NYS Budget Includes $54.4 M for Agriculture

From state Sen. Patty Ritchie:

For a fourth straight year, the New York state budget includes record funding for agriculture. 

Ritchie

Included in the spending plan is $54.4 million for New York’s leading industry, nearly $20 million of which is the addition of funding or the restoration of cuts made in the Executive Budget and Assembly proposals.

“New York’s hardworking farmers have very difficult, demanding jobs,” Ritchie said. “Through this critical funding, we are demonstrating that we support their efforts to grow and produce the fresh foods we depend on, and that we recognize how important they are to the success of New York’s leading industry."

"I am excited to see how the new state budget further strengthens New York agriculture today — and in the future,” she said.

The 2018-2019 budget includes funding for many innovative programs, including a second round of the “Seeds of Success” program, which helps schools create or expand an agricultural curriculum to encourage students to consider careers in agriculture. 

It also funds — for a fifth year — the “Beginning Farmers” grant program that assists new farms with grants of up to $50,000 to help with the purchase of land, buildings, tools and other farming necessities.

Other highlights of the 2017-2018 state budget include:

·       **  Increased funding to further boost New York State’s Craft

Brewing Industry, including Cornell University’s Hops and Barley, Born, Bred and Brewed Program, the New York Brewers, the New York State Distillers Guild, the New York State Hard Cider Association and Cornell University’s Hard Cider Research program;

    **  Funding for a new farm-to-school program, building on efforts to grow markets for local farmers by increasing the amount of locally produced foods in school lunches;

·        ** The restoration of funding for programs that are critical to helping dairy farms with education, research, marketing, profitability and sustainability, including FarmNet, which works with family farms on business analysis, farming with family, retirement planning and personal well-being. 

      In addition funding has been awarded to a number of Cornell University-based programs such as its Diagnostic Lab, its Quality Milk and Cattle Health Assurance programs, and new funding has been created for Cornell’s Salmonella Dublin program to help farmers diagnose and contain the deadly disease, which impacts dairy herds. 

      Funding has also been restored to programs such as Northern New York Ag Development, PRO-DAIRY and the Farm Viability Dairy Profit teams, which work with farms to develop profitability and sustainability strategies;

·       **  Increased funding for Cornell’s honeybee program;

·       ** Increased and/or restored funding for New York State producers including the Wine and Grape Foundation, the Apple Growers Association, Maple Producers, berry growers, Christmas tree growers and more;

· 

     **  The restoration of funding for vital programs designed to support agriculture education;

·        ** Restored funding for Tractor Rollover Protection Program, which helps equip tractors with an important piece of safety equipment that helps reduce the risk of injury in the event of a tractor overturn; and

·         ** The restoration of funding to continue fighting diseases such as EEE and rabies.

Since becoming chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee in 2011,  Ritchie has been successful in efforts to secure more than $79 million in restored budget cuts and new funding to help the more than 35,000 farms across New York state.

Program To Help Dairy Farmers Set for March 27 in Morrisville

A program to help dairy farmers through these challenging pricing times is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. March 27 in Morrisville.

Community partners looking for ways to support dairy farmers are encouraged to join this important conversation. 

Professionals with NY FarmNet will share information on their free and confidential services that include farm business finance, stress management, depression and suicide prevention.

A discussion will follow and include creating a stronger network of support services throughout the county. 

The program will be held at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, 100 Eaton St., Morrisville. Call or email Karin Bump if additional information is needed: kbump@cornell.edu or 315-684-3001.

How to Manage Millennials on the Farm

From FarmNet:

By Sheila Marshman and Erica Leubner

Millennials, those born after 1982, will soon make up 50 percent of the workforce. 

This generation, often misunderstood and identified as being lazy, was raised on grading rubrics. Every performance expectation and academic milestone was carefully spelled out, clearly outlining the
necessary steps to achieve an ‘A’ or just get by with a ‘D.’

When millennials fell short, a parent, teacher, or mentor coached them to success. Farm owners and managers in need of more than ‘D’ performers must also integrate the use of grading rubrics and coaching strategies to ensure the success, growth, and development of their employees. 

According Robert Milligan, professor emeritus from Cornell University and consultant at Dairy Strategies LLC, every successful employee needs clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and an improvement plan. 

Just as the kindergarten grading rubric spelled out the standards for exceeding counting standards, managers must carefully spell out and measure the standards for success on their farms.

Managers and owners have the responsibility of facilitating employee success through continuous monthly performance measures. A simple excel spreadsheet could serve as a performance grading rubric for employees. 

As displayed in Table 1, the left hand column represents jointly agreed upon performance measures. Next room exists for the expected and actual performance. A 12- month rubric provides opportunity for monthly discussion and corrective actions of performance.

Monthly discussions of performance measures provides both managers and employees with opportunities to communicate and assess business performance. 

As stated by Erica Leubner, a personal consultant with New York FarmNet, “Lack of effective communication is the number one reason (I have observed) why farm businesses experience conflict and dysfunction.”

Clearly stated performance measures are the first step in effective communications with family and non-
family members.

The performance evaluation and communication process breeds accountability and success for the entire organization. Similar to the kindergarten grading rubric, employees (family and or non-family) need clear responsibilities, performance expectations, and an improvement plan.

The role of the farm manager/owner is to coach the employees, including the often misunderstood Millennials, to success.