The last of the 2017 New York Certified Organic winter meetings is scheduled for Monday, March 13
at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva.
The meeting will include an update on organic hemp production trials
plus presentations on nutrient balancing, crop production, and
alternative forage production for organic farming systems.
Presenters
include Cornell University and University of Vermont faculty and a New
York organic dairy farmer.
The meeting will start promptly at 10 am
in Jordan Hall. There is no cost or need to
register to attend the New York Certified Organic meetings; participants are asked to bring a
dish for potluck lunch.
Heather Darby, an agronomic and soils specialist with the University
of Vermont, will review field trials conducted at the University
research farm on organic hemp production in the Northeast and narrow row
organic spring grain production.
Quirine Ketterings of the Cornel University Nutrient Management
Spear Program and Cornell PRO-DAIRY Program Senior Extension Associate
Karl Czymmek will show how doing annual whole farm mass balance
assessments can help farmers understand the long-term capacity to
support optimum yields, identify management strategies that will
optimize farm nutrient imports and exports, quantify a farm’s footprint
and track how it is changing over time, and summarize and evaluate the
farm as a whole system.
Organic dairy farmer Tim Demeree from Little Falls, Herkimer County, will talk about
his experience with growing annuals, including sudangrass, millet and
sorghum for forage and how they fit in his crop rotation.
Demeree will
also share a comparison of the ensiling profiles of baleage using
different preservatives. Nutritionist Adam McFarland of Agriking worked
with Demeree to develop this comparison.
Round table discussions after lunch provide farmers the opportunity to
ask questions and hear from the combined experience of the group that
includes new and transitioning farmers and long-time organic producers.
The March 13 meeting also includes a brief description of how crop insurance can benefit organic farmers.
The New York Crop Insurance Education Team and Cornell Cooperative
Extension provide support for the New York Certified Organic meetings.
For more details,
contact Fay Benson at (607) 391-2699 or at afb3@cornell.edu
Benson is an educator with the Cornell University SCNY Regional Team,
project manager for the NY Organic Dairy Program, coordinator of the NY
Soil Health Trailer, and a member of the New York Crop Insurance Team.
Showing posts with label forage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label forage. Show all posts
Friday, March 3, 2017
Monday, September 26, 2016
Managing Forage Quality Is A Team Effort
From Empire Farm & Dairy:
By LESLIE SHELDON
COPENHAGEN — Michael Lynch used to have the attitude that once a hay or corn crop came out of the spout of the chopper, his job was accounted for and the forage was someone else’s responsibility.
The chopper mechanic from Croghan, Lewis County, now says he feels the whole process of forage harvest has evolved into a team effort, involving the farm owners, nutritionists, seed salesmen, veterinarians, forage experts and those harvesting the crops.
“I’ve learned every one of those components has to talk and share what they can do and what the other one is looking for to find out how you move forward,” Lynch said. “It really is coming to the point where it’s a team, and the cows either perform well when they get that feed or it was a whole lot of money spent that wasn’t done as well as it could have been.”
Lynch, who has been performing maintenance on choppers for farmers since 2012, attended a bunk silo management workshop on Aug. 22 at Moserdale Dairy LLC in Copenhagen, N.Y.
Moserdale, one of Lynch’s six farm customers, is operated by partners Doug and Patty Moser and Doug’s son, Andrew.
The Mosers have 750 cows, including dry cows, and they farm 1,600 acres, including 600 acres of corn. On the payroll are nine full-time employees, including eight Hispanic workers, and one family member who is a seasonal helper.
Involved in the bunk management meeting were two of the farm owners, the farm’s herdsman, six representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension, two veterinarians, one mechanic and several area farmers.
The meeting was led by Joe Lawrence, Dairy Forage Systems Specialist with Cornell University’s PRO DAIRY program, along with Ron Kuck, Dairy and Livestock Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.
Lawrence and Kuck have been working together with bunk silo management for at least seven years.
Lawrence stressed the importance of taking extra time to pack the silage after each load. He covered topics such as the best type of plastic to cover the bunk, the size of the silage particles, and the use of a kernel processor.
“It’s a good refresher,” Andrew Moser said. “You learn what you should be doing that you forgot to do.”
One of those reminders for the Mosers is adding weight to their packing tractor.
A simple thing farmers can do to improve their forage preservation is putting concrete blocks on the backs of their big packing tractors, according to Lawrence.
“It’s a pretty inexpensive way to add a couple extra tons of weight on the back of tractors,” Lawrence said.
Moserdale has a concrete block, but Andrew Moser admitted the farm didn’t always use it.
The cost of a concrete block is under a thousand dollars. Some farmers have made their own concrete blocks at a minimal cost by using excess concrete from another farm project.
Gary Sullivan, a farmer from Carthage, said adding the weight is definitely worth it. He is a believer in taking extra time to pack the bunk. Last year he experienced minimal forage loss.
Sullivan, who built a bunk in 2014, used to pile his forage on the ground and the edges didn’t get packed well. He has also used ag bags, but filling them was a lot slower than piling.
This is the second year the Mosers have used Feed Fresh silage covers, heavy oxygen-limiting plastic that has mesh it it.
Lawrence, however, recommends a plastic that is less rigid. The Feed Fresh plastic has advantages over regular black and white plastic, according to Lawrence, but the rigidity prevents it from clinging tightly to the forage.
Andrew Moser said the farm went to FeedFresh because of its durability. The regular plastic didn’t hold up well in the strong winds they receive at their farm.
Lawrence recommends spending the extra money on a bunk cover that will cling well to the forage.
“The return on it is worthwhile,” Lawrence said. “Of all the fuzzy economics out there, that’s a pretty clear cut one.”
Lynch’s customers are located between Mannsville in Jefferson County and Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, a span of over 90 miles.
“I’m quite fortunate every single person that I deal with, they all talk and share,” said Lynch, who works on the forage choppers year-round. Harvest season for him is typically the end of May to mid-October, and the rest of the year he’s performing maintenance on choppers and getting them ready to go for the spring.
“The only thing that I see that helps (this process) move forward isn’t (just) the theoretical part of talking to Joe and Ron,” Lynch said. “Because I don’t think anybody anymore can say, ‘Oh, do this and you’ll gain 10 percent.’ It’s little, little changes, and I think the difference is the communication of everybody that’s in that process.”
By LESLIE SHELDON
COPENHAGEN — Michael Lynch used to have the attitude that once a hay or corn crop came out of the spout of the chopper, his job was accounted for and the forage was someone else’s responsibility.
The chopper mechanic from Croghan, Lewis County, now says he feels the whole process of forage harvest has evolved into a team effort, involving the farm owners, nutritionists, seed salesmen, veterinarians, forage experts and those harvesting the crops.
“I’ve learned every one of those components has to talk and share what they can do and what the other one is looking for to find out how you move forward,” Lynch said. “It really is coming to the point where it’s a team, and the cows either perform well when they get that feed or it was a whole lot of money spent that wasn’t done as well as it could have been.”
Lynch, who has been performing maintenance on choppers for farmers since 2012, attended a bunk silo management workshop on Aug. 22 at Moserdale Dairy LLC in Copenhagen, N.Y.
Moserdale, one of Lynch’s six farm customers, is operated by partners Doug and Patty Moser and Doug’s son, Andrew.
The Mosers have 750 cows, including dry cows, and they farm 1,600 acres, including 600 acres of corn. On the payroll are nine full-time employees, including eight Hispanic workers, and one family member who is a seasonal helper.
Involved in the bunk management meeting were two of the farm owners, the farm’s herdsman, six representatives from Cornell Cooperative Extension, two veterinarians, one mechanic and several area farmers.
The meeting was led by Joe Lawrence, Dairy Forage Systems Specialist with Cornell University’s PRO DAIRY program, along with Ron Kuck, Dairy and Livestock Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.
Lawrence and Kuck have been working together with bunk silo management for at least seven years.
Lawrence stressed the importance of taking extra time to pack the silage after each load. He covered topics such as the best type of plastic to cover the bunk, the size of the silage particles, and the use of a kernel processor.
“It’s a good refresher,” Andrew Moser said. “You learn what you should be doing that you forgot to do.”
One of those reminders for the Mosers is adding weight to their packing tractor.
A simple thing farmers can do to improve their forage preservation is putting concrete blocks on the backs of their big packing tractors, according to Lawrence.
“It’s a pretty inexpensive way to add a couple extra tons of weight on the back of tractors,” Lawrence said.
Moserdale has a concrete block, but Andrew Moser admitted the farm didn’t always use it.
The cost of a concrete block is under a thousand dollars. Some farmers have made their own concrete blocks at a minimal cost by using excess concrete from another farm project.
Gary Sullivan, a farmer from Carthage, said adding the weight is definitely worth it. He is a believer in taking extra time to pack the bunk. Last year he experienced minimal forage loss.
Sullivan, who built a bunk in 2014, used to pile his forage on the ground and the edges didn’t get packed well. He has also used ag bags, but filling them was a lot slower than piling.
This is the second year the Mosers have used Feed Fresh silage covers, heavy oxygen-limiting plastic that has mesh it it.
Lawrence, however, recommends a plastic that is less rigid. The Feed Fresh plastic has advantages over regular black and white plastic, according to Lawrence, but the rigidity prevents it from clinging tightly to the forage.
Andrew Moser said the farm went to FeedFresh because of its durability. The regular plastic didn’t hold up well in the strong winds they receive at their farm.
Lawrence recommends spending the extra money on a bunk cover that will cling well to the forage.
“The return on it is worthwhile,” Lawrence said. “Of all the fuzzy economics out there, that’s a pretty clear cut one.”
Lynch’s customers are located between Mannsville in Jefferson County and Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, a span of over 90 miles.
“I’m quite fortunate every single person that I deal with, they all talk and share,” said Lynch, who works on the forage choppers year-round. Harvest season for him is typically the end of May to mid-October, and the rest of the year he’s performing maintenance on choppers and getting them ready to go for the spring.
“The only thing that I see that helps (this process) move forward isn’t (just) the theoretical part of talking to Joe and Ron,” Lynch said. “Because I don’t think anybody anymore can say, ‘Oh, do this and you’ll gain 10 percent.’ It’s little, little changes, and I think the difference is the communication of everybody that’s in that process.”
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Meeting March 11 Focuses on Increasing Forage for Dairy Cows
One way to improve cow health and lower production costs is by increasing the forage dairy cows consume.
This is the primary topic of a March 11 New York Certified Organic meeting in Geneva.
Tom Kilcer of Advanced Ag Systems will
help farmers review their planting, harvesting and feeding systems to
achieve better forage and more profitable dairy production.
Kilcer will make his presentation in person at 10 a.m.
at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station Jordan Hall auditorium in
Geneva, and the program will be simulcast to the Cornell Cooperative
Extension offices in Oswego, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Jefferson, Lewis,
Madison and St. Lawrence counties.
Kilcer will share the latest research on
using wide swath haylage harvesting to capture plant nutrients to
support dairy cow nutrition. The end goal of using the harvesting
technique to produce high quality forage cover crops is to enhance milk
production.
Kilcer received two New York Farm
Viability Institute grants to evaluate the use of wide swath harvesting
to help New York dairies and to reduce weather-related forage crop
losses.
Kilcer, with 34 years of experience as a
Cornell Cooperative Extension field crops and soils educator, will also
share information on rapid dry-down methods for harvesting red clover
for dairy cows in his March 11 presentation.
New York Certified Organic, a group of
grain and dairy farmers that has been meeting since 1994, is celebrating
its 20th anniversary of sharing practical knowledge and expertise with
the organic production of crops and milk.
There is no cost to attend NYCO meetings. Participants are asked to bring a dish to pass at the potluck lunch.
For more information, contact NYCO facilitator A. Fay Benson with Cornell Cooperative Extension Cortland County, (607) 753-5213, afb3@cornell.edu.
For more information on the simulcast locations, contact CCE Allegany/Cattaraugus, Tom Parmenter: 585-268-7644,
Jefferson/Lewis, Ron Kuck: 788-8450, Madison, Karen Baase: 684-3001,
Oswego, JJ Schell: 963-7286, St. Lawrence, Kimberley Morrill: 379-9192.
NYCO has received support funding from the New York Farm Viability Institute.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Some News on Forage
This is from a Kentucky publication, so not sure if it's totally relevant here. But http://www.state-journal.com/spectrum/2013/08/03/agriculture-news-it-s-time-to-start-thinking-about-stockpiling-forages I pass it on anyway.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
What to do For Feed When Alfalfa is Scarce
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