Young Adult CDL: A Boon to NY Trucking Industry?

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

New York Governor Katy Hochul recently signed in to law legislation paving the way for a Young Adult Commercial Driver’s License Class A program for 18-20 year olds. New York is the last state to require intrastate CDL drivers to be 21. The bill was spearheaded by NY Senator Tim Kennedy, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, and NY Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, Chair of the Agriculture Committee. “New York’s trucking industry is central to our state’s economy, ensuring that products make it to market in a timely manner,” said Lupardo. “This legislation will help address the shortage of truck drivers by attracting younger drivers, at a time when many are in the process of choosing their careers.”

The American Transportation Research institute believes that trucking makes up 3.7% of jobs in New York State. However, as the workforce continues to age, it is believed that nearly one million new drivers will be needed within a decade. By allowing eighteen to twenty year olds an opportunity to acquire a Class A CDL license instead of a Class B license, it is hoped to reinvigorate interest in the industry among a new generation.

According to the Trucking Association of NY (TANY), “The legislation was a priority issue for TANY during the 2021 legislative session and a critical piece of our workforce development initiative. As we continue to focus on encouraging high school students to consider careers in the trucking industry, it was imperative that they have the opportunity to obtain their Class A CDL prior to the age of 21. To address safety concerns regarding younger drivers operating large commercial vehicles, the legislation provides for training that closely mirrors the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's entry-level driver training requirements and requires a minimum of three-hundred (300) hours of behind-the-wheel training under the immediate supervision and control of an experienced driver.” Details of the federal entry level driver training program can be found here.

Senator Tim Kennedy, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee said, "As New York and our nation build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic, we know employers are struggling to fill positions. For the trucking industry, this problem is compounded by the short supply of commercial truck drivers that has weighed heavily on our nation's economy and supply chains for decades. This legislation will directly address that shortage, while simultaneously opening up opportunities for younger New Yorkers entering the workforce and preparing our labor pool for additional advancement under the federal infrastructure bill.”

Kendra Hems, President of TANY, added, “On behalf of the members of the Trucking Association of New York, we thank Assemblywoman Lupardo and Senator Kennedy for their leadership on this important workforce development issue. We applaud them for sponsoring this critical legislation that will create more jobs and help alleviate a national truck driver shortage. For years our industry lost highly qualified individuals because we’ve not been unable to hire anyone under the age of 21. This legislation will change that by providing those under 21 with the opportunity to enter the trucking industry and get the skilled training they need under the supervision of highly qualified professionals.”

Reflections

By Rick Zimmerman, Executive Director

This is the last time that I will write this column as your executive director.  Beginning January first, I will be stepping down and John Mitchell will be picking up the reins.  After 15 years at the helm, it is time to pass the torch.  But before I do so, let me reflect on what we have accomplished.  

First and foremost, your Board has completed and implemented three strategic plans over the last 15 years.  This process and the subsequent devotion to implementing the plans is a strong signal that your board understands its role in leading the organization forward.  You have been well served by a board that continuously uses the strategic plan as the guiding light for the many substantiative actions and programs we have undertaken. 

Secondly, your board demonstrates leadership by employing proper structure and purpose.  Implementing board term limits, expanding and utilizing committees, maintaining a strong financial foundation, and understanding the role as policy makers rather than program administrators is indicative of a strong board and organizational structure.  Further, purposefully positioning the organization to serve the entire agribusiness community by including “agribusiness” in our name graphically demonstrates the forward-thinking orientation of the Board.  

Third, NEAFA has stepped up to the plate.  Delivering on our three objectives of Advocacy, Collaboration and Education, we have demonstrated that NEAFA is your ACE in the hole!  Advocacy means lobby days in Albany and Montpelier along with annual visits to other New England capitals.  Annually we have made it our business advocate for our industry and the key state supported programs providing essential support to the agriculture industry.  Initiatives such and PRO-DAIRY, New York’s Farm Viability Institute, Vermont’s Farm Viability Program, NY FarmNet, agricultural nonpoint source pollution control funds for New York and Vermont dairies, and Vermont’s Dairy Innovation Center are examples of programs we continue to advocate for.  Further, our working relationships with New England agriculture commissioners/ secretaries fortifies their efforts to keep dairy farms going and growing throughout the northeast.  

Collaboration remains a central element in our organization’s DNA and resulted in remarkable success.  For example, our collaborative relationship with Cornell’s Department of Animal Science motivated us to step up to the challenge of raising funds to seed a faculty position within ther Department.  The challenge proved to motivate our members so effectively that we raised enough money, over 1 million dollars, to seed two faculty positions.  I am personally grateful for our members’ generous support!   Today Joe McFadden and Kristan Reed and are the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance Partners Sesquicentennial Fellows and substantial contributors to the animal science knowledge base through basic research and modeling.  The industry is blessed to have them aboard!  

Our ongoing partnerships with the American Feed Industry Association and the National Grain and Feed Association have allowed us to leverage our presence at the federal government level.  Collaborating with PRO-DAIRY has established a strong partnership with the herd Health and Nutrition Conference, one of our seminal education programs.  

Speaking of education, the “E” in ACE, NEAFA has been all about educational opportunities throughout its existence, and we have built on them.  In addition to HHNC, we have continued to partner with the Maine Dairy Industry Association and the University of Connecticut and expanded the New England Dairy Nutrition Conference to include Land Grant partners from Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Last year’s conference via zoom drew in participants from all across the New England states. Our Annual Meeting and Forum has been the platform for nationally known speakers addressing provocative topics.  

Fourth, the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance remains strong and forward focused going into the new year.  We have been progressive in building an organization that is poised to serve the northeastern agricultural industry in numerous ways, as together we all strive to compete in the global marketplace. NEAFA is not the same organization it was 15 years ago, and your Board realized that your organization must stay focused on a rapidly changing environment.  

It has been my pleasure to work with eight NEAFA presidents, as well as numerous volunteer directors, all dedicated to the organization’s mission: “to support and grow a sustainable agribusiness industry in the Northeast.”  Together, we have accomplished much, but more lies ahead of us. Our region, the northeastern milk shed, is in direct competition with other milk sheds in the U.S. and throughout the world.  We must stay focused on the fundamental challenges that lie in our way in order to remain competitive, and ultimately profitable.  NEAFA’s leadership in bringing these challenges in focus to local, state, and federal governments and the greater dairy community is commendable and very much needed.  

I tip my hat to John Mitchell who will be stepping into the executive director’s seat beginning January first, and I look forward to working with him as your professional advocate in the months going forward.  I also want to recognize your extremely competent executive assistant, Sue Van Amburgh.  Sue has been and will continue to be a tremendous asset to this organization.  Thank you Sue, for all that you do.  

You won’t be getting rid of me completely however. I will continue to lobby for you and work with you as together we continue to deliver on our  mission to support and grow a sustainable agribusiness industry in the Northeast.  

May you and your families have a blessed Christmas and holiday season, and a healthy, happy New Year.

NY Farm Labor Wage Board: Three January Virtual Hearings: Sign up to Support Your Farmer Customers

By Rick Zimmerman, Executive Director

The Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance has been an active supporter of the Grow NY Farms Coalition, which launched a substantial campaign to impress upon the Farm Labor Wage Board the importance of keeping the 60-hour overtime threshold at 60 hours.  On December 15th, the NYS DOL announced that the Wage Board will once again hold a series of hearings to receive testimony from interested parties. I encourage all NEAFA members that work with NYS farmers to demonstrate solidarity and sign up to make a statement in support of keeping 60 at 60. You can do so at the following link: https://dol.ny.gov/farm-laborers-wage-board-hearings 

Two weeks ago, coalition leaders delivered hundreds of letters from farmers and farmworkers to Governor Kathy Hochul, asking her and the farm labor wage board to maintain the 60-hour overtime threshold.  Last week, the Buffalo News printed the attached editorial recognizing the importance of keeping overtime at 60 hours. We must keep this momentum going by weighing in on the extreme importance of the continuance of the 60-hour overtime threshold. 

Sign up here https://forms.ny.gov/s3/Farm-Laborers-Wage-Hearing  for a three-minute time slot during one of three virtual hearings:

3:30 p.m., Tuesday, 1/4/2022 

5:00 p.m., Tuesday, 1/18/2022

5:00 p.m., Thursday, 1/20/2022

Take three minutes to talk about how a dairy farm industry, no longer able to be economically competitive if this threshold is reduced, will cause a harmful ripple effect throughout upstate communities. Talk about how dependent your business is on a viable dairy farm community.  

This is as serious a farm issue as it gets!  We all have a stake in its outcome.

NEAFA Welcome John Mitchell as Executive Director

NEAFA is happy to announce that John Mitchell will be joining the organization as its new executive director. NEAFA Vice President Jenny Mills recently sat down for a Q&A session with Mitchell, so that our members that aren’t familiar with him can learn more.

1. You have had a long history with not just the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance, but the agricultural industry as a whole. Please tell us about yourself.

I grew up in the small rural town of New Berlin, NY.  As a young boy I was always around agriculture and the farmers who frequented our family’s feed and farm supply business.  I remember watching farmers unload their milk cans at the milk plant just around the corner from our feed store, and then I saw them come to the store to pick up feed and supplies.  I started working in the store at fourteen, which is when I began learning more about the business.   At my father’s urging, I attended Cornell’s Hotel School, which gave me a great business education and a possible alternative career to the feed business.  After spending a few years working in the hospitality industry, I returned to the family feed business.  The I.L. Richer Company was started in 1870 by my great grandfather, and when I joined the company we had seven mills and stores that sold mixed feed, farm supplies, fertilizer seed.  I spent several years working in various jobs in the mills and stores before taking over the reins in 1979. Over the next thirty years the business went through dramatic changes driven by the decline of the poultry farms and the consolidation of the dairy industry. We addressed the changes by closing unprofitable locations, and purchasing mills from owners who were exiting the business.  I was fortunate to have great mentors and employees who helped the company grow through innovations in feeding livestock, along with investments in new feed manufacturing facilities.  At the time of the sale of the business in 2008 Richer Feeds had three plants that served over 1,000 farms in Eastern, Central, and Northern NY.

Throughout my career I was involved in the feed industry’s trade associations both in the Northeast and nationally.  In 2003, I was involved with the formation of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance through the merger of the Eastern Federation of Feed Merchants and the New England Grain and Feed Council.  It is very rewarding seeing how the organization has grown and become an important force in Northeast agriculture.  Over the years I have been fortunate to belong to the boards of several companies and community organizations that have helped to shape my career by giving me insight into different management methods and styles of leadership.

2. The Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance’s strategic pillars are education, collaboration and advocacy. What are the largest opportunities you see for the organization in the next few years?

As I get started in the role of Executive Director, I want to spend time visiting with the Board of Directors (BOD) and with other members, listening to their concerns and understanding where I need to spend energy to help these three pillars of the mission thrive.  I do hear a desire and need at this time to begin discussions with other agricultural organizations in finding common ground educating our elected officials and the general public on the business of agriculture in the Northeast. We need to tell the story of our agricultural producers, and we need support businesses that are providing the highest quality and safest food in the world.

3. Membership is the lifeline of our organization. What is your vision for NEAFA to continue to increase engagement with our members and subsequently increase membership numbers?

In the past 10 years, NEAFA has grown as a professional organization thanks to the leadership on the BOD.  The BOD has a strong functioning committee structure that gets things done, and the membership knows this.  The organization is effective in accomplishing tasks and communicating with the membership on the work being done, which is key to keeping members engaged.  Consolidation and change in the industry have accelerated, and outreach to other agricultural businesses will be a priority for NEAFA to continue to be of value.  Networking has always been one of the key reasons people want to be a part of NEAFA, and I am impressed with the way we have continued to be able to offer those opportunities, be it in person or virtually during this time of change.  Maintaining and growing the membership has to be a priority, and I’m looking forward to working on that.

4. What are two or three of the largest opportunities available for our members, and how does NEAFA facilitate in helping to realize these opportunities?

The demand for high quality agricultural products has never been greater, and our members have the opportunity to grow and profit from this demand. NEAFA has ongoing education programs, and develops timely ones that help our members meet the challenges ahead.  Also, our members face increasing scrutiny by the public and government agencies, and the Alliance is well positioned to provide guidance in navigating these arenas. Networking with other people in the industry is important in running an organization, and NEAFA will continue to set the table and provide these opportunities for our membership.

5. What excites you the most about the future of NEAFA?

As I mentioned before the involvement of the Board and other members is the strength of NEAFA, and honestly is a big reason that I was interested in taking on the role of Executive Director.  This passion for accomplishing the organization’s missions is infectious and gives me energy to work hard for the organization. Exiting Executor Director Rick Zimmerman has done an outstanding job in creating this structure, and I have a big task ahead to keep that momentum going.  I am glad that Rick will continue to lead us in our government relations effort at a time when legislative issues are increasingly complex.

6. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m on the boards of several companies which is something that I enjoy, as these businesses provide me a great view of the economy, and how different industries navigate these changing times.  I also enjoy skiing, a passion I have had since a young boy.  Getting on the top of a mountain in the middle of winter clears my mind and helps me reset. My wife and I have a big family, with six adult children and seven grandchildren which makes for many wonderful and memorable family gatherings. I’ve had plenty of “spare time” since retirement, but now I’m looking forward to giving up some of that spare time and getting to work with the Alliance in the days ahead.

Labor Shortages in Transportation

By Joseph Painting, Vermont Rail System, Special to NEAFA

This country has help wanted signs in almost every business window.  The transportation industry is not exempt from this, and is also experiencing a shortage of labor.  With a focus mainly on railroads, I will highlight some of the causes of this.  We have all felt some of the impacts this has had on end user rail customers.  I will also share some of the strategic thinking, tactical efforts and actual measures the short lines are employing to manage this situation.  

Prior to the pandemic, the class one railroads had ’streamlined’ their operations per the Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) model.  This included major cutbacks in staffing across the board, much belt tightening and yard closings, longer trains with greater velocity, and a focus on a shareholder bottom line rather than customer satisfaction. In the overall picture, speaking from a very wide and long-range perspective, this may have been a healthy move for these organizations. This change came with plenty of growing pains and a steep learning curve.  The class two and three railroads were left to figure out how to provide the needed levels of customer service to those on their lines with slightly less support from the class one connections.  

Enter the pandemic.  An already very lean railroad work force was beset with not just actual illnesses keeping people from their jobs, but quarantine practices that kept healthy people from their work as well.  The protracted nature of this pandemic and the thinking around it (the extra rules, restrictions, masks and regulations) reduced the work force even more and permanently. Retirements, along with a large wave of early retirements, stripped off the top layer of seasoned veteran employees. There isn’t a next wave of enthusiastic replacements that is commensurate with the number of outbound workers. This attrition is at the heart of the issue.

“No way did I realize how difficult it was going to be to try and get people to come to work these days…” James M. Foote, CEO of CSX.

McDonald’s offers a $500 signing bonus and still has trouble filling rosters.  We are wrestling with “labor shortages” and 6.9 million people are still claiming some form of unemployment compensation, up 1.2 million from before the pandemic (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf).  We could postulate about what is involved in this worker shortage for hours. Is it generational? Political? Pandemic related? Drug related? Something else entirely? Whatever combination of circumstances, events, or choices people have made that has led us to this place, we are here now and it is ours to confront.

One class one railroad we connect with admitted to having a class of two hundred conductors graduating with one hundred more in the queue right behind them. This doesn’t cover the attrition they have suffered to date however, so they’ll still be short handed. One short line yard master with a congested yard had sixteen people call in sick or were quarantined in a single day. It isn’t just train crews that are affected either. Shops and maintenance of way crews are impacted as well. This leads to power (locomotives) shortages too. Yard Masters in charge of busy rail yards, full of cars with more trains on the way, have only skeleton crews available to do their work. In my role in marketing, I speak daily to market managers for other roads about rates and routes. I can’t reach some of them now because they are on train crews in the field filling in for the missing. Perish the thought, but what is already difficult will be even more so with a foot and a half of snow, and sub zero temperatures.  

Pointing out the situation we’re all in is the easy part. Theorizing about exactly how we got here is an unimportant luxury. Learning how to embrace this difficult situation and solve problems and keep our customers satisfied is the real challenge. Learning how to maintain our level of customer service with increased dwell times at interchanges, leaner workforces, and fewer trains has produced an unexpected bonus for us. Our relationships with our connecting class one roads has improved dramatically and quickly. New lines of communications with them are wide open, and information and cooperation is flowing freely. We are jointly amenable to looking at alternate routes and other on-the-fly adjustments to keep your products moving. We are glad to work with not only other roads, but also suppliers and customers in concerted joint efforts.  Our customer service team, train crews, marketing department, and even upper management have all been involved in mitigating delays.  

The take home message here is clear. Please think of railroads as allies, because our business depends on your business. It is crucial that we have timely and accurate information from our customers on their needs and issues as they arise. Your thoughtful complaints and legitimate grievances can be constructive and helpful for railroads in getting problems solved and product delivered.  

The outlook for regional moves and even local moves on rail in the short term is a positive one, especially with the higher cost and limited availability of trucks. We have been able to provide competitive shipping options for some relatively short hauls. Where trucks used to be the right tool for the job, now we may find other options. Rail might be worth another look.  

Looking beyond the near future to a longer perspective, I see a robust recovery and continued growth for the short lines in the northeast. We can’t know specifics yet about where the chips may fall when the CSX completes the PAS takeover, but this major change in the region will certainly offer new opportunities and may even help to alleviate some of the issues we’re facing now.

On Ocean Freight and Ports, Expect More of the Same in 2022.

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.
President & CEO, Natural Biologics, Inc.
Board Member, NEAFA

As we focus on transportation in this issue of the NEAFA Newsletter, we should realize that many of our members are affected by ocean freight and the ongoing bottlenecks at U.S. ports.  As both an importer of raw materials and an exporter of finished goods, we know all too well what that situation has looked like for the last year-and-a-half: containers of ingredients we bring in from Brazil getting bumped from one ship to the next, to the next, before finally leaving port one to two months later than expected; the freight cost of a container coming from Malaysia going from $2,300 in May 2020 to over $20,000 by late summer of 2021 (see this article from The Economist); or, sitting on a container of finished product for three months waiting for a booking to get it out to Australia.  Is there any end in sight in 2022?

The short answer is no.  We all remember the Ever Given, the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal for seven days.  That catastrophe really only highlighted the fragility of the global supply chain.  Add to that things like Covid-19-related port closures, power shortages in China, truck driver shortages at ports, surging consumer demand for imported goods and huge imbalances of containers around the world, and you begin to see the global log jam which will take some time to unwind.  Unfortunately, the trade lanes most impacted by all these factors were those between Asia and North America.  While the Los Angeles/Long Beach port hub has gotten the most attention for backlogs, all U.S. ports have been affected by longer than usual wait times for ships to dock and unload.  Container arrivals at the major east coast ports are up by 40% year-over-year.  At the same time, the U.S. is reporting a current deficit of ~80,000 truck drivers, making it even more difficult to move those containers out of ports in a timely fashion.  Most projections are that these issues will take most of 2022 to clear out despite presidential edicts or maritime law reforms. Passage this month of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which AFIA, AFBF  and others strongly supported, will bring welcome relief from usurious ocean freight fees, but will do little to clear the current backlogs in our ports. What this means for many of our businesses is the need for higher inventories to buffer against these disruptions, leading to higher inventory carrying cost, slower turnover and squeezed margins.  But as we heard at the annual meeting, we all need to work on our resilience in these tougher times.

Chase to CNC: Great Progress in Dairy Sustainability

Recently Larry Chase, Professor Emeritus of Cornell University, spoke at the 2021 Cornell Nutrition Conference (CNC) about environmental sustainability in the dairy industry, a subject that has been on many minds recently. Chase recently shared his paper and his CNC presentation on the subject with the NEAFA Agronomy Committee.

“All of us know that society is concerned about water and air quality,” said Chase. “I think that it’s important to say that dairymen have tried to be good stewards of the land and take care of their animals. Society doesn’t always recognize that they as an industry have been working at this forever. The dairy industry has done a lot of good things and that means that they’re sort of ahead of the game as (environmental) regulations get more strict. The biggest thing is that they have improved efficiency of feed to milk. There are less nutrients excreted into the manure. They’re taking advantage of improved forage analysis information and knowing how to formulate a ration that is one or two points lower in protein. You get the same high quality milk, but with less nitrogen in the cow, there’s less nitrogen going into manure; the same thing has happened with phosphorus. The industry has been able to reduce the input to the cow without changing milk so there’s less going back into the environment.” According to Chase’s paper, there was a 40.4% increase in the amount of milk per pound per cow per year, while nitrogen in manure dropped 8.1 percent, methane emissions dropped 3.4%, and phosphorus levels dropped 20.1%

An issue the industry faces however, is messaging. “Somehow the industry has to get this to consumer,” said Chase. “The problem is if the industry says it, a lot of consumers will falsely say that it’s biased information. We need to get it to the consumer in a way that they will accept, because the information that we’ve gathered is solid.”

Moving forward, Chase believes the industry needs to focus on whole farm integrated models. “We can look at the cow nutrition portion and come up with good numbers and that’s valuable, but at some point you have to say what about cropping rotations, economics, manure, etc.,” said Chase. “You have to tie the whole farm together instead of looking at one piece. What’s great is that we can make these improvements in decreasing the environmental impact, and at the same time it increases the profitability of the whole farm since you’re increasing production while maximizing your forage. It’s a win win for producers and consumers.”

To read Chase’s paper on the subject, click here. To see his powerpoint from the 2021 CNC, click here.

Bottom Line: Keep 60 at 60.

By Rick Zimmerman

The Grow NY Farm’s Coalition, representing the state’s agriculture community, launched a campaign to protect farms, jobs, and local food production by upholding the 60-hour overtime threshold created as a result of the 2019 Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act. The coalition, comprised of agriculture businesses and organizations including NEAFA, is working to maintain the current 60-hour overtime threshold to safeguard the interests of farmworkers and farmers. A New York State Wage Board is poised to reconvene next month to assess the threshold, which is at risk of being reduced even further to 40 hours if the board deems necessary. The proposed reduction would economically devastate many New York farms, with immediate consequences felt most by farmworkers themselves. 

Prior to the adoption of the 60-hour overtime threshold, the industry standard for farmworkers was 80 hours during peak season⁠ — a well-established concept amongst farmworkers and farmers whose industry is reliant on labor-intensive harvesting.  Although influenced by downstate activists unfamiliar with the agriculture industry, the threshold of 60 hours was achieved as a compromise, despite objections from farmworkers who want as many hours as possible. Farmworkers, many of whom come from other countries to work seasonally, benefited from longer weekly hours, sufficient to make a projected income before returning home. Farmers are at risk of not being able to afford a workforce if the overtime threshold moves to 40 hours per week.

Farm Credit East recently released a report on the impact of a 40-hour overtime threshold on New York agriculture, and stated that labor costs will increase by 17% over current levels and the increase will grow by 42% when factoring in the minimum wage increase, wage benefits and required tax payments.  If this threshold is lowered to 40 hours, farms will have to reassess their entire business model and operations. This report can be found here.

“New York is home to a vibrant agriculture industry and our local communities are in place to support farmers with necessary services and programs,” said Danielle Penny Stroop, President, Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance. “A reduced overtime threshold will dramatically alter the face of agriculture in New York, including our rural communities which are very much dependent on a vibrant production sector. It would be an irrevocable loss to our communities if New York farms were forced to produce only non-labor intensive crops like corn and soybeans. We cannot let this happen.”

“It is time once again to raise our voices and stand united, farmers, farmworkers, and industry partners as an agriculture community to fight for our future viability,” said John Dickinson, Chair of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association. “Reducing the overtime threshold from 60 hours to 40 hours will further burden a struggling community unable to absorb the costs and will ultimately fall on the shoulders of farmworkers, hindering their ability to make a living and support their families. Furthermore, this will have a direct negative impact on rural economies and farms are the backbone of many communities.  The Wage Board and New York State cannot lower the overtime threshold. It will be a landmark decision many in our community will not be able to survive.”

“The truth of the matter is farms will change their operations to be less labor intensive, which means fewer locally produced products, fruits, and vegetables for New Yorkers, worse yet, some farms will cease to exist,” said Eric Ooms, New York Farm Bureau Vice-President and dairy farmer. “Across the country, our workforce availability is dwindling, and New York farms are already struggling to compete. Any more restrictions and farms that have been in families for generations could disappear. While proponents of a 40-hour work week claim to fight for the workers, farmworkers will be the ones to lose out as their hours will surely be cut or jobs could be eliminated. Keeping the overtime threshold at 60 hours is the only option for New York’s diverse agricultural community and its employees.”

Bill Peck of Welcome Stock Farm, Saratoga County, NY testified before the NYS Assembly Agriculture Committee November 16th and stated that “This threatened increase is not sustainable and if enacted through a wage board recommendation, the face of New York’s dairy industry will be forever altered.  Lowering the threshold will in fact hurt workers’ take-home pay.  Farms will be forced to limit overtime just like many other industries are already doing because the economics of farm businesses in NY cannot support overtime pay.  In some cases, jobs will be lost because of farms going out of business, downsizing their dairy herd, or changing the commodity they produce and replace human labor with technology.”

The Wage Board is expected to meet in December to consider the question: should overtime for farmworkers be lowered below 60 hours per week.    

Sustaining our Mission to Advocate, Collaborate and Educate

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA Vice-President

This past year, the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance launched the Sustaining Sponsor program.  This program was developed to give member organizations opportunities throughout the year to sponsor initiatives of NEAFA with one financial commitment. With the renewal of the program this upcoming year, we wanted to share thoughts of the members that were Diamond Sustaining Sponsors to discuss what they got from the program and why they chose to become a Diamond Sponsor.  You can find the details about the sustaining sponsorship program here.

We reached out to John Clark, Feedworks USA and Past President of NEAFA; Jeff Matuszczak, Director of Sales at Mercer Milling; and Dr. Charlie Elrod, President and CEO of Natural Biologics for a brief Q&A on the Sustaining Sponsor Program.  All three organizations were Diamond Sustaining Sponsors this past year.

1. The Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance appreciates your support in our initial Sustaining Sponsorship program. What enticed you to participate?

Clark:  “When the Sustaining Sponsorship was initiated, I was serving as President of NEAFA.  I feel strongly that ‘You cannot lead from behind.’  With that in mind, I felt it correct for Feedworks and I to support the program at the highest level and see firsthand what the benefits have been.” 

Matuszczak: “Mercer has always maintained a culture of supporting the farming enterprise by giving through key organizations in our marketplace committed to the betterment of our farming industry.”

Elrod: “Since joining NEAFA about 4 years ago, I have seen what great work the alliance does. Having a unified and well-informed voice in state capitals to advocate for ag-friendly policies; the great collaboration with PRO-Dairy and the CALS faculty in support of educational programs; and the opportunity to network with professionals from all sectors of agriculture in the Northeast are all reasons why we need to pull together and provide ongoing support for this great organization.”

1. What are the benefits that your company has received from participating in the sustaining sponsorship program this past year?

Clark: “I was pleased with the visibility and continuity of the Sponsorship. The benefits Feedworks or any company receives are showing support for agribusiness and animal agriculture. We hope our customers, present and future, recognize and appreciate that commitment. It also is respect for all involved in NEAFA and for their efforts. It’s a way to recognize Board Members, Members at large, and staff and to make sure that they are all shown respect, and to let them know that we agree with the premise of the organization and many of the activities it undertakes.”

Matuszczak: “Mercer Milling found that the ease of a single transaction that covers multiple benefits of membership and the program enticing. Mercer received logos and links from the NEAFA homepage and newsletter. In addition, Mercer received sponsor benefits at the NEAFA Annual Meeting and other events throughout the year.”

Elrod: “For Natural Biologics, the main benefit has been to help us build brand awareness. Even though we’re based here, we don’t have a strong market presence in the Northeast yet, so the visibility that comes with the Diamond level sustaining membership has been very helpful.”

1. How does the Sustaining Sponsorship program align with your company’s mission?

Clark: “The NEAFA sustaining sponsorship aligns with Feedworks values quite well. Our customers are involved either directly in animal agriculture or serving animal agriculture, and the Alliance is a member organization that supports both of those. Thus if we support the Alliance, it supports our customers and or their customers.”

Matuszczak: “The sustaining sponsorship program and NEAFA’s mission aligns with Mercer’s mission well: Providing an ongoing awareness to foster safe, efficient, economical production of food.”

Elrod: “Natural Biologics recently had a company retreat to reconsider our values and vision.  The core values we came up with are integrity, partnerships and innovation.  For us, being a sustaining member is highly aligned with that value of forming long-term partnerships that are supportive of a healthy and sustainable food system.”

1. Do you plan to participate again? What advice do you have for companies considering participating?

Clark:  “We will take a look at the package for 2022 and commit again to a Sustaining Sponsorship for NEAFA and we HIGHLY encourage others to join us. We all need each other.  Standing together happens in many ways. One of them is committing to be a Sustaining Sponsorship. It’s a great way to stand up and be counted as supporting Animal Agriculture.”

Matuszczak: “Mercer Milling is looking forward to our participation again in 2022! It is easy, simple, and flexible.”

Elrod: “Absolutely! If you consider all the great work done by NEAFA, a sustaining membership is simply an investment which helps ensure that agriculture will remain a strong and vibrant part of the economy of the Northeast for generations to come.”

Please reach out to any NEAFA board member with your questions on the Sustaining Sponsorship program for 2022 - we hope your organization considers participating!  Additional information can be found here.

A Time to Be Thankful

By Rene Lavoie, NEAFA Communications Committee

As we approach the holidays and spend time with family and friends, we also look back on the year that has passed. The Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed how we behave and interact with each other. Our isolation these past 18 months continues to remind me of our need for a human contact. 

This fall, our world began to open up again as in-person industry events took place. For me it began with the world dairy expo in Madison, Wisconsin. It was the first chance that I had to travel for business since February 2019. Although the crowd was significantly smaller than it normally is, it was hugely beneficial to my mental health, my business relationships, and my concern of how this world would move forward from the pandemic. I was able to reconnect with at least 25 suppliers that I have not seen in person for a long time. In addition, I was able to add new relationships to my business funnel. By now it was getting quite empty, and it was nice to replenish it.

After a  successful world dairy expo came the Cornell Nutrition Conference. It was fairly well attended, however they did allow for virtual attendance as well. This meant the numbers were down a bit for the in-person meetings. This was a clear indicator that people are still not completely comfortable with large gatherings. Again however, I made contact with some old friends and started a few potentially new relationships. October closed out with the Penn State Dairy Nutrition Conference at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. This conference did not allow for a virtual option. It was very well attended, and the numbers were extremely good. Although some of the connections were overlapping from previous recent meetings, The continued connection was welcome. 

Just this past week, our business had its first in-person employee gathering since Covid shut us down. The camaraderie, team building, and overall enthusiasm restate our need for human connection. As we end 2021 and move into 2022, I feel like I can honestly say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it's not the train. The world feels like it is returning to normal, or at least what the new normal is. For now, I look forward to continuing to connect with old friends and catch up on the changes we have all been through and will continue to go through. I wish everybody a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year!

November President's Pen - NYS Dairy Summit

Danielle Penney-Stroop, NEAFA President

First, allow me to wish everyone a safe, healthy, and Happy Thanksgiving! There are so many reasons to be thankful this year. I hope all of you get to experience moments of joy with friends, family, and animals alike, and moments of reflection so that we may continue to be grateful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us.

Thank you to our Board of Directors, Sue VanAmburgh, and Rick Zimmerman for the dedication and commitment to the organization this year. A huge thank you as well to our members for your continuous support and commitment to our organization. Without your involvement and support we would not be able to provide the important educational programs and opportunities to our members, or engage with our youth and future agricultural business leaders.

 I consider myself so incredibly lucky and grateful to be involved in such an amazing industry. The dairy industry has provided wonderful lifelong opportunities for my family and me. My WHY revolves around agriculture and giving back to an industry that has given me so very much. I am sure just like many of you, that you couldn't imagine your life in any other industry… even with all the trials and tribulations that we endure daily in agriculture. It’s about love and passion for our animals, our products, and the services that we provide for our neighbors, communities, and all of our consumers. 

 Speaking of love and passion for the dairy industry, on Wednesday, November 10th, approximately 85 individuals attended (in person and virtually) the NYS Dairy Summit. This unique opportunity, hosted by NEDPA (Northeast Dairy Producers Association), encompassed panel participation from producers, processors, milk haulers, advocate organizations, and elected officials. This was a first step in discussing how we collectively work towards a sustainable and profitable dairy sector in NYS. 

 NYS Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball opened the meeting, and enthusiastically expressed that agriculture in NY is critical to be successful, and directly impacts the success of our rural communities. He expressed how Covid was a lesson for NYS residents, and that it highlighted our gaps in self sufficiency. Ball also stated that we need a resilient, responsive food supply chain of all ag commodities. NY producers have access to water, great land, and farmers that know how to maximize their resources. We have an excellent land grant system that rivals the rest of the country. Commissioner Ball also mentioned that we as an industry need to offer more tours and outreach of our operations to increase future opportunities and to educate the general public. We are currently at a dangerous tipping point in public perception. We need a dairy think tank, in order to be the most environmentally sustainable state in business and make sure that consumers know it. 

 NYS Assemblywoman Donna Lapardo, Chair of the Assembly Ag Committee, stressed the importance of telling our stories, especially since the covid crisis. NYS Senator George Borrello, Ranking Member of the NY Senate Ag Committee, stated that representatives from NYC just don't understand where their food comes from. Since they are often not in tune with current practices, which leads to the creation of bad policies. By the time these laws reach the floor for debating policy, it is often too late to change minds or reverse the course of action. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo also highlighted that organized advocacy is critical. NEAFA, Farm Credit East, and NY Corn and Soybean Growers Association participated in a panel highlighting the collaborative and advocacy efforts of our organizations and impacts throughout NYS on behalf of our members and the agricultural community.

 The Dairy producer panel all expressed their concerns over labor shortages, the upcoming wage and labor board hearing, and lack of stability in the industry. Everyone is also concerned at not being invited to the table for conversations on environmental regulations and being a part of the solution, especially as it pertains to climate change, alternative milk products, and a lack of diversity in processing plants. 

 The haulers expressed some of their frustrations over the lack of qualified drivers, cost of equipment for their fleets and supply chain issues, variation in different state’s regulations combined with hauling weight variances affecting efficiencies, overall increased operating costs, long hours, and lack of respect. The average age of a driver is 57 years old, and that is signaling trouble as more young people are needed to be brought into the business, and not at age 21. It is a missed window of opportunity not getting young people after high school graduation, as they find other less restrictive fields to go into. There is a bill going to the Governor's desk shortly allowing 18–20-year-olds that go to an approved CDL licensing school to get their CDL for intrastate travel by 21. Should this pass, it will be a huge benefit to the trucking industry.

 This daylong event was so incredibly powerful and informative, and will undoubtedly serve as a building block and platform for continued discussions. There were a multitude of factors that were identified throughout the day from all sectors that have an impact on our future success in NYS. There is a renewed energy and level of engagement from all parties to ensure that the dairy industry in NY state remains viable and stable for the next generation. I assure you that NEAFA will be a key leader moving forward with our other dairy industry allies in these discussions, in order to achieve our common goal.

NEAFA Pushes for Finalization of Origin of Livestock Rule

NEAFA recently wrote US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to encourage the finalization of the Origin of Livestock Rule, which serves as guidance to the Organic Foods Production Act. “As you know, there is a vibrant organic dairy farm community, a significant part of the Northeast’s dairy industry, that has grown to serve the organic milk demand based on the rules established in the Organic Foods Production Act,” said NEAFA President Danielle Penny Stroop. “Unfortunately, the Origin of Livestock Rule remains unresolved, thus posing a significant threat to the stability of the organic dairy farming community.”

To read the letter in its entirety, click here:

www.northeastalliance.com/s/Vilsack-organic-rule-10-13-21.pdf

NEAFA’s Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellows Report on Climate Initiatives at the Cornell Nutrition Conference.

By Charles C. Elrod, NEAFA Board of Directors

At this week’s Cornell Nutrition Conference, a major theme was agriculture’s role in mitigating its contributions to climate change. Cornell is at the forefront of many large multi-institution and public-private initiatives to study mitigation strategies and to provide decision tools to help ag producers reduce their carbon footprint. Drs. Kristan Reed and Joe McFadden, the NEAFA Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellows, reported on two of the projects which they are leading.

As we have heard from Dr. Reed along the way, she is spearheading the development of The Ruminant Farm Systems Model, a.k.a. the RuFaS Model. Instead of jumping into coding the model, the interdisciplinary group developed a deliberate, methodological approach to model development. They have assembled a stakeholder advisory group which will help to guide the model and ensure that it is relevant for their needs. They have also set out a number of guiding principles, such as adaptability for changing technologies, interoperability so that, in time, it can interface with other software or models and transparency and documentation so that other scientists can continue to keep the model updated and relevant for changing needs.

RuFaS has four primary modules which represent the major nutrient cycle components of a dairy farm: animal, manure handling, crop + soil and feed storage. Using whole farm management elements, such as herd characteristics, manure handling system and cropping practices, the model is populated with macro-level data. Then, each module is populated with more specific and detailed data. When the scenarios are run, the outputs include costs of production, resource use, greenhouse gas emissions and air and water quality. Dietary, cropping or management mitigation scenarios can also be run to determine their impact on any of these outputs. These scenarios can be scaled and aggregated at the farm, local, regional or national levels to inform decision making, policy decisions and identifying research opportunities. The team is looking forward to publishing version 1 and launching a pilot testing program in 2022.

Dr. McFadden also had a “big reveal” at the conference this week in the form of an announcement that Cornell will soon be the home to four climate-controlled respiration chambers to study gas exchange and metabolism in livestock. McFadden has worked to identify funding from Cargill, Inc., The Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Animal Science to acquire four metabolism chambers and renovate the Large Animal Research and Teaching Unit (LARTU) adjacent to Morrison Hall to accommodate them. This state-of-the-art equipment, which will be unique in the nation, is the gold-standard approach to study enteric greenhouse gas emissions from domestic animals. The equipment allows the fine-tune control of temperature, humidity, and lighting, and measures feed and water intake in real-time. Additionally, the chamber system enables the measurement of oxygen consumption, which is required to better understand heat production by the animal and better define nutrient utilization and requirements for meat and milk production. McFadden is working with other Cornell researchers to develop a cross-disciplinary effort to better predict and mitigate enteric and manure greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cattle and other domestic animals. It is anticipated that the renovations and equipment installation will be completed by fall 2022. Thereafter, Cornell research will in part focus on the study of feed additives that inhibit ruminal methanogenesis, better define the effects of heat stress on milk production efficiency, and improve the predictive-capacity of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System to model for energy and protein-allowable milk in dairy cattle. The equipment acquisition and facility renovations will best position the Cornell Department of Animal Science faculty and students to lead in the discovery of approaches that reduce greenhouse gas emission by domestic animal production.

President’s Pen

NY Assemblyman Chris Tague’s held the third annual “What is Agriculture?” farm and agribusiness tour on Sept 22-23rd. It was attended by approximately 30 legislators and some of their staffers (largely from downstate).

Danielle Penney Stroop, NEAFA President

Did you know that the month of October is largely about celebrating agriculture? On October 12, we celebrated National Farmers’ Day, as this is a day that provides many of us our own livelihood in the agricultural industry. This day has been observed since the early 1800’s to give thanks to farmers, both past and present, for all their hard work in bringing food production to our homes. 

Additionally, October is National Farm to School Month. What better way to celebrate and promote our industry than educating and investing in our youth’s knowledge and experiences? Children of all ages should know the concepts of how their food is produced economically and efficiently, the benefits of healthy nutrition to their growing bodies (including consumption of dairy and beef), and the overall sustainability of our food production systems. 

The word sustainability is being utilized in all industry sectors, but has become especially important in the public perception of the agricultural industry. Sustainable agriculture is defined as a wide array of environmentally friendly farming methods that create an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources. The need for sustainable agriculture applies to all facets of our industry: fiber, food, fuel, and feed production sectors, as well as to the final processing, distribution, and consumption of agricultural products.

Farmers and ranchers have been implementing new technologies and promoting environmental efficiency and sustainability programs for many years now, largely due to the investments, innovations, and research of land grant universities. According to Farm Bureau, US milk production has increased 48%, while our per unit emissions has decreased by 26%. US beef production has increased 18%, while reducing per unit emissions by 8%. A similar story can be seen in the US pork industry, which has increased by 80% with a 20% reduction of emissions per unit. Agricultural businesses have always been focused on animal welfare, protection of wildlife, water conservation, maximizing nutrient efficiency through promotion of soil health and conservation practices, as well as the judicious use of chemical weed and pest control when needed. The general populous does not necessarily understand all of the science and terminology. We need to collectively work together on educating the public about how the agricultural industry is working towards a more sustainable future.

As we move forward, we need to invest our time and resources educating our legislators on the practices and tools that we have implemented in all of production agriculture in recent years. If we miss these educational opportunities, and we lose the momentum that the non-ag sector gains daily in determining our futures and ultimately our fate. While that seems like a dire proclamation, we cannot have the court of public opinion and legislators mandating policies that have no scientific basis binding our hands of what we hold dear and preserve through hard work, dedication, and innovation.     

I was fortunate to participate in NY Assemblyman Chris Tague’s third annual “What is Agriculture?” farm and agribusiness tour, held Sept 22-23rd. It was attended by approximately 30 legislators and some of their staffers (largely from downstate). The tour visited eleven agribusinesses from various production ag sectors, including forestry, breweries, nurseries, and some livestock operations. It was an opportunity to engage with owners and operators, to hear their stories and highlight their daily challenges.   The event was filled with many questions and engaging dialogues on subjects that many of us in the agricultural industry tend to take for granted from our experiences and knowledge in the field. And I dare say to some extent that we are privileged, those of us vested in agriculture; we have a unique perspective and commonality regardless of the industry sector we focus on. Our approaches and products may be different, but our goals, values, and ethics are largely similar and understood by one another.      

The consistent messaging to this group of legislators was re-enforced at each stop: don’t tie our hands with environmental policies and constraints that are impossible to achieve because it sounds like a great idea and makes you feel good, but have not been vetted by scientists or experts in the field. There is a huge labor issue and shortage currently along with supply chain issues. No one is getting rich from farming. For most of us it is a labor of love or family legacy that we cannot lose.    

If at any time you are given the opportunity to engage with legislators on your operation, I encourage you to share your story; most of them are open and want to learn. NEAFA collaborates with many organizations (NEDPA, Farm Bureau, NYAAC, Corn and Soy Bean Growers) throughout the Northeast, and we can assist you in planning an event or engaging with your local politicians and community.    

As an industry, it is imperative that we continue to focus on environmental sustainability initiatives by educating ourselves and exploring carbon markets, renewable energy, or other potential technologies. We need to demonstrate that our Northeast agricultural industries are making sustainable decisions to reduce our environmental footprints without losing our identity, economic security, or viability.   

As the world continues to address climate change and focus on environmental sustainability, we need to support land grant universities and the research they are doing. Together we can collaborate, educate, and advocate for environmental policies that are research driven and proven effective in the field. Our annual meeting had phenomenal presentations and panel discussions regarding climate change and the effect on animal agriculture, some of which can be found on the NEAFA website. The annual Cornell Nutrition Conference was held this month, and devoted a large portion of their program to sharing their latest innovations and research for sustainable agriculture and mitigating climate change. Many of the papers and articles are available to read, and offer greater insight and opportunity for education or clarification on the subjects that are near and dear to our hearts. I encourage all of you to reach out for their papers and worthwhile presentations.

Animal Ag and Climate Change: Are They Compatible?

The Panel Discussion on Climate Change during the 2021 NEAFA Annual Meeting and Forum

By Rick Zimmerman, NEAFA Executive Director

Climate change and animal agriculture’s potential role to address it was a popular topic at the 2021 NEAFA Annual Meeting and Forum. Held at the Turning Stone Resort and Golf Club, this was the first face to face meeting for NEAFA members in a year and a half. The session proved to provide an important opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing animal agriculture in the context of climate change. Moderated by Cornell professors Tom Overton and Larry Chase, panelist members Mike Van Amburgh, Ph.D., Jamie Jonker, Ph.D. and Curt Gooch P.E., addressed the various aspects of climate change policy that could impact U.S. animal agriculture. The panel also took on the task of looking forward to potential outcomes and opportunities for the industry from climate change initiatives.

Jonker and Gooch both delivered strong arguments supporting the important role that the dairy industry can play in reducing methane emissions and providing a carbon sink for the agriculture industry. Specifically, through the leadership provided by the National Milk Producers’ Net Zero Initiative, the dairy industry can be an “environmental solution” by becoming carbon neutral or better. The dairy industry can potentially remove more carbon from the atmosphere that what it contributes with currently available technology. Jonker observed globally that the sustainability landscape continues to intensify through public policy commitments by countries and states, as well as through dairy customer expectations and dairy company leaders competing in the marketplace. Furthermore, investors are looking to decarbonize their portfolios, thereby influencing long term industry decisions.

Curt Gooch complimented Jamie Jonker’s argument with specific data driven evidence that dairy farmers can significantly contribute to net carbon reduction primarily through biofuel’s role in a renewable fuel portfolio. “On farm anaerobic digesters are a key to linking agriculture, the community, and the industry towards a sustainable future,” stated Gooch. “Renewable natural gas (RNG) and electricity can be significant renewable fuels and destroy methane at the same time.” Gooch further stated that farm-based anaerobic digestion not only contributes to renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction, but also benefits dairy farmers and their community with odor control, pathogen reduction, water quality protection, and fertilizer for crops.

Mike Van Amburgh focused on the enteric emissions side of the cow. He is optimistic towards feed rations that could significantly reduce methane emitted through belching, a significant component of the dairy industry’s contribution to greenhouse gases. Enteric methane can contribute to more than 50% of a dairy farm’s total GHG emissions, according to a sustainable dairy fact sheet from the University of Wisconsin. “Finding the diet solution to reducing enteric emissions is a noble cause,” stated Van Amburgh. “However, unless public policy establishes an economic incentive for dairy farmers to invest in feed additives that reduce emissions, there is little economic justification for changing the diet, and significant potential risk from unintended consequences from the diet change. Farmers do not want to negatively impact milk production or cow health as a result of pursuing enteric emissions reduction.” Van Amburgh further indicated that additional feeding trials are needed to get a better grasp on the impacts from feed additives that promote enteric emissions reductions.

The policy debate on climate change will continue at the federal and state government levels. The agriculture industry needs to be at the table for these conversations with good science-based proposals that contribute to the solution and maximizes agriculture’s opportunities at the same time.

Grow NY Farms: Ag Coalition Focused on Overtime Threshold

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA Vice President

As part of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance’s efforts to collaborate and advocate for agriculture, NEAFA is a coalition member of Grow NY Farms.

The Grow NY Farms coalition was formed to represent the agricultural community specifically with regard to farm labor issues.   The organization is committed to demonstrating how New York’s farm community has direct impact on urban, suburban and rural consumers and the economy of the state.  Currently, the question of the overtime threshold is front and center because a farm labor wage board is charged with making a recommendation as to when time and a half wages should kick in.  The current 60 hours per week threshold could be lowered to 40 based on the wage board’s recommendation.  A campaign, funded by a broad cross section of the agriculture community, is underway to convince the wage board that the right number for farmworker overtime in New York is 60.  Anything less than 60 will force dramatic changes to New York agriculture.  

As many of us in agriculture are asked about the impact that rising labor costs on dairy farms (and subsequentially the entire ag economy), a new white paper addressing labor cost, efficiency and change was just released as a Cornell Pro-Dairy bulletin, authored by Jason Karszes and Christopher Wolf of the Dyson School of Applied Economics at Cornell University.

A link to the paper can be found by clicking here.  (website: E.B. 2021-05 Hired Labor on New York Dairy Farms Final.pdf (cornell.edu))

The paper details trends from farms that have participated in the Dairy Farm Business Summary (DFBS) program over the past ten years.  The main findings of the paper are as follows:

• As farm size increased from 2010 to 2020, dairy farms have utilized more hired labor. Hired labor provides over 85% of all labor on larger dairy farms in New York. As farm size grew and farms utilized more hired labor over this period, total payroll costs also increased.

  • This change was driven not only by the increase in the amount of hired labor, but also by the rising costs of the hired labor.

• The change in the hourly cost of hired labor varied from year to year. However, the rate of change has increased over the last five years, with the highest jump in the hourly cost of hired labor occurring from 2019 to 2020.

• While labor costs have been increasing as measured by total payroll and cost per hired labor hour, cost per hundredweight of milk has also risen, unfortunately at a slower rate.

• Dairy farms have offset some of the increase in cost per hired labor hour by improvements in labor efficiency.

  • Without these increases in labor efficiency, increasing costs associated with hired labor would have had a much larger negative impact on earnings.

  • While improvements in labor efficiency have partially offset the increase in hired labor cost per hour and resulted in a lower increase in cost per hundredweight of milk sold, any costs associated with achieving the improvements in labor efficiency are not captured or analyzed within the report. A subset of farms that participated in the DFBS had a capital investment per cow increase of 46.8% from 2019 to 2020.

  • Many different areas may impact labor efficiency on a dairy farm, such as farm size, growth of farm, technology, automation, improved training & retention of employees, utilization of custom services, etc. The costs associated with the improvement however may offset any cost saving due to improvements in labor efficiency, and may lead to decreases in farm earnings.

As our industry continues to educate key stakeholders on the impacts of mandatory overtime changes that are being considered, Grow NY Farms will continue to be at the forefront, hosting events to educate and advocate for our entire agriculture community – farm workers, managers, owners and suppliers.  Check out their website for more information: grownyfarms.com

Carie Telgen: Common Ground

AABP President Dr. Carie Telgen, DVM Speaks at the 2021 NEAFA Annual Meeting

NEAFA’ August 31st Annual Meeting and Forum featured a number of topics and speakers focused on the theme: Resiliency. In this light, NEAFA was happy to welcome Dr. Carie Telgen, DVM, the President of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) to speak about the common ground shared by the two organizations.

“It was an honor to be able to share how the AABP and the members of the NEAFA have much in common,” said Telgen. “As organizations that are driven and sustained by agriculture and the clients we serve, we need to continue to collaborate and use our mutual resources to ensure the success, viability and resiliency of agriculture in the Northeast as well as in the country as a whole.“

During Telgen’s talk, she described some of the history of AABP, which was formed in 1965 as a 501c6, and currently has a membership of more than 5,000 cattle veterinarians and students, throughout the world. According to Telgen, their mission is to “provide relevant continuing education to our members, advocate and be the voice of the bovine veterinarian, and to support the AABP Foundation which administers scholarship, education/extern grants, and clinically relevant research.” AABP’s 54th Annual Conference will be taking place October 7-9 in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the theme “Science with Practice.”

Telgen also presented some of the demographic and statistics about the organization’s various newsletters, podcasts, publications, guidelines, and membership numbers and gender demographics for example. She continued with some of the current challenges that the organization and its members are facing, which include veterinarian shortages in 221 areas throughout the US, causes behind mental health problems, suicide, and burnout, and some of the ramifications of recent legislation in Colorado, Oregon, NY and in the European Union.

NEAFA Joins NY Ag Community with Concerns over Announced Wage Hike

NEAFA recently joined with other agricultural organizations to urge NY Gov. Kathy Hochul to consider the minimum wage impact on NY Farms and Agribusinesses. Earlier this week the Department of Labor announced a seventy cent per hour minimum wage increase for upstate employers. To read the letter, click here.

NEAFA Bestows 2021 Awards to Richard and Steven Lutz, Bill Magee, and Larry Chase

NEAFA was proud to present longtime agricultural industry leaders Richard and Steven Lutz with their Distinguished Service Award (DSA) during the 2021 NEAFA Annual Meeting, held August 30th to September 1st in Verona, NY. The DSA is the highest accolade that the organization can give to recognize not only someone’s service to NEAFA, but to the entire agricultural industry throughout their career. Also recognized with the award posthumously was NY Assemblyman Bill Magee. In addition, Professor Larry Chase received special recognition for his work on two white papers on how the feed industry is addressing nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the feed stream.

Lutz Feed Company was founded in 1958 in Roxbury, NY by Richard and Marjorie Lutz. Their son Steven joined the business and helped build and operate their current Oneonta, NY feed and grain facility. More recently the third family generation (Blake) has joined the business and Blake has assumed most of the management responsibilities. The Lutz family have given much of their lives to the agricultural industry, their customers, and fellow feed dealers. It is our honor to recognize the hard work and dedication to growing the market for feed in New York and beyond.

“It was an absolute pleasure & honor to recognize the Lutz family & their legacy, for years of service to the feed manufacturing & livestock industry,” said NEAFA President Danielle Penney-Stroop. “The Lutz’s embody hard work, determination, ingenuity, while remaining steadfast and committed to their customers, from the backyard chicken and goats to our progressive dairy operations throughout NYS.   The Lutz family has a strong passion, core, and code of ethics that anyone can recognize after spending just a short time conversing with them; however what is more telling is how their competitors speak so highly of them & the respect they have earned in the industry.   I look forward to what lies ahead for this paramount feed manufacturer and the role they will play in maintaining a sustainable agribusiness in central NY.”

Former NYS Assembly Man Bill Magee served his constituents in Madison, Otsego, and Oneida counties for nearly 30 years, representing them in the state assembly from 1990 to 2018. As the chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee, he always made sure to highlight the issues that New York’s agricultural industry faced, fighting to promote causes that would aid New York farmers in their work. Growing up in Madison County, Magee worked on his family’s dairy farm before beginning his pursuit of politics to help his fellow farmers and agribusiness owners. ““ Bill Magee’s personal and professional careers were always focused on serving and assisting the agriculture community”, Said Jenny Mills, NEAFA Vice President and former Magee staff intern. “Bill was particularly partial to the dairy industry which is a significant part of his former legislative district.” Magee passed away on Christmas Eve in 2020. NEAFA is humbled to present this posthumous honor to Magee after his lifelong effort to promote agriculture in New York.

Professor Emeritus Dr. Larry Chase received surprise recognition for going above and beyond the cause for his recent work to highlight the good news of how the feed industry has significantly contributed to reducing excess nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from dairy farms throughout the Northeast. “The Northeast feed industry has been a great partner over the years in implementing new technologies and new ration formulation advances on dairy farms to improve sustainability and profitability”, said Chase. “At universities, we can develop new concepts, but the cooperation of the feed industry is critical to moving these into application on dairy farms. I have always found the Northeast feed industry to be receptive to utilizing and embracing new concepts. Personally, I highly value many personal relationships and interactions with feed industry personnel. They are a great group of individuals committed to the success of the customers.”

Congratulations to all awards recipients!

NEAFA Is Run By Those Who Show Up

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

President, Natural Biologics, Inc.

Board Member, Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance

At the NEAFA Board of Directors’ and strategic planning meeting this summer, the five new board members were asked which (additional) committees they wanted to serve on. We also reviewed the results of the SWOT analysis which was sent to all NEAFA members back in May. Sadly, only 22 members took the time to respond to the SWOT analysis, the vast majority of those responding were current or former board members. The implication is that a very small minority of the NEAFA membership are setting the direction for everyone. The SWOT analysis respondents provided the data which informed those same people in their creation of a new strategic plan for NEAFA. Our organization would certainly benefit from more diverse input into the future of that same organization

Soon thereafter, we had a discussion of NEAFA member engagement, partly as a result of the low SWOT analysis participation. It struck me that one way to encourage better engagement could be to get more members involved in the various committees. I’m sure that at least one of the eight committees touches on a topic which impacts your business (Transportation, for instance) or is near and dear to your heart (Good Works) or does work which is vital for your workforce (Education). As a committee member, you can influence the objectives and direction of the committee and make sure that new ideas, knowledge and experience are represented.

Most of the committees have a conference call about once a quarter, so it’s not a huge time commitment. Importantly, the work done by the committees not only provides direction for the Board of Directors, but it is also the place where the work of NEAFA gets done. In order to have the most active, inclusive and relevant agribusiness organization in the Northeast, we need your participation! It’s easy to do, just email Sue VanAmburgh, sue@nysta.mobi and let her know which committee you’d like to work on. The committee chair will then follow up with you. Those committees are:

Agronomy Committee: The mission of this relatively new committee is to “produce, guide and disseminate information, on technologies, programs and research that will contribute to an economically, socially and environmentally viable industry for our members policy makers and the greater agricultural community”. The committee has focused on the development of the Phosphorus and Nitrogen White Papers, drafted by Larry Chase and Kristen Reed, in addition to providing a discussion platform for Dr. Reed’s RuFaS modeling project (Ruminant Farm Systems Model)

Bylaws Committee: This committee does the thoughtful work of assuring that our bylaws keep up with our ever growing and evolving organization. This is a great committee for those who like to think about big picture challenges and opportunities.

Communications: Provides guidance on the organization’s various communications strategies, programs and projects.


Conventions: Helps to plan for the NEAFA Annual Meeting and the Annual Golf for Good Works Tournament
.

Education: Guides the organization in serving our industry’s educational needs; plans the agenda for the annual Herd Health and Nutrition Conference
.

Finance: Reviews the Alliance’s financial information and helps to create the annual budget
.

Good Works: Has authority to make donations to worthy programs and causes that fit within the parameters of our Good Works Program.  (Proceeds from the annual golf tournament fund this program.)


Governmental Relations: Guides the organization on the public policy front; establishes the annual legislative priority list for Board approval; assists in advocating for issues impacting our industry.


Membership: Assists in membership growth and development of membership priorities.


Transportation: Provides guidance regarding the many transportation related issues impacting the industry.  Issues related to trucks and trains tend to be most prevalent.