Hailey Pipher of Chemung County Named New York State Dairy Princess for 2018-19

From left, first alternate Alexis Payne of Lewis County, State Dairy Princess Hailey Pipher of Chemung County and second alternate Zoie Skinner of Onondaga County.

Hailey Pipher of Chemung County was chosen as the new New York State Dairy Princess after two days of competition at the Holiday Inn, Salina.

Chosen first alternate was Alexis Payne from Lewis County and second alternate is Zoie Skinner from Onondaga County.

As state princess, Pipher receives a $1,200 scholarship and will represent the American Dairy Association North East at county dairy princess pageants, farm meetings and a variety of special events, which includes training new county princesses at a summer seminar.

Payne and Skinner receive a $700 scholarship and $600 scholarship, respectively. Both will assist the State Dairy Princess with training, appearances and other duties.


The New York State Dairy Princess contest concluded Tuesday with the crowning after a two days of judging at the Holiday Inn in Salina, north of Syracuse. 

A total of 16 girls who had already won their county dairy princess contests participated in the state pageant. They had to take tests to judge their dairy knowledge and writing skills, go through intensive interviews with the three judges, give both impromptu and prepared speeches and also were judged on their informal interaction with others.

Judges evaluate contestants on communication skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. 

Pipher will serve as New York State Dairy Princess for one year and will promote dairy farmers and dairy products throughout the state in schools, industries, companies and at special events.

The big event for the dairy princess each year is the New York State Fair in Geddes, west of Syracuse. She and other county dairy princesses man the dairy princess booth inside the Dairy Products building and make special appearances throughout Dairy Day at the fair.

The new princess takes over for Sarah Rohe of Onondaga County, who was New York State Dairy Princess for 2017-18.

Pageant judges were: Judi Dixon, International Sales, Dot Foods; Davis Chlus, Morgan Stanley, Senior Vice President; and Holly Pullis, Hollywood Enterprises & Roedale Farm.
 
Other award winners were (in no particular order):

Written communications -- Connie Frasier, Herkimer County; Hailey Pipher, Chemung County; Natalie Vernon, Wayne County.

Speech winners -- Alexis Payne, Lewis County; Hailey Pipher, Chemung County; and Natalie Vernon, Wayne County.

Product knowledge winners -- Kathryn Bosley, Franklin County; Hailey Pipher, Chemung County; Zoie Skinner, Onondaga County.

Miss Congeniality -- Megan Wilmot, Otsego County

Finalists for state dairy princess -- Sonya Helms, Cortland County; Elizabeth Maslyn, Ontario County; Alexis Payne, Lewis County; Hailey Pipher, Chemung County; Zoie Skinner, Onondaga County; Natalie Vernon, Wayne County; and Abigail Wratten, Oneida County.

American Dairy Association North East is the local affiliate of the National Dairy Council® and the regional consolidation of three promotion organizations including the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc., Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. 

Committed to nutrition education and research-based communications, the association provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. 

    

Dairy Day at State Fair Moves to New Day

If you always go to the New York State Fair on Dairy Day, get out your calendars.

Dairy Day is mooooooving this year.

Dairy Day will be Thursday, Aug. 31 at the 2017 State Fair. It had to be moved because the normal day -- the first Monday of the fair -- is change out day for the dairy cattle in the dairy barn. If Dairy Day had been held on the first Monday Aug. 28, there wouldn't have been any dairy cattle in the dairy barn.

"What is Dairy Day without dairy cattle?" asked Mary Ellen Chesbro, New York State Fair coordinator and agricultural manager.

The 2017 fair willl celebrate the 41st anniversary of Dairy Day wit new events and opportunities for fairgoers, said Acting Fair Director Troy Waffner.

New this year, guests will have an opportunity to win gift baskets filled with New York dairy products by visiting popular dairy attractions and answering trivia questions.

In addition, the fair is partnering with two New York State Certified processors to bring top-notch, local dairy products to the fairgrounds, including a New York State Fair-branded cheese. 

In 2016, more than 82,000 people visited the Fair on Dairy Day. 

 

"Dairy Day is a great opportunity to recognize the hard work of our dairy farmers who make delicious products. We are excited to put the industry on display at the fair and highlight their many contributions to agriculture," Waffner said. "I encourage our guests to stop at the Dairy Products Building, Dairy Cow Birthing Center, and join us at the many special activities on Dairy Day as we celebrate our farmers and processors across the state.”

 

New York yogurt

For the first time, guests can enter a drawing to win Taste NY dairy gift baskets by answering trivia questions when they visit three popular dairy attractions on Dairy Day. To participate, guests can pick up a copy of the questions at any of the fair’s six Guest Relations locations. 

They can find the answers by visiting the Milk Bar, Cheese Booth, and Yo2GO Yogurt Bar. When a guest has completed the questions, they can drop off their answers at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center where they will be entered to win. Three winners will be selected at the conclusion of Dairy Day. 

 

Both the Milk Bar and Cheese Booth will be offering delicious, high-quality dairy products made by two New York State Certified Dairy processors — Byrne Dairy and McCadam Cheese. 

Byrne Dairy, a fourth generation, family-owned dairy processor and distributor, will supply milk for the Milk Bar, one of the fair’s longest-standing traditions. The Milk Bar is being sponsored by Tully’s Good Times and New York’s official beverage will continue to be sold for 25 cents per cup. Last year, 398,059 cups of white and chocolate milk were sold. 

A previous butter sculpture

Fairgoers will also have the opportunity to sample and purchase award-winning McCadam Cheese at the Cheese Booth. McCadam will also be unveiling a NYS Fair-branded cheese. 

For the fourth year, a cheese sculptor will also be carving images out of a block of New York state white cheddar at the Cheese Booth on select days. The sculptures are being sponsored by the New York State Cheese Manufacturers Association. 

 

In addition, the YO2GO Yogurt Bar will mark its fourth anniversary at the fair, making it easy for fairgoers to enjoy New York’s official state snack— fresh New York regular and Greek-style yogurt with a choice of 15 fresh toppings. 

The 49^th Annual Butter Sculpture, created by American Dairy Association North East, will be sponsored by Wegmans Food Markets. The sculpture will be revealed Aug. 22, the day before the fFair opens, and will be on display throughout the fair. 

All of these exhibits are located in the Dairy Products Building and open during all 13 days of the Fair. 

 

Dairy Day will also feature a variety of activities to showcase the State’s dairy industry, beginning with the Recognition Awards & Awards Breakfast at 9 a.m. in the Empire Room, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. 

As part of the awards ceremony, Dairy of Distinction Awards and the Commissioner’s PRO-DAIRY Service Awards will be presented. In addition, winners of the New York State Fair Dairy Products Competition, which includes entries in the cheese, fluid milk and other dairy products categories, will also be announced. 

The “Big Cheese” Auction will immediately follow and be led by auctioneer and chairman of the New York State Assembly Agriculture Committee Bill Magee. This year, the auction will be held in the Empire Room. Guests can bid on blocks of New York state cheese and enjoy samples that will be handed out by dairy princesses.

 
The festivities continue with a Milkshake Contest at 10:30 a.m. in the Chevy Court Pavilion, where local celebrities will compete to see who makes the best shake. The day will end with the Dairy Day Parade, beginning at 6 p.m. in Chevy Court, which features floats, dairy princesses, tractors and milk trucks.

Chobani Founder Gives Big Bonus to Workers

Nice story from NBC News.

Go to https://www.facebook.com/nbcnightlynews/videos/10154224485063689/?fref=nf to check it out.

Three New York Farmers Receive Next Generation Farmer Awards from Ag Society

The New York State Agricultural Society this year presented two Next Generation Farmer awards for  the first time.

Here is some information on who won the awards for 2016:

The Next Generation Farmer Award is being presented for the first time in 2016 and recognizes excellence from beginning farmers.
 

Max and Trystan Sandvoss

Max and Trystan Sandvoss, brothers and new farmers in Genesee County, were recognized as 2016 Next Generation Farmer Award winners.
 
They started First Light Farm and Creamery in East Bethany in 2010, producing artisanal cheeses from their milking goat herd mixed with milk from a neighboring Certified Organic Jersey cow farm (Grassland Dairy), as well as bottling and selling cow’s milk and whole cream-top yogurt.
 
The brothers did not grow up on a farm — their father was a lawyer and their mother a teacher in the Hudson Valley. Both received college degrees, but neither received an ag education — Trystan graduated from Northwestern and Max from Harvard.
 
After early careers on the West Coast, Trystan and Max spent a year apprenticing at a creamery near Seattle. Then they decided to return to New York state to raise Nubian and Alpine milking goats and produce dairy products not far from their stepfather’s farm, Lor-Rob Dairy, with a goal “to make the kind of food we like to eat.”
 
One of the draws to the Genesee County location was its position midway between Buffalo and Rochester. They sell their cheeses, yogurt and milk at farmers markets and stores in both cities, and have recently offered a ‘Dairy Share’ using a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model of distribution with weekly deliveries to retail stores and drop points.
 
Max and Trystan go to farmers markets weekly, give cheese-making demonstrations and meet with garden clubs and Rotary groups to talk about farming. Leadership Genesee and other groups have visited their farm.
 
In all, more than 2,000 people have toured the farm and participated in cheese-making workshops, including guests from Canada and  Hong Kong.
 
Everything that happens at First Light is done locally. Fields are seeded with grass that is grown on the farm or within 10 miles of the farm, and is fertilized with manure produced on the farm. The farm utilizes 100 percent organic practices with no hormones or chemical fertilizers.
 
Goats are pastured on the farm and fed dry grass from the local area. Whey, produced as a byproduct of the cheese-making, is fed to pigs on a nearby hog operation.
 
Everything is done with the environment, conservation and animal comfort in mind.
 
Next on the agenda for First Light Farm and Creamery is expected statewide distribution of their dairy products through a high-end grocery chain with potential expansion to other like-minded retailers.
 
After five years of hard work and passion, the brothers have figured out how to continue to grow and still enjoy a day off. But it is the stories of middle of the night births during kidding season, milk testing rituals and building a community that make clear the brothers’ love for the farm life that they have chosen.
 
Todd DuMond, the next generation on his family’s farm in Cayuga County, is recognized as a 2016 Next Generation Farmer Award winner.
 
Todd has fostered significant growth and expansion of the farm business since returning to what was a 600 acre cash crop farm in 2003, a couple years after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
 
Today, DuMond Ag in Union Springs, farms nearly 5,000 acres.
 
Eric and Marge DuMond, Todd’s parents, started a small beef cow operation in Saranac Lake in 1980, and moved to the Finger Lakes five years later where they began the cash crop farm. Under Todd’s management, the farm has been on an aggressive growth curve, increasing steadily in size and diversifying business pursuits.
 
DuMond Grain, a soybean roasting business, was an offshoot that began in 2003 when Todd returned to the farm. In 2010, Todd began DuMond Trucking to provide an improved transportation option for the local farm community.
 
Similarly, in 2015 Todd expanded DuMond Grain to include corn grinding to produce cornmeal as a new commodity for the business. Most recently, DuMond Ag created a cover crop seed dealership and invested in a row crop farming operation.
 
One of the most difficult challenges DuMond Ag faces is climate change. As a result, Todd uses a variety of conservation methods that emphasize the relationship between increased weather volatility and the use of precision agriculture.
 
The use of cover crops and spatial soil analysis helps to protect and enrich the soil by increasing soil water absorption during heavy rains, reducing surface water runoff and possible erosion. Todd also uses reduced tillage and narrow-row planting, as well as subsurface drainage systems, catch basins, stand pipes and conservation strips to protect soil and water resources.
 
His precision agriculture efforts include precise nutrient application placement. And, when preparing the fields each year, DuMond Ag uses tramlines – the routes that tractors and trucks use to drive in and out of the field are the same year after year, limiting field soil compaction to those tracks.
 
Todd has served on the New York State Corn and Soybean Growers Association Board for about 10 years. He is also nearing the end of his nine-year term as New York’s representative to the American Soybean Association.
 
He has built relationships with local agricultural colleges, coordinating tours and talks, and for three years has hosted the Summer Crop Tour, an education day for production agriculture.

Muller Yogurt Plant in Batavia Closes

A yogurt plant in Batavia that opened to great hoopla and was one of the plants in the yogurt boom in New York state is closed.

The Associated Press reported PepsiCo Inc. and German dairy giant Theo Muller Group ended production Thursday. The plant opened in 2013.

Officials said the plant didn't meet expectations in a competitive and dynamic marketplace.

The Associated Press states national milk marketing cooperative Dairy Farmers of America has agreed to purchase the Muller Quaker Dairy, co-op spokeswoman Monica Massey said Thursday. She said the cooperative is exploring several milk handling and manufacturing options for the plant.
 
The Associated Press says about 64 of the plant's 170 jobs are expected to be cut and transition assistance will be offered. He said the others are expected to be retained by the dairy cooperative.
 
New York has been the top U.S. yogurt producer for several years because of the booming Greek yogurt sector. Other plants in the state are run by Chobani, Fage and Byrne.

The Muller plant was mentioned as one of the success stories in the Finger Lakes region proposal for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recent economic development competition called Upstate Revitalization Initiative.

It was announced Thursday -- the same day the plant closed -- that the Finger Lakes region was one of three winners in the state economic development competition. The region will receive $500 million over five years for projects in the area.

Muller yogurt has been a popular brand in Europe for more than a century. Muller products including dessert-inspired flavors like Raspberry Brownie Supreme and Dulce de Leche Delight will disappear from U.S. shelves after current stocks are sold, the PepsiCo spokesman told the Associated Press.

Yogurt and Dairy Summit Today at Cornell

Dairy farmers, industry leaders and state officials are at Cornell University today (Oct. 15) for the 2014 Yogurt and Dairy Summit.

Dean Norton, president of New York Farm Bureau, also will join dairy industry personnel in a discussion about a partnership to grow the dairy economy. Norton also participated in the “2012 Yogurt Summit.”

“New York Farm Bureau is once again looking forward to sitting down with the governor’s administration to discuss significant ways the state can support our dairy industry," Norton said. 

"From the family farm to the yogurt maker, each performs a vital role in our state’s rural economy.  By partnering together, we can develop new avenues to support this critical agricultural sector that drives job creation and produces local food across upstate New York,” he said.

Idaho Farmers Surprised by Chobani Announcement

Go to http://www.capitalpress.com/Dairy/20141007/chobanis-non-gmo-feed-initiative-surprises-dairymen to check out the story.

New York State Fair Opens Today

Go to http://www.nysfair.org/your-fair-visit/agriculture-info/ for information on all agriculture exhibits, schedules and events.

New York state is agriculture.

And agriculture is New York state.

How can you tell? Just visit the Great New York State Fair.

Yes, folks, there is much more to the fair than the rides, the concerts and the food. It’s amazing what you will see if you venture just a short ways outside the Grandstand, Chevy Court or the Midway.

Step inside any of the animal buildings and see all the different breeds of cows, sheep, goats, horses and poultry. Talk to the farmers. Ask them questions. They don’t mind. In fact, they love it.

Beef cattle in the beef barn in 2013

Do you know the difference between a Charolais and a Limousin? Go to the beef cattle barn to find out. Why do some farmers raise Jerseys or Belted Galloways instead of the ever-popular black and white Holsteins? Ask the farmers in the dairy cattle building.

Why do roosters crow? Each day at 11 a.m. in the poultry building, roosters from across the state compete in a crowing contest. I bet some farmers there can give you the low-down on that noisy affair.

And while the state doesn’t have a lot of goat, pig and sheep farmers, that doesn’t mean these folks aren’t passionate about their animals.

This goat checks out the photographer at the 2013 fair.

Go to the goat barn to find out the difference between meat and dairy goats and what goat meat and milk are used for. In the same building, see all the swine of different colors and sizes. Watch a sheep being shorn and find out about what all that wool is used for in the sheep barn. 

Also check out the llamas and alpacas, other animals which supply fiber for clothing. They also are some of the most curious creatures and love having their photos taken.

There are few animals more beautiful than horses and you not only can see them up close and personal in the horse barn, but then go to the Coliseum to watch them compete. There is every type of horse imaginable in this great state of ours – from miniatures to the grand workers Percherons and Belgians – and they all are majestic and mighty and worthy of our attention.

And of course, agriculture isn’t just animals.

Maple syrup at the 2013 State Fair

Be sure to stop at my favorite building – the Horticulture Building -- to see the busy bees making honey, taste some gooey sweet maple products or buy a New York state apple for a delicious and nutritious State Fair snack.

There also are many booths and exhibits of other state agriculture products, such as grains, beer, plants, vegetables, flowers, shrubs and trees (yes, folks, this all is agriculture).

And just outside the right front door of the Horticulture Building, fairgoers can begin to dream of a white Christmas by checking out the New York State Christmas Tree Growers Association and its display of award-winning trees. You might even see Santa and some snow!

The biggest part of the state’s agriculture industry is, of course, dairy.

New York ranks third in the United States in dairy production, behind California and Wisconsin. It ranks number 1 in the country in the production of cottage cheese and yogurt. Annual sales of New York milk total nearly $500 million.

Farmers in New York supply milk to plants throughout the state that are making all types of hard and soft cheeses, fluid milk, ice cream, regular and Greek yogurts, butter, cream and half and half. There’s nothing better than coming out of a store with some dairy products that you know were made just a day or two ago from fresh, New York milk.

While at the State Fair, be sure to taste some of these dairy products in the Dairy Products Building, where you can get milk at the ever-popular Rainbow Milk Bar, cheese, ice cream and – new this year – yogurt at the Yo2Go Yogurt Bar.

Photo supplied by NY Animal Agriculture Coalition

Also, be sure to stop into the dairy cattle building and see all the different breeds that call New York home. Then head back toward the FFA Building and next door, stop at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center. The center, run by the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, is in its second year and features the live births of dairy calves.

This is where the process of all that delicious milk begins.

Anyone who wants a beverage with a little more a kick than milk can go to the Colannade (the columned area between the Dairy Products and Science and Industry Buildings) to visit the Wine Court. Here you can buy and taste wonderful New York state wines. Talk to the winery owners and find out about just what New York state has to offer.

Tastings of various wine and cheese pairings also are available in the Pride of NY Room located in the back of the Horticulture Building at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. every day except Labor Day. Each day will be hosted by a different New York. On Labor Day, the area will host beer tasting seminars at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Holstein ready to show at the 2013 State Fair

You see – you could spend an entire day at the Great New York State Fair and do nothing but check out the agriculture offered by the farmers of this state. This is the time for the farmers to shine, to show off what they do 365 days a year to all of the great consumers in the state.

So, even if you do attend a concert, play some games on the Midway or chow down on sausage sandwiches or blooming onions, please try to spend some time with the farmers. Thanks to them, we have the most fabulous food in the world that is grown or raised right here in our backyards on our plates each day.

I can’t think of anything more wonderful than that.

Cornell Makes Yogurt for Fair Yogurt Bar

Check out Cornell's yogurt at the New York State Fair.

Go to http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2014/08/cornell-dairy-makes-yogurt-state-fairs-yo2go to check out the story.

Yogurt Bar Coming to NY State Fair

Now this is just a yummy idea.

The first-ever New York yogurt bar will debut at this summer's New York State Fair.

The bar, called YO2GO, will offer two types of yogurt – regular vanilla and Greek – made with 100 percent New York milk.

The yogurt bar will be in the Dairy Products Building, which has played host to New York's first-class dairy products since 1976. Two of its most popular exhibits are the butter sculpture and the Rainbow Milk Bar.

“We are very happy to announce that, in addition to buying a fresh cold glass of milk at the Rainbow Milk Bar, fair visitors also will be able to purchase fresh regular and Greek style yogurt with great toppings such as strawberries, blueberries and pineapple,” said Bruce Krupke, chair of the New York State Fair Dairy Products Building Advisory Task Force.

In addition to strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, other toppings will include peach, mango, carrots, black cherry, granola and dark chocolate bits. Low-fat cottage cheese also will be sold at the bar as New York is the largest producer of cottage cheese in the United States.

The Importance of Dairy

Even though this is from the Western Dairy Association, it still is a great reminder about the importance of dairy,

Happy Dairy Month!!

Go to http://westerndairyassociation.org/the-20-best-things-about-dairy/ to check it out.

NY Again Named Nation's King of Yogurt

For the second year in a row, New York is the yogurt capital of the nation. 

Preliminary data indicates that in 2013, New York produced 741 million pounds of yogurt, up from 695 million pounds in 2012. As confirmed by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York was the top ranked yogurt producer in 2013, a position it ascended to in 2012. 

New York once again exceeded California, which produced 591 million pounds of yogurt in 2013. For the entire country, USDA-NASS reported total yogurt production of 4,718 million pounds for 2013, up from 4,416 million pounds in 2012. New York accounted for 15.7% of total US yogurt production in 2013.

“For the second year in a row, New York state has earned the distinction of being the yogurt capital of the nation. This is another example of how when government and the private sector work together, as we have done with New York’s dairy industry to eliminate barriers to growth, the result is positive economic activity that translates into jobs and new opportunities for New Yorkers,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “New York’s dairy farmers and yogurt producers are the cream of the crop in their industry, and I congratulate them on once again securing this well-deserved honor.”

This announcement comes on the heels of news from earlier this year that New York passed Idaho as the third highest producer of milk in the nation for 2013. Also announced two weeks ago, Agrana Fruit, the top producer of fruit preparations for the dairy industry, completed construction of their new manufacturing and distribution operation in Onondaga County. Already creating 60 new jobs to date, when fully operational, the company will employ about 120 people at the $50 million facility, which will process all types of fruit for yogurt, including the possibility of New York-grown fruit.

As the company sought to expand its market presence and meet customer demand in North America, it considered more than 50 Northeast locations, and ultimately chose New York. The flourishing yogurt industry was a key factor in Agrana’s decision, offering the company a central location for production and distribution to leading yogurt companies in New York as well as the Northeast and Canada.

The industry is also helping to spur growth in other sectors of the state, as evidenced by the recent expansion of Feldmeier Equipment in Herkimer County. As a manufacturer of stainless steel storage and processing equipment, Feldmeier’s expansion supplies even more equipment for yogurt companies including Chobani and FAGE.

In 2013, New York’s dairy manufacturers employed an estimated 9,470 people with total wages of $513 million, up from 7,759 jobs and $400 million in wages in 2010. According to USDA-NASS, cash receipts from marketing of milk in New York increased from $2.21 billion in 2010 to $2.85 billion in 2013.

New York is a diverse state in the area of dairy and is also the leading producer of cream cheese and cottage cheese in the country. In addition to a 6.5 percent increase in yogurt production, two large dairy plants will be coming online this year: Cayuga Milk Ingredients (Cayuga County), which will manufacture dairy ingredients, and WNY Enterprises (Livingston County), which will use a cold-separation process to make skim and cream components.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to these hardworking ladies who provide us with some of the best stuff in the world.

What is Next on Chobani's Plate?

From the Associated Press:

Check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/18/chobani-new-products_n_5173441.html this story about what's coming next to Chobani.

State Begins new Ag Task Force

A new Strategic Interagency Task Force on Lessening Obstacles to Agriculture (SILO) has been formed in New York state to address barriers to the growth of New York’s agricultural economy. 

Task force members, comprised of leadership from state government and representatives from the field of agriculture, will work together to ensure that state agencies that deal with farmers are communicating regularly, interacting efficiently, and lessening regulations on farms. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo already has conducted a number of "summits" to learn more about various parts of the agriculture industry to try to help them grow. The summit approach already has paid dividends for New York agriculture. 

Since the inaugural Yogurt Summit, where state government listened to the needs of industry and acted accordingly, New York has become the yogurt capital of the nation and reclaimed its status as the number three producer of milk nationwide. New York has also experienced a 72 percent increase in farm-based beverage licenses since 2011, in part as a result of reforms enacted at the first Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit.

Additionally, New York is traditionally the second highest producer of apples in the nation and by many accounts, 2013 was the best year for the state’s apple industry in a generation. New York also ranks first in cabbage production, second in maple production, and third in wine and grape juice production. 

Industry members of the Task Force are as follows:

      Brian Reeves, co-owner, Reeves Farms, Baldwinsville, NY

Jeff Williams, Director of Public Policy, New York Farm Bureau
Jim Bittner, President and General Manager, Singer Farms, Appleton, NY
Cathy Martin, Co-Owner, Martin Farms, Brockport, NY
Ken Schmitt, retired vegetable farmer, Melville, NY
Dave Fisher, Owner, Mapleview Dairy, Madrid, NY
Tim Stanton, Owner, Stanton’s Feura Farm and Markets, Feura Bush, NY
Tonya Van Slyke, Executive Director, Northeast Dairy Producers Association

State agencies taking part in the Task Force are as follows:

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets 
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 
New York State Department of Labor 
New York State Department of Transportation 
New York State Public Service Commission
New York State Department of Health
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Empire State Development 
Department of Tax and Finance
State Liquor Authority

Chobani Yogurt Meant for Olympians Being Donated

Oh well. At least it won't go to waste.

Go to http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sochi-olympics/chobani-donate-yogurt-meant-olympic-athletes-n28881 to see the story about Chobani.

Good News for Yogurt Lovers and the Farmers Who Supply Yogurt Makers

Go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/02/06/eating-yogurt-could-cut-diabetes-risk-by-28-percent-new-research-shows/ to see the story.

State Makes $20 Million Available for Dairy Programs

From Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office:

Nearly $21 million is being made available to farmers in New York state to help them produce renewable energy and improve their business operations.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday the money will help dairy farmers convert farm waste to energy and develop individualized business and environmental plans to reduce operating costs and increase profitability. 

The funding for these efforts stem from recommendations made at Cuomo’s Yogurt Summit in 2012 to ensure the industry continues to grow and create jobs in New York state. 

In his 2014 State of the State Address, Cuomo pledged a second Yogurt Summit to identify additional economic growth opportunities within this growing sector of the economy. 

“The state is committed to creating new economic opportunities for our dairy farmers, who have helped make New York the Yogurt Capital of the nation,” Cuomo said. “With this funding, we are providing significant financial assistance to farmers so they can cut their energy costs, increase efficiencies in their operations, and develop plans to expand their businesses and contribute to cleaner communities."

Here is what is planned:

Waste-to-Energy Anaerobic Digesters

Starting Jan. 17 (Friday), $20 million will be available through NYSERDA to install anaerobic digester technology that produces renewable biogas used to produce electricity and heat from organic wastes. 

Farms, food processing manufacturers or municipal wastewater sites would be eligible for up to $2 million per project.

Biogas-to-power technology has several steps. Dairy manure and other organic wastes are pumped into digestion tanks where bacteria break down the waste, creating a methane-rich gas called biogas and a nutrient-rich effluent that can be applied to crops as fertilizer. The biogas is burned in engines to produce electricity and heat. 

Through this process, farmers can often eliminate a significant portion of the electricity they would otherwise purchase from the utility grid, and periodically export surplus electricity onto the electrical grid in exchange for credits. Furthermore, farmers can realize operational savings in other areas as well.

During the past 10 years, NYSERDA and the New York Power Authority have awarded nearly $30 million toward anaerobic digestion projects and related technology, resulting in significant energy savings to New York-based businesses while reducing the use of fossil fuel. 

Currently, this funding supports 20 operational digester projects. The digester technology funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible projects. 

Dairy Acceleration Program

Funding for the Dairy Acceleration Program (DAP) will be increased by $850,000, which is in addition to the $1 million announced by the governor this past August. 

DAP is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture and Markets and DEC. DAP is resonating very positively with dairy farmers across the state, most with herds of fewer than 300 cows. 

Combined with some funding still available under the current program, this new funding will serve at least 100 more dairy farms across New York. 

Payments under DAP may include: up to $5,000 per farm to write a business plan or develop a combination of a business and facility growth plan; and up to $4,500 to update an existing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) or $6,000 to develop a new one. 

Additional funds also will be available to design farm practices described in CNMPs. CNMPs are a conservation system for animal feeding operations designed to address soil erosion and water quality concerns. 

The CNMP encompasses the storage and handling of manure as well as using and applying manure nutrients on farm land. Through DAP, the state awarded dozens of projects already for farms with an average herd of about 140 cows. 

Business planning may include financial analysis, farmstead development planning, facility planning and capital investment planning for increased milk production per cow. Environmental planning includes CNMP development and updates. Farms without an existing CNMP can hire a certified Nutrient Management planner to develop a new CNMP.

To be eligible for DAP, a dairy cattle farm must have complete financial records. Preference will be given to farms with fewer than 300 cows. DAP funding will cover up to 80 percent of a project’s cost.

To apply for DAP, visit http://ansci.cornell.edu/prodairy/dairy_acceleration/.

More Schools to Serve Chobani Yogurt

The pilot program to put Chobani Greek yogurt in New York schools is being expanded.

Read about the expansion http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/gillibrand-hanna-announce-expansion-of-greek-yogurt-pilot-program-in-school-lunches-to-four-more-states- at this link.

New York Farm Bureau Discusses Cuomo's State of the State Address

Here is a statement from New York Farm Bureau President Dean Norton concerning Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address:

Dean Norton

“New York Farm Bureau appreciates the continued efforts by Governor Cuomo to prioritize agriculture as a critical part of the state’s economy. In his State of the State Address, he laid out a number of standout proposals that matter to every farmer in New York.  

"This includes efforts to remove regulatory barriers that get in the way of growing our businesses. We also support his tax reform initiatives that include raising the estate tax threshold and finally phasing out the article 18A surcharge on energy bills.

"The governor also plans to capitalize on past successes, by proposing a second round of Yogurt and Wine, Beer and Spirits Summits. Just as exciting is news of a new summit looking to connect our farms with downstate consumers who are eager to purchase New York grown food and locally made products. Additional promotional efforts as well will keep the state’s outstanding farmers front and center in the eyes of tourists and New Yorkers alike.

"Hunting is also an important part of rural life in New York state. It helps farmers protect their land, crops and livestock from the damage caused by overpopulated wildlife. Governor Cuomo’s efforts to support and increase hunting opportunities throughout the state, including increased sportsmen access to state land and reforms to landowner liability, are positive steps to help safeguard farmers’ interests.

"New York Farm Bureau works on behalf of every farmer in this diverse state, and having a strong partnership with Governor Cuomo and his administration is imperative to growing New York agriculture.”