South Central NY Dairy & Field Crops Team

South Central NY Dairy & Field Crops Team As a part of Cooperative Extension, we provide technical and management support to the dairy and field crop industry to help position it for the future.

The South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops Team covers six counties (Broome, Chemung, Cortland, Onondaga, Tioga and Tompkins) and is a part of Cornell University's Cooperative Extension System. The four member team is comprised of Janice Degni (Team Leader, Field Crops Specialist), Fay Benson (Small Dairy Support Specialist), Betsy Hicks (Dairy Management Specialist) and Melanie Palmer (Agri

cultural Educator). Farming is an economic engine in the local community and region. Dairy farms in the 6 county region earn more than $132 million directly in milk sales, which turns as much as 2.3 times in the local economy. Managers of our dairy and field crops farms face dynamic and complex production, business and regulatory environments. As extension specialists, we design and develop field based research and educational programs directed to a wide array of topics related to plant and animal production practices such as animal welfare, nutrient management, business records and decision-making.

03/27/2026

It's that time of year, the 2026 Dairy Of Distinction Applications are out. They are due April 15th.

Click link below to get yours!

Beef Producer Roundtable: Herd Health & Farm TransitionWednesday, April 15, 2026, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PMNeighborhood Depot146...
03/27/2026

Beef Producer Roundtable: Herd Health & Farm Transition
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Neighborhood Depot
146 Central Ave.
Owego, NY 13827

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County, the Cornell Cooperative Extension South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops Team, and New York Beef Producers' Association for an informative evening designed for beef producers and interested agricultural landowners.

Click link below for more information.
https://tioga.cce.cornell.edu/events/2026/04/15/beef-producer-roundtable-herd-health-farm-transition

03/06/2026
2026 Winter Crop Meeting January 22, 2026Registration at 9:15 am Program 10 am - 3 pm;Ukrainian National Club, Auburn, N...
01/13/2026

2026 Winter Crop Meeting

January 22, 2026
Registration at 9:15 am Program 10 am - 3 pm;
Ukrainian National Club, Auburn, NY

January 23, 2026
Registration at 9:15am Program 10am -3 pm
Dryden VFW, Dryden, NY

Connect with the agricultural community and many key note speakers on the following topics:

Emerging Innovation in Plant Breeding and Technologies - A Peek at the Future by Ben Rogers, Pioneer Field Agronomist

Managing Herbicide-Resistant W**ds in NY Corn & Soybean by Dr. Vipam Kumar, NYS Extension W**d Scientist, Cornell University

Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Insurance Program by KC Slade, Risk Management Specialist, Farm Credit East—Crop Growers

Birds & the Bees Legislation and the Fate of Neonics by Janice Degni, Extension Field Crop Specialist

Emerging Disease Pests and Soil Borne Diseases of Soybean by Dr. Camilo Parada Rojas, NYS Extension Plant Pathologist, Cornell University

Solar Farms—Benefit or Detriment? by Mr. Michael McMahon, Chair, Homer Town Planning Board

**3 DEC credits in categories 1A and 21-25. 1.5 PM, .5 CM and 1 PD CCA credits available.**

**Please send your DEC license number in the Notes to Us when you register on-line.**

Click Link below to Register for January 22nd in Auburn, NY.
https://scnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event_preregistration_new.php?id=2693

Click Link below to Register for January 23rd in Dryden, NY.
https://scnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event_preregistration_new.php?id=2693

Pre-Registration form for 2026 Winter Crop Meeting - Auburn from South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops of Cornell Cooperative Extension a component of Cornell University.

PRESS RELEASE:  For immediate release                                                                                   ...
01/05/2026

PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release Troy Bishopp “The Grass Whisperer” NatGLC, Northeastern Region Grazing Resource Manager [email protected] (315) 749-4528

Come on Down and Kick the Bales in 2026
"Coming down and kicking the tires" on something is a colloquial invitation for someone to come and inspect or test a product or service before buying it. For farmers and the folks who help them, this premise extends to the practice of bale-grazing on the land. Whether in a checkerboard pattern, rolled out or fed in rings, there’s lots to learn from practitioners and value in seeing field-level management considerations.

Join fellow farmers at Jacob and Alexa Newton’s Hillside Farms for a “kicking”, Bale-grazing workshop on Saturday, January 10th, 2026 from 10am to noon at 4358 Crains Mills Road Truxton NY, 13158. This morning program will be a hardy, on-farm, dress accordingly, winter weather event. Space is limited for this workshop so first come-first serve.

There is no cost for the event, but pre-registration is required!
https://scnydfc.cce.cornell.edu/event_preregistration_new.php?id=2678

Hillside Farms is a direct-to-consumer farming operation who specialize in grass fed beef, pastured poultry and forested pork. Their grass-based operation supplies pastured protein for roughly 320 families, two farmers markets and three restaurants. They utilize bale grazing primarily for the beef cow and yearling herds. They supplement feed with bale grazing during drought periods, optimal frozen winter conditions, and in areas of reclaimed pasture on our farm in need of nutrient application. The winter pasture walk will be on established pasture and reclaimed pasture areas.

Questions can be directed to Betsy Hicks at [email protected] or Troy Bishopp at (315) 749-4528. In the case of cancellation due to "extreme winter weather" (think: road closings and emergency weather declarations) a cancellation email will be sent to those who have registered by 7 pm Friday, January 9th.
This workshop is a collaboration between the Northeast Region National Grazing Lands Coalition, Hillside Farms and the South-Central NY Cornell Cooperative Extension Team which is part of a National USDA-NRCS CIG Grant by the University of Kentucky Research Foundation entitled: Bale Grazing: A Practical, Low-Cost, and Environmentally-Sound Management Strategy to Winter Beef Cattle.

Up Coming Fall ProgramAutomated Health Monitoring Systems for Dairy Workshop, October 24th, 10-2:30pmClick link below fo...
10/14/2025

Up Coming Fall Program

Automated Health Monitoring Systems for Dairy Workshop, October 24th, 10-2:30pm
Click link below for more info or to register.

Automated Health Monitoring Systems for Dairy Workshop from South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops of Cornell Cooperative Extension a component of Cornell University.

Address

60 Central Avenue
Cortland, NY
13045

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(607) 391-2662

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