	25	36.3	54	65	28	35.2	44	66
Rama	Delhi	1400	Clov(25%)Grass	17/27	51.3	67	66	20/35	56.2	60	63
Scobie	Hamden	1490	Mixed Grasses	13	43	62	69	12	48	58	69
Hillriegel	Hardenburgh	1670	Orchardgrass	19	50.9	65	67	21	53.3	60	67
DeDominicis	Meredith	2100	Orchardgrass	15	42.9	73	66	17	48.2	66	64
Johnson	Sidney	1070	Alfalfa	28	39	46	64		35.6	44	66
Hanselman	Stamford	1488	Alfalfa	21	37.3	55	64	25	36.4	51	65
Ryan	Stamford	1800	Mixed Grasses	17	44.3	67	66	12/21	48.1	61	67
LaTourette	Tompkins	1210	Clov(25%)Grass	18/22	50.2	65	65	20/28	53.8	54	66
			Av Grass	19.5	48.8	64.7	66.5	24.1	50.9	62.0	67.0
			Av Mixed	–	46.7	61.3	65.8	–	48.8	55.8	65.3
			Av Legume	23.6	38.7	51.6	65.6	25.3	35.1	47.3	66.3

We report several measures of forage quality. Different types and groups of cattle have different demands and each measure tells a slightly different story. If harvesting for dairy forage, we suggest harvesting based on NDF, for beef choose an appropriate TDN target or the animals you will be feeding
NDF – Neutral Detergent Fiber is a measure of the structural fiber in a feed sample. NDF correlates well with how much forage a cow can eat (gut fill). Earlier cut hay = lower NDF = higher dry matter intake = higher performance.
NDF goals for Dairy Cattle Forage: Grass hay and silage – 48 – 55%, MMG hay & silage – 40 – 50%, MML hay & silage – 38 – 45%, Legume hay & silage – 36 – 42%
NDFD – NDF Digestibility As forage plants mature, the fiber percentage increases, and at the same time the digestibility of the fiber decreases. NDFD measures the digestibility of fiber by rumen fluid. We report 24hr NDFD as an indicator of forage digestibility. Higher digestibility = more energy available from a forage. Grasses inherently have a higher NDF digestibility than legumes.
TDN – Total Digestible Nutrients The sum of the digestible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components. TDN is a measure of energy available from forage and is related to digestible energy. TDN is useful for beef cow rations that are primarily forage. Higher TDN values indicate higher energy available, cattle groups with higher energy demands require higher TDN intakes.

Scissors Cut Report 5/9/2023

Be Prepared

Hay grew steadily this week; grasses height averaged 16 inches, growing about 4 inches, and legumes averaged 12 inches, growing about 2 inches. Heights remain at about average compared to previous scissor cut years. Forage quality measures are holding steady, as we expect at this point in the growth cycle. As grasses start stem elongation, height will increase more rapidly and fiber content will begin to increase. None of the fields sampled are at target quality and are at least a week away from recommended start of harvest. At this point in the season we expect NDF to increase about 1 % point per day, which sets our predicted first day at target NDF for grasses at May 17, almost exactly on our 20-year average. We will sample again on May 16, so keep an eye out for next weeks results to fine tune your plans.

A note on early harvest of grasses. As grasses grow and start the heading process, the growing point is at the top of the stem as it elongates. If plants are cut before the growing point is above the cutting height, the cut plant will continue to push the seed head up, with few leaves, resulting in a field that looks like all heads. When this happens, the grass will eventually fill in, but quality will be reduced. This is something to consider if you are cutting very early. You can split a few grass stems and see the length of the developing stem, if the growing point is lower than cutting height you may want to wait a day or two to avoid rapid heading of the regrowth.

Reminder: Check mower cutting height settings. Grasses store energy reserves in the base of the stem, cutting too low can remove the reserves the plants need to start regrowth quickly. Setting cutting height to 4 inches is a good practice to ensure heathier plants and quicker regrowth.

We have a great forecast for completing field work, don’t let first cutting time sneak up on you. Looks like we have the making of a good cropping season, lets make the most of it.

The Table at the bottom has each sample location, listed by Town and elevation, and lists the species sampled, average height, Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility (NDFD), and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN). We have sampled grass, legume and mixed legume/grass fields across the region and at elevations from 1070 to 2240 feet. Look for locations with similar forage type and elevation to your farm.

Special thanks to Dairy One for providing the sample analysis

Delaware County Scissor Cuts Results				May 2, 2023				May 9, 2023
Farm	Town	Elev	Species	Ht	aNDFom	NDFD	TDN	Ht	aNDFom	NDFD	TDN
Darling	Andes	1505	Red Clover	11	27.7	58	72	13	28.3	88	74
Darling	Andes	1500	Mixed Grasses	10	39.3	79	67	14	37.6	75	69
Eisele	Andes	1412	Orchardgrass	12	40.7	79	67	12	41.4	70	69
Evans	Andes	2240	Mixed Grasses	7	39.7	73	67	9	36.6	66	68
Gladstone	Andes	1960	RClov(35%)Grass	6/10	35.7	72	68	7/13	40.3	75	70
Mattson	Colchester	1080	Alf(60%)Tfesc	14/13	34.9	64	67	18/20	35.4	63	66
Cerosaoletti	Davenport	1285	Alfalfa	16	30.1	66	68	14	24.4	54	69
Frisbee	Delhi	1380	Mixed Grasses	10	47.1	73	67	15	42.1	70	67
Mushkoday	Delhi	1340	Alfalfa	18	27.2	71	68	15	26.4	70	70
Rama	Delhi	1400	Clov(25%)Grass	7/13	42.9	77	67	11/19	44.9	72	69
Sherwood	Delhi	1610	Mixed Grasses	13	41.8	73	67	18	40.9	76	66
Sullivan	Delhi	1425	Orchardgrass	12	46.3	73	65	14	43.1	68	71
Buel	Franklin	1260	Alf(50%)Orch	11/17	35.9	76	67	14/21	33.6	71	67
Grant	Franklin	1650	Mixed Grasses	16	36.2	83	69	19	44	80	68
Taggart	Franklin	1720	Mixed Grasses	11	43.3	78	68	15	44.1	72	66
DiBenedetto	Halcott	1730	Orchardgrass	15	43.3	76	67	18	42	77	68
Moody	Hamden	2100	Clov(50%)Grass	5/9	38.5	72	67	6/8	39.4	70	68
Scobie	Hamden	1490	Mixed Grasses	6	39.3	75	69	9	38.7	71	69
Hillriegel	Hardenburgh	1670	Orchardgrass	10	45.7	71	67	12	45.8	70	67
Hager	Kortright	2000	Tall Fescue	11	38.9	84	70	17	40.5	78	73
Haynes	Kortright	1860	Orchardgrass	14	46.4	71	67	14/21	42.2	74	68
Cieri	Meredith	2230	Orchardgrass	7	32.8	80	72	13	36.8	84	68
DeDominicis	Meredith	2100	Orchardgrass	7	40	74	68	9	35.9	71	68
Keator	Meredith	1600	Tall Fescue	10	43.1	77	66	15	42.3	68	67
Elliot	Middletown	2060	Orch/Rcanary	14	41.9	77	67	17	41.7	78	68
Gray	Middletown	2020	Reed Canarygrass	15	42.5	79	66	18	43.3	73	65
Coombe	Neversink	1420	Tall Fescue	10	38.4	92	70	13	41.7	78	68
Krum	Neversink	1700	Mixed Grasses	4	42.1	74	67	8	41.3	67	67
Albano	Roxbury	1950	Mixed Grasses	11	43.9	75	69	17	41.8	75	67
Gockel	Roxbury	1890	Orchardgrass	10	44	75	67	16	44.7	71	70
Kuhn	Roxbury	1980	Mixed Grasses	8	41.7	71	66	20	46.6	67	68
Perry	Roxbury	1830	Orchardgrass	15	42.5	75	66	17	42.9	73	66
Johnson	Sidney	1070	Orchardgrass	14	40.2	76	70	24	44.5	75	74
Johnson	Sidney	1070	Alfalfa	13	28.8	70	67	19	28.3	62	69
Deysenroth	Stamford	1510	Orchardgrass	9	42.7	74	68	15	45.5	71	65
Hanselman	Stamford	1488	Alfalfa	10	29.7	69	67	13	24.6	51	71
Martin	Stamford	1560	Alf(40%)Orch	10/14	35.9	71	66	19	39.7	73	66
Ryan	Stamford	1800	Mixed Grasses	9	42	69	69	6/12	40.7	72	67
Trovato	Stamford	2080	Mixed Grasses	10	43	75	68	8/14	44.7	75	66
LaTourette	Tompkins	1210	Clov(25%)Grass	6/12	45.3	74	67	7/18	44.3	71	67
Walley	Tompkins	1235	Clov(35%)Grass	7/13	46.3	78	66	12/18	40.4	68	69
Wickham,B	Walton	1170	Alf(40%)Orch	11/15	42.2	72	67	13/17	38.2	68	69
Wickham,D	Walton	1240	Clov(30%)Grass	10/14	39.6	79	68	15/19	34.7	71	68
			Av Grass Ht	11.3	41.7	76.1	67.7	15.6	41.9	73.0	68.0
			Av Legume Ht	9.5	28.7	66.8	68.4	12.1	26.4	65.0	70.6

CCE Delaware Welcomes New Executive Director

The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County Board of Directors is proud to welcome Dr. Mandeep Virk-Baker as the association’s new Executive Director.

Dr. Mandeep Virk-Baker brings with her extensive public health research and administration experience and has served high-level state and academic leadership positions. With more than two decades leading work in chronic disease prevention, community nutrition, health promotion, and as a public health scientist trained at the Johns Hopkins University, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/ the National Cancer Institute (NCI), she is deeply passionate about improving public health and nutrition and making the world a better place.

Dr. Virk-Baker has an extensive background in health policy and public health research, has published in several high-impact peer-reviewed journals, and has received numerous awards for her research work. Previously, Dr. Virk-Baker served as the Area Extension Director for Baltimore, Carroll, and Harford Counties at University of Maryland Extension.

Dr. Virk-Baker is thrilled to join the CCE Delaware County team, and is looking forward to working with CCE colleagues, county, state, and federal level stakeholders, and Delaware County residents to continue to improve the lives of our local rural communities. Dr. Virk-Baker lives on a 24-acre family farm in West Oneonta. In her spare time, she likes to explore the beautiful local area, hiking trails, and lakes with her family. She is an excellent “Baker” and enjoys creating new recipes.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Delaware County’s mission is to educate youth, families, farmers, and communities using research-based knowledge for practical application and lifelong learning.

Round 2 of Delaware County Farm Enhancement Grants Program Announced

Financial support for this program has been awarded through the Delaware County American Rescue Plan Committee with approval from the Delaware County Board of Supervisors, and utilizes funding provided to Delaware County through the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Applications for funding in round two (2) are due by 4:00 pm on Monday, October 31, 2022.

An informational meeting about the program was held on August 9^th at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Hamden, with the option to join via Zoom. The meeting was recorded and can be accessed, along with a set of “Frequently Asked Questions” on the program webpage at https://bit.ly/3oD5aUy.

To learn more about the program, including applicant and project eligibility, funding limits, process timeline, and to access the grant application, interested applicants can visit the program webpage at https://bit.ly/3oD5aUy or contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County at (607) 865-6531 or via email at delaware@cornell.edu.

Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Delaware County Farm Enhancement Grants Program Applications Requested

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County invites applications from eligible Delaware County farm businesses for financial assistance to implement eligible projects that will improve viability of farm operations through strategic investment in farm infrastructure OR through a limited payment of 2022 crop input expenses. The competitive grants program is offered in response to challenging economic conditions experienced by farms resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including disrupted markets and supply-chains which have increased input costs and price volatility and the need to adapt to emerging market opportunities. Financial support for this program has been awarded through the Delaware County American Rescue Plan Committee with approval from the Delaware County Board of Supervisors, and utilizes funding provided to Delaware County through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. To learn more about the program, including applicant and project eligibility, funding limits, process timeline, and to access the grant application, interested applicants can visit the program webpage at https://bit.ly/3oD5aUyon or after August 1 2022, or contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County (607) 865-6531.Applications for funding in the first grant round are due by 4:00 pm on Friday, September 2, 2022.Future grant rounds are contingent on available remaining program funds. An informational meeting with Q&A opportunity will be held at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, August 9that Cornell Cooperative Extension in Hamden, with the option to join via Zoom. To register for the meeting visit the program webpage or call 607-865-6531.

Interim Executive Director Appointed

photo of Jack Salo

Jack Salo will be acting as interim Executive Director. Jack is a rural advocate and non-profit executive who has worked in South Central New York State for the past 35 years. Jack’s experience includes leading health, human service, and youth development organizations. Until 2021 Jack farmed part-time, primarily raising Dorset Sheep and beef cattle. He is familiar with a number of conservation programs including the Grasslands Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Program, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Jack has worked in the forestry sector in multiple capacities and currently owns forest land enrolled in the 480-a tax program. An important principle that has guided Jack’s work is to find ways that healthcare and other sectors can contribute to developing sustainable rural economies that are asset based and build wealth.

He can be reached at jcs549@cornell.edu