Highlights from this issue include:

• View from the Field: Wet weather and diseases spotted
• Weather Outlook
• Partial alfalfa field harvest increases PLH risk
• Western Bean Cutworm Update
• Clipboard Checklist

Visit http://blogs.cornell.edu/ipmwpr/ to access the entire Integrated Pest Managment Report.

    NY State Executive Director James Barber for USDA’s Farm Service Agency, urges farmers affected by excessive rains to keep thorough records of all agricultural losses and report losses to their local FSA office.  FSA will use damage reports to effectively estimate the overall financial loss caused by recent rain events.  FSA will continue working with state and local officials, as well as our federal partners, in an effort to ensure people have the necessary resources to recover from this challenge.                          
    NAP covers non FCIC insurable crop losses caused by natural disasters.  For those producers who purchased 2013 NAP coverage and have experienced crop losses, you should immediately file a notice of loss and 2013 FSA-578 Acreage Report with the office.  The deadline to file a notice of loss is 15 days from the date of the disaster or when the loss becomes apparent.  DO NOT destroy any crop acreage until you have notified FSA and have requested an appraisal on your 2013 un-harvested crop acres.  To complete your loss claim you will need to provide FSA with records of your 2013 harvested production.  After the appraisal and harvest ends, producers will apply for payment.
    If you have crop insurance, please be sure to contact your local crop insurance agent as soon as possible to notify them of possible claims.
    FSA administers the Emergency Conservation Program which can provide cost sharing to help restore cropland if funding is available. Producers who sustained debris damage and erosion damage to their cropland due to flooding should report the damage along with estimated dollar amounts to their local FSA Office. Land owners will need to work with their county FSA office to determine eligibility and cost share if funding is available for this program.
    Also, please report to the local FSA office any crop, agriculture building damage, livestock loss or forested land damage, due to flooding. FSA will provide information if assistance for these losses becomes available. 

     Area Regional Crop Specialist Kevin Ganoe addresses the current situation from too wet to flood conditions in many fields in the latest isssue of the "Checking the Back Forty". 
    Wet Fields: The problems with wet fields go from being unable to harvest hay crops to unplanted fields. A couple thoughts for being unable to harvest. If you are lacking quality feed don’t worry about those fields that are first cutting that hasn’t been harvested. That hay will never get better in quality. Keep after the fields that you can do multiple cuttings through the end of the season. These are likely the driest fields and given the rainfall we have had should reward with good quality growth. As a matter of fact if you get cuttings off these fields and they have a signifi-cant amount of grass applying nitrogen will pay as there is plenty of soil moisture to drive the next cutting.
    Corn fields that are light green to yellow are likely nitrogen deficient and you should consider a sidedress N application, provided you can get in the field. To be clear this is not addressing traditionally wet areas where not only denitrification has taken place but plants are actually stunted by the excessive water. There are fields, and likely you have a few, that given normal rainfall or less you usually have enough nitrogen applied. This year whole fields have been sat-urated, not just the wet spots, long enough that denitrification has taken place. This is more likely to take place on finer textured soils. Possibly higher organic matter fields or fields with high manure application rates may still mineralize N to the end of the season. It may not turn out to be practical to make a sidedress application given how wet the fields are and/or how tall the corn is but I offer you consider it.
    If you have corn fields that are yet to be planted you can still plant corn but as we hit July 10-20 we are definitely on the road to drastically lower yields. After July 20 don’t bother. It has been shown as you go later in the season and only getting what ever fodder you can that later corn and at higher populations can give higher yields. All I would offer is that if you have corn seed and a planter ready to go just go get the seed in the ground. Another thought is to now hold off until the end of July and plant a spring grain like oats. Oats planted by Aug 1 can make some great forage both in quality and quantity by the end of September.
    For more information about flooded fields and what to do view the entire document below in addition to the current issue of "Checking the Back Forty". 

2013 Dairy Tour Farms

Hill-Over-Holsteins is a meticulously managed, registered 84-cow, tie-stall operation owned by Fred Barringer since 1980. Along with receiving a TMR daily, cows are turned out every night to 2 acres of fresh high-quality forage, rotating between 40 acres of paddocks.  Two years ago Fred took the risk of having his own milk bottled and selling it retail on his farm. The on-farm store, Hill-Over Healthy and Fresh, LLC is run with the help of his wife Donna.  They also retail their milk at farmers markets and by home delivery. All the crop work on 230 acres is hired out.  Fred maintains control of his crops and feed by purchasing all the crop inputs and paying two local farmers to bring in their machinery from planting through harvest and storage.  One farmer plants and harvests the corn silage and haylage, which are packed into Fred’s bunks.  Another grows, stores, and roasts his soybeans.  By hiring out field work Fred can focus on the cows.  As he says: “Details, details make the difference. Everyone can feed and milk cows, but it’s all in the details.”

Landview Farm with partners Rody & Jane Walker, Randy Walker, and Mark Anderson is a very well-managed 1225-cow dairy.  Young stock is home-grown in their very efficient heifer barn.  They also have a satellite farm in nearby Cambridge.  Land and facilities are spread out over a wide area, which increases the challenges of manure, crops, and labor.  Plus, they haul their own milk to Connecticut.  Every farm operation is well-planned.  Manure is direct loaded from tankers and incorporated behind the spreaders with an Aerway.  Rye seed is applied with the manure in the fall.  The corn planter follows a 6-row zone-builder for one-pass planting.  Soil health is part of their philosophy.  Forage quality is prime importance as they feed as high a forage diet as possible. They manage for high-quality milk and high milk components.  Milk has been forward contracted and Landview has also participated in the Livestock Gross Margin – Dairy program - experience they can share.  With a large and busy farm, Landview Farm also has good experience to share about labor management

Dutch Hollow Farm is owned and operated by Paul Chittenden and family. This herd of registered jerseys is one of the highest ranking in the nation. They have been known for years for their great genetics and cow families. In 2012 Dutch Hollow Farm received an award of great accomplishment, The Master Breeder Award. Since 1952, they have using polled genetics, starting with Paul’s father Stanley. Since then, they have contributed greatly to polled genetics within the jersey breed. Throughout the past few years Dutch Hollow has found different ways to market their milk, getting involved with Hudson Valley Fresh and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. This year Dutch Hollow Farm will be one of the virtual dairy tours at World Dairy Expo.  Along with great cows, Dutch Hollow has an extensive cropping program including corn, alfalfa, and soybeans.  And with a large family taking part in the farm, managing labor is critical and contributes to their success.

July 10, 2013 Essentials of Organic Grain Growing

Lineage Farm, 492 Route 217, Hudson NY 12534

 2:00-6:00pm.

Registration Fee:$10/person and $15/two or more people per farm

Pre-Registration Deadline: 5:00 pm July 5. To pre-register and pay, please contact the Registration Coordinator, Stephanie, by phone at 585-271-1979 ext. 509, by email at register@nofany.org, or shop online at http://tinyurl.com/nofanyevents.

     Yes, you can grow grains on your small farm!  Learn how to make good use of your land with grain rotations using heritage and modern strains of wheat, rye, field corn (for milling), and more.

July 31st 2013 The 7^th annual Biomass Energy Workshop at Big Flats Plant Materials Center on in Big Flats, NY. For more information and to register please go to the following website.

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=7ex5qzeab&oeidk=a07e7lwogk0f7fa1c61    There will be a demonstration of a biomass gasification and power generator and presentations from Cornell University, SUNY Morrisville, Sweet Water Energy Inc., First Source Bioproducts LLC., Ernst Conservation Seeds, and NRCS. Presentations on establishment methods of grasses and willows,  management of diseases, sustainability  on marginal land, large scale contract seeding and harvesting,   and  utilization of biomass for thermochemical and lignocellulosic conversion and pelletization. 

NYAAC & ADADC TO CONDUCT TWO

“HOW TO HOST A FARM TOUR” WORKSHOPS IN MAY

Each Workshop will Give Away a Free

$500 Professional Photography Session on Your Farm

 The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC) and the American Dairy Association & Dairy Council (ADADC) will be conducting two training workshops this month to help owners of dairy and livestock farms learn how to host a successful farm tour.  The four-hour long seminar will cover all aspects of farm tours from setting the date to messaging and parking cars.  The workshop is free, includes lunch, and is scheduled for May 20 in Batavia and May 22 in Fonda.  Reservations are required.

 Monday, May 20, 2013 – 10:30am – 2:30pm

Bohn’s Restaurant, 5256 Clinton St., Batavia

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 – 10:30am – 2:30pm

The Winner’s Circle, 3293 Route 5, Fonda

June 5, 2013 PASTURE GRAZING FOR PROFIT at the USDA Service Center, Route 66, Ghent, NY from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, please contact Eileen at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, (518) 622-9820.  If you plan to stay for lunch, the cost is $10/person.  Please bring payment the day of the workshop.   

     The Hudson Mohawk Resource Conservation and Development Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, NYS Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative and Grazin’ Angus Acres is pleased to announce a great line-up including:

•              Mick Bessire, CCE of Columbia and Greene Counties – Costs and Potential Returns of Grazing on Pasture

•              Karen Hoffman, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Nutritional Attributes of Well-Managed Pastures

•              Laura Sagar, Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District and Jim Unser, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Overview of Programs and Funding Available through SWCD and USDA NRCS

     After lunch, we will travel to Grazin’ Angus Acres, to visit a “premier” grass-based livestock operation in Columbia County, featuring a purebred Angus cow-calf breeding herd, along with the production and marketing of grass-finished beef, pastured chicken and eggs, and meadow-raised pork.  The Gibson and Stark families will host our group on a pasture-walk and tour of their farm. 

Agriculture Volunteers Needed!

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Fulton and Montgomery Counties provides “Agriculture Awareness Days” to Fourth grade classes in both Fulton and Montgomery Counties 7 times throughout May and June.  Most of the events are ½ day, although 2 of them take up the majority of a school day.

We are looking for people from the Agriculture Community to serve as speakers/presenters at these events on a wide variety of topics to do with agriculture.  If you feel you have some knowledge to share and present in an interactive way (visuals and live animals are always popular), please contact Bonnie at the 4-H office (673-5525 ext. 115) or bsp8@cornell.edu

Events we are looking for help with are as follows:  Boulevard School (Gloversville) May 22, Pleasant Avenue School (Johnstown) May 29, Mayfield Elementary May 31, Broadalbin-Perth Intermediate June 3, Shuttleworth Park (Amsterdam) June 7, Fonda-Fultonville Elementary June 11, and Canajoharie Elementary June 13^th.

Saturday, April 27, 2013 Ties to the Land:  Planning for the Future of Your Woodlands; A Facilitated Workshop on Succession Planning, Keeping Family Forests and Farms in the Family From 9am-4:30pm at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Saratoga County, 50 West High St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020. REGISTRATION FEE:  $40 per registrant, $10 per each additional family member.  Fee includes refreshments, lunch, and all workshop materials including a copy of the workbook & DVD  (one per family), Ties to the Land: Your Family Forest Heritage. TO REGISTER on-line, please visit: http://ccecapitalregion.org/calendarevents.aspx , and click on the workshop date (April 27, 2013) tab.  If registering by mail, contact CCE Warren County 518-623-3291 or 668-4881.