• DAP Grant Funds Available
• Dairy Profit Seminars at Empire Farm Days 2017
• Wanted: 30 Great Dairy Leaders
• Apply to Youth Leadership Programs

• Forage Management Updates

• Rent a Blimp!

Dairy Acceleration Program (DAP) Funds Available

Plan for the Future of Your Dairy:
Environmental Planning Funds Available

• Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (update or new) - up to $6,000 for farms with less than 300 mature cows.
• Design of eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs) - up to $5,000 per practice (BMPs) for farms with less than 700 mature cows.

The DAP program covers 80 percent of cost. The farm is responsible for 20 percent and any amount exceeding the value of the award.

TO APPLY OR LEARN MORE, VISIT THE DAP WEBSITE.

Dairy Profit Seminars at Empire Farm Days 2017

This year’s Empire Farm Days is slated for August 8 through 10 at the Rodman Lott & Son Farms near Seneca Falls, NY. The 2017 Dairy Profit Seminars will include:

• Robotics and Maximizing Milk Per Box: Grouping and Feeding;
• Transitioning to Automatic Milking Systems:  What Have We Learned?; and
• Is your farm a Member of the 7 Pound Club? Leading dairy producers into the next frontier of maximizing pounds of components produced, while maintaining profitability.
  

The seminars are a collaboration between Cornell’s PRO-DAIRY, Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) and DairyBusiness & HolsteinWorld magazine. Each session will be held at the Dairy Seminar Center, located on the show grounds. They are free and open to the public.

For more information about PRO-DAIRY, visit prodairy.cals.cornell.edu. 

Julie Berry, Editor  |  Tom Overton, Director  |  Facebook

The Cornell Dairy Executive Program is now accepting applications for Class 13, to start on December 3, 2017. This unique, year-long program offers professional educational leadership and management principles for progressive dairy producers and agriservice personnel, focused on increasing their ability to run a successful dairy business and enhancing their understanding of the fast-changing dairy industry.

For full program information, fees, and application instruction, visit the CDEP program website. 

Applications are now being accepted for the Beginning Dairy Leader and Junior Dairy Leader programs. These successful youth leadership programs target high school sophomore and older youth who have an interest in learning more about careers in the dairy field, along with adding to their leadership, personal and professional development.

It's an intense year of hands-on learning, exposure to industry issues, networking, farm tours and travel, and is designed to push comfort zones and promote leadership growth. 98 percent of the program's graduates over its history attend college, and 94 percent end up choosing an agricultural focus.

PRO-DAIRY's Debbie Grusenmeyer is the program's leader.

Forage Management Updates

Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Forage Systems Specialist, Joe Lawrence, has published articles:

• First cutting can represent a significant portion of your total hay crop for the year and has the potential to be very high quality feed if harvested at the correct timing. This article identifies available tools:   Monitoring 1st Cut Harvest Timing.
  
• What Crop Traits are Genetically Engineered (or GMO)? This article is a Q&A format that includes a table of Crops Relevant to Row Crop, Dairy and Livestock Production.
  

Rent a Blimp!

The  New York Animal Agriculture Coalition is renting its 15 foot inflatable Bertha Cow Blimp that is used at the State Fair birthing center. Contact NYAAC for details and reservation information.