2024 State of the Dairy Industry in The Northeast

By Drew Frommelt, Special to NEAFA

Milk Production in The Northeast

According to the USDA, milk production in the Northeast states of Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont experienced modest gains in 2023 when compared to 2022. Year to date through November 2023, milk production increased 1.3 percent in the Northeast from the year prior, while the U.S. saw an increase of 0.26 percent. Milk production increases stagnated across the U.S. in the second half of 2023 due to decreases in the total U.S. herd size, which was down 26,000 cows from 2022. However, 17,000 cows were sadly lost in fire on a dairy farm in Texas, which inflates the 26,000-cow statistic, thus without this single event, the change in U.S. milking cows is minimal. Milk per cow had only a marginal increase in 2023, up 0.12 percent from 2022 or 28 pounds per cow per year in 2023. The decrease in the U.S. herd size could be due to higher beef prices in 2023. The stagnation in the growth for milk per cow is likely due to temperature increases and droughts across the country in the second half of 2023. While total production stagnated in 2023, milk components underwent a notable increase. USDA data shows that as of November 2023 the average butterfat percentage increased .8 percent and the average protein percentage increased .2 percent, these positive trends would be welcomed to continue in 2024.  

Milk production in the Northeast is expected to grow at modest levels during 2024. New dairy manufacturing plants are expected to come online in many areas across the U.S., including in the Northeast in the latter half’s of 2024 and 2025. This increase in demand will likely be met with growing milk production if margins allow for it and replacements are available to expand. 

Market Conditions and Prices

On-farm profitability and capital investments were down in 2023, per the USDA. Within Federal Milk Marketing Order 1, the average blend price for Suffolk County in 2023 was $20.01 per hundredweight, while the average blend price in 2022 was $24.96 per hundredweight. Class I prices averaged $22.43 per hundredweight in Federal Order 1 during 2023, as compared to an average price of $26.87 per hundredweight in 2022. Per CME Group Data, Feed ration prices were elevated for the first half of 2023. Feed ration prices started trending down in May 2023, but remained above the $10 per hundredweight mark for most of the year. On-farm investments were also likely hindered by increases in interest rates during 2023, in fact, data from the Federal Reserve showed interest rates reaching their highest levels since 2007. Further, USDA data shows milk-feed margins were at their lowest levels since 2012, break-even levels were not met until August.

The economic outlook for 2024 is optimistic. Blend prices are forecasted to be somewhat flat from 2023 in Federal Order 1 for most months in 2024 with an estimated average of $20.41 per hundredweight. Current projections show Class III prices to be lower in the first half of 2024 compared to the second half. Class III prices in the second half of 2024 could rise due to global cheese prices trading at a premium compared to domestic cheese, indicating an opportunity for U.S. cheese manufacturers to increase cheese exports, which could have a positive impact on Class III prices. Feed ration prices are forecasted to hover between $9.10 and $9.60 per hundredweight in 2024. Milk-feed margins are expected to be above break-even levels for all of 2024, this is an indication that dairy farmers could have relatively cheaper production costs in 2024. Finally, interest rates are expected to keep slowly deflating during 2024. These factors could lead to with increases in profitability and more investments in capital projects for farms in the Northeast in 2024.

NEAFA Member Profile: NOVUS International, Inc.

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

For January, NEAFA sat down with Alexi Pierce and Danielle Penney-Stroop (past NEAFA President) from NOVUS International, Inc.  “I’ve been at NOVUS for five years,” said Pierce. “I work on the global marketing and communications team supporting strategic planning for dairy globally but working with the regional teams in North America and Europe. NOVUS is based out of St. Louis, Missouri. 

For many at NEAFA, Penney-Stroop has been  a well-known name due to her service on the board of directors and as a past president of NEAFA. “I have been with NOVUS for eight and a half years,” said Penney-Stroop. “I am the East Executive Ruminant Manager. I work with the NOVUS teams from Eastern Canada and in the US from the Dakotas East. I was drawn to NOVUS for two primary reasons: their scientific product portfolio and the C.O.W.S.® Program. I was drawn to the fact that NOVUS strives to be part of the community through collaborating and educating nutritionists and producers to become more viable and economically sustainable for many years to come.”

It’s an important time at NOVUS according to Pierce. “NOVUS is celebrating 40 years of amino acid nutrition,” said Pierce. “That’s where our roots started in the poultry, swine, and dairy industries. Even after 40 years of research, we continue to work at learning more and finding more answers to solve producer challenges. We’re also celebrating 30 years of trace mineral nutrition. Those are the pillars of NOVUS. We’re also continuing to grow in other markets besides the US. In this past year, we expanded into the European Union and India, with Australia coming this year. We see a bright future for the dairy industry; we see a lot of possibilities. It’s exciting to see that even with all of the challenges that we face in the dairy industry, there’s the opportunity to work together globally to see a better future for the industry. NOVUS  is investing in that future throughout the world.”

When asking Pierce what she appreciates the most about NOVUS she says, “The first thing is that they’re a science based company. A lot of companies say that, but I get to see every day NOVUS’ dedication to sound, accurate data, and a desire from the company to be part of bettering the industry through that research. They regularly publish in the Journal of Animal Science, the Journal of Dairy Science, and other publications around the world. That helps the industry move forward into a new era of nutrition.”

For NOVUS, NEAFA is an important organization to be a part of. “NOVUS has been extremely generous in supporting NEAFA, not only from a membership and sponsorship standpoint, but also recognizing the value of allowing me to serve on our board as a director, Vice President, President, and now Past President,” said Penney-Stroop. “Our company values coincide and compliment NEAFA’s 3 pillars of Advocacy, Collaboration, and Education. NOVUS prides themselves on being advocates for intelligent nutrition, providing solutions that our producers need instead of just treating problems. They recognize the importance that NEAFA has on the legislative front, advocating for our producers and industry as a whole.”

To learn more about NOVUS,, visit their website at  https://www.novusint.com/ 

Navigating the New Frontier - Hope to See You in Albany February 6-7!

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

If you haven’t had a chance to make your reservations for the NEAFA Annual meeting, we encourage you to do so!  The link for reservations is here: https://www.memberplanet.com/s/neafa/23sum-amreg_1

As we navigate a new legislative session in Albany, Tuesday February 6 will kick off with our annual Lobby Day at the Legislative office building at 9:00am to advocate for funding various ag programs.  Hinman Straub has secured us some great meetings with key legislators!

Our annual meeting kickoff will start at the Marriott on Wolf Rd immediately following Lobby Day.  We are thrilled to have Tonya Van Slyke, Executive Director of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association moderate a panel discussion to follow up from our transportation summit last year.   Panelists include Joe Painting from Vermont Rail System; Keith Kimball, dairy producer who transports milk (Keith is also Chairman of the NEDPA board); Kendra Hems from NYS Trucking Association and representatives from NY Ag and Markets.  We will discuss progress and opportunities moving forward in the transportation sector.

We are also excited to have Nichole Price from the Bigelow Institute give an update on navigating algae as livestock feed from a coast, cow and consumer perspective.

Tuesday evening will feature our reception. Join us for drinks and appetizers as we network with fellow members, speakers and guests from LEAD NY.  Dinner will be on your own, we can help make recommendations!

Wednesday February 7 our annual meeting continues.  After a continental breakfast, our business meeting will take place.  We are excited to welcome back the NY FFA Leadership team to open our meeting ceremony.  Trent Loos will be our emcee as well as our keynote speaker at lunch.  An amazing speaker bridging the gap between rural and urban America, get a sneak peek of Trent at his website: www.loostales.com

In addition to the business meeting, don’t miss out on the following topics on Wednesday morning:

•  Discussing dairy markets will be Mike North from Ever.Ag

• Dr. Kristan Reed and Dr. Joe McFadden will provide research updates from their programs at Cornell.  Both Kristan and Joe are Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance Faculty Fellows.

• Legislative updates from Hinman Straub (NY) and Vermont Dairy Producers (VT)

• Constance Cullman will provide an update from AFIA - there are many policy and regulation happenings with our feed industry at the federal and regional levels.

The final part of our Annual Meeting is the Awards Luncheon.  In addition to Trent Loos giving the keynote talk, we take this time to honor those who have served NEAFA with the Distinguished Service Award and recognize retiring board members.

On behalf of NEAFA, I hope we see you at our Annual Meeting February 6 and 7 in Albany!!!

NY Executive Budget Released

By Hinman-Straub

Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her FY 2024-25 Executive Budget address on Tuesday, January 16, in the “Red Room” at the State Capitol in Albany.  Her Executive Budget proposal totals $233 billion, a $6 billion increase (4.5%) over FY 2023-24.  She reiterated her recent pledge not to raise taxes this year, while at the same time stating her intent to use increased revenues (identified in recent months) to not only close gaps but increase reserves. 

Tax receipts have increased in recent months, resulting in a General Fund surplus of approximately $2.2 billion. $1.7 billion will be used in FY 2024-25 to reduce the $4.3 billion current year budget gap, and $500 million set aside for costs related to assisting asylum seekers.  The budget plan includes several actions to reduce out-year budget gaps to $5 billion in FY 2026, $5.2 billion in FY 2027, and $9.9 billion in FY 2028.  

The Governor’s budget proposal includes initiatives unveiled in her State of the State address on January 9. In her remarks announcing her Executive Budget proposal, she stated her priorities as being initiatives in fighting crime, mental health, children and families, housing, healthcare, economic competitiveness, infrastructure, climate change, education, and migrants.

Highlights of the 2025 Executive budget proposal most directly related to NEAFA include:

Farm Labor Specialist

The Executive Budget proposal includes $702,000 for the farm labor specialist program, an increase of $301,000 over the SFY 24 Enacted Budget.

Dairy Farm Modernization Grants

The Executive Budget proposal includes a new $24 million in capital appropriation to implement the dairy farm good and growth fund to allow for increased investment in on-farm milk storage capacity and improve in efficiencies in milk transfer systems and cooling technologies. 

NY Farm Viability Institute

The Executive Budget proposal includes $1 million for this program. 

New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network (OHCN) and New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH)

The Executive Budget proposal includes $9,560,000 for this program. 

On-Farm Health

The Executive Budget proposal includes $1.25 million for the on-farm health and safety program administered by Mary Imogene Basset hospital. This is a $1 million increase over last year’s enacted budget. 

PRO-DAIRY 

Core Program: The Executive Budget proposal includes $1,213,000 to support the Pro-Dairy core program. 

Dairy Profit Teams: The Executive Budget proposal includes $374,000 for the Dairy Profit Teams. 

Dairy Advancement Program: The Executive Budget proposal includes $700,000 for the Dairy Advancement Program. 

NY FarmNet

The Executive Budget proposal includes $1.4 million for NY FarmNet. 

Agricultural Education and Outreach Programs

The Executive Budget proposal includes $2 million for existing agricultural education and outreach programs. These funds support the following programs: 

• $1 million for Future Farmers of America 

• $500,000 for Agriculture in the Classroom 

• $500,000 for Agricultural Educators

This proposal would also include a new allocation of $250,000 to support the inaugural agricultural youth leadership conference. 

Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control

 The Executive Budget Proposal would include $19 million for this program. This represents a $500,000 reduction from the SFY 2024 Enacted Budget. 

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Within Cornell University Integrated Pest Management program, the Executive Budget proposal includes a new proposed $2.25 million allocation to support this work, including support for farmers for adopting integrated pest management practices and field trials.  

Within the agricultural nonpoint solution control allocation, $2 million is provided for integrated pest management in the Executive Budget proposal. Additionally, the Executive Budget proposal makes $1 million available through community nonpoint pollution control for community integrated pest management. 

Agribusiness Child Development

The Executive Budget proposal includes $10.3 million in funding and $3.2 million in Capital for the Agribusiness child development program. 

Farm to School Initiatives

The Executive Budget proposal would include $1,508,000 to the Department of Agriculture and Markets to support development of farm to school initiatives, which maintains the Legislative add included in last year’s enacted budget.  

The Executive Budget proposal would include $10 million to support an increase for reimbursement for school lunches from $0.06 per meal to $0.25 per meal for any school districts that purchase at least 30% of its food from New York farmers and growers. 

Reflecting on NEAFA, the Treasurer’s Perspective

By Barry Baetz, Exiting NEAFA Treasurer

As my final term as a board member for NEAFA comes to a close, I thought it may be beneficial for members to hear what has been done with the stewardship of the funds that NEAFA is entrusted with, and how we’re positioned for the future.

When I became a member of the board 15 years ago, our organization didn’t have term limits. Those were put into place more recently. I’m one of the last board members that were on the board prior to terms. I’ve been the treasurer for approximately 8 years. I took over the position mid-term due to the movement of the prior treasurer into the executive board. A new treasurer will be appointed by the board during the annual meeting happening in just a few days.

It’s important to look back at the strength of the organization from a financial standpoint as we have a changing of the guard. Over the years, we have been a conservative steward of extra funds, but at the same time we have also been trying to have conservative growth in mutual funds as well to make the best use of the members money. This approach has done well, and provides for funding when and if it is needed. For members interested in the specifics of the finances, they can receive updates at the annual meeting, or they can reach out to the current treasurer of the alliance through Sue Van Amburgh. 

Our operation of the organization is self sustained; we budget membership dues each year to be self-sustaining of both the operation and activities of the board and of the organization at large. Most of the funds that NEAFA manages are actually from historical activities from before the two previous organizations came together to form NEAFA. These funds currently act as a rainy day fund.

The strength of the organization isn’t just because of a nest egg however. We’re active throughout the industry through lobbying and education. When there is an industry need or a specific project, there are funds available for special projects beyond the normal operating budget. 

Throughout agriculture and agribusiness, we have seen consolidation in the past several decades. Throughout this period however, the value of the organization has continued to shine, with a membership pool that remains remarkably steady. That maintenance of membership has been able to allow us to operate in a self-sustaining manner without going into the savings. This is due in part to the strength of the three pillars of our organization; education, advocacy, collaboration. Through our operations we’re able to support advocacy issues as they arise for Northeast agriculture as a whole. 

Looking to the future, I believe that the next step for NEAFA is to increase and strengthen industry collaboration with other industry organizations. I look to NEAFA to be the foundation that brings Northeast agricultural organizations together. We are all aligned towards the same goal of strengthening agriculture.

Being in the treasurer’s role has been very gratifying. Having the opportunity to serve as the treasurer and gatekeeper for the funds of the alliance members, I’ve been proud of that responsibility. As NEAFA moves forward, I look forward to seeing new members seated to the board. It allows for new ideas and new directions, which is important in the ever changing landscape that we are seeing every year. I’m sure that the new treasurer will be as diligent of a gatekeeper as I was for our members’ funds, and I look forward to seeing where the organization continues to go in the future.

NEAFA Member Profile: Vetagro

For December, NEAFA caught up with Steven E. Smith, the East Coast Technical Sales Manager for Vetagro. “I’m part of the United States Ruminant Team for Vetagro,” said Smith. “While I generally work out of the Northeast US, I am a member of the ruminant team that supports the US as well as global business.”

Based out of Reggio Emilia, Italy, Vetagro began working with feed additives for animals in 1982. “We’re an industry leader in micro-encapsulation,” said Smith. “As a company, we’ve been researched based since day one, and we’re currently in the second generation of being led by top researchers. Our slogan is that we are like no one else, because we understand nutrients and what you need to do to insure their bioavailability for animals. We’re on the cutting edge of creating products that excel in the delivery of important compounds for lower gut health and toxin load management during key transitional periods of animal’s life; that includes poultry, aquatics, swine, and ruminants.”

Agriculture is a lifelong passion for Smith, who received an associate degree in Dairy Herd Management from SUNY Cobleskill, and a bachelor’s in Animal Science, as well as a master’s in Agricultural Education from SUNY Oswego. “I was fortunate to be born on a dairy farm,” said Smith. “I started developing my skills and appreciation for the dairy cow as soon as I could help my parents on our farm. I developed a passion for dairy cattle early in life. From a science perspective, it’s an exciting time to work in the dairy field. Nutrition has advanced and made great strides in the past 15 years. We are coupling the advancements in understanding of ruminant nutrition with technological advancements in herd management and biometric application to achieve amazing productivity in the dairy cattle of today. There’s an emphasis of nutrient and dairy ration balancing, coupled with dairy record analysis to achieve the goals of production and environmental sustainability. Assisting with the inclusion of our rumen bypass products that deliver key nutrients in dairy cattle diets is where I focus my role at Vetagro.”

Working in the Northeast, Smith quickly saw value in Vetagro’s membership in NEAFA. “I recognized the value in NEAFA early on, as an agribusiness person,” said Smith “They provide opportunities to learn from my peers and maintain a strong network. It’s great to participate in committee work, lobbying, education, etc. There is strength in numbers and having agricultural voices heard by legislators. Vetagro appreciates NEAFA because our emphasis is also on education, collaboration and representation to support all agriculture. It’s important to us to work with our state and federal legislatures, and that our universities are staffed by the best educators and to help educate farm managers looking to do the best in their job.”

Going into the new year, Smith believes that looking forward is necessary for the industry to continue to grow. “It’s easy to look back at the past and say that those were the good old days without thinking about the challenges that were in place then,” said Smith. “When we reflect on the past, we need to model ourself after the efforts that past leaders took to look for opportunities to grow and innovate, to collaborate and learn. I believe that we’ll get the yield and sustainability that we’re looking for in the dairy industry. We can do both.”

Smith believes that one of the reasons that the dairy industry can meet those goals is because of the animals themselves. “We work with the dairy cow, which I think is the most complimentary animal for upcycling byproducts and coproducts,” said Smith. “They continue to respond to dietary precision as technology advances.There’s a wide range of things we can do with them. They’ve very adaptive for milk, meat, and byproducts. What may be even more important is that ruminants host microbes that can do enzyme work that we are not producing to scale with plant based systems. Examples of this are found in recent research with mammalian milk, identifying more than 400 fatty acids and an amino acid profile that is very supportive of human muscle accretion and repair.  As research reveals the actual amino and fatty acid profies of foods produced in animal agriculture systems, we begin to see that the mechanism to create certain biological compounds may be exclusive to animal biology. At Vetagro, we make solutions that provide animals with the resources that they need to do that, and we’re excited to continue to innovate into the future.”

For more information, visit Vetagro’s US based website at us.vetagro.com.

December 2023 Legislative Update: Treated Seed (Neonicotinoid) Bill Delivered to the Governor

On Tuesday December 12th, Senate bill S1856a (Hoylman-Sigal)/A7640 (Glick), which would  ban the use of certain neonicotinoid treated seeds was delivered to the Governor for her final approval or veto. 

In the time that has elapsed since delivery, both proponents and opponents of the legislation have engaged in significant outreach to the Executive pushing for their preferred outcome. There has been a significant uptick in media coverage on this issue. 

The NEAFA partnered with other advocates to send another veto request to the Governor. That letter can be viewed by clicking here.

There is still time left – members who wish to weigh in directly on this bill can utilize a link provided by our partners at the Farm Bureau, located here: https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/NewYorkFB/Campaigns/103317/Respond. 

The Governor has until this Saturday, December 23rd to take final action on this legislation. An update will be shared with the membership when final action is taken. 

Secretary's Pen: A Parting Note from Corwin Holtz

Corwin Holtz, Exiting NEAFA Secretary

It is hard to believe that ten years have passed since I was contacted by Peter Karnezos about my possible interest in being a member of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance Board of Directors.  I was standing in a freestall barn somewhere in Germany when I answered the call.  One of my first questions to Peter was “what is NEAFA”?  I truly had no idea what role this organization played in Northeast agriculture but was curious to learn more.  Following more conversations with Peter and others associated with NEAFA I agreed to be considered for a board seat.  After ten years I can’t express enough my gratitude to be a member of this great organization. 

The changes and growth in NEAFA that I have witnessed over these ten years is both extraordinary and exciting.  As with any industry, change is inevitable, and we have certainly seen and continue to see this in agriculture and our members that NEAFA board listens to and advocates for.  One of these continuing changes is that of company consolidation.  I have often made the comment that I need to read Feedstuffs regularly to find out who bought who and who changed companies as an employee.  This consolidation has presented challenges for NEAFA and other agriculture advocacy groups as we shrink in numbers but still have ever-present issues that face us.  Who would have thought ten years ago that topics impacting Northeast agriculture would be things such as climate change, transportation and labor regulations being forefront for our members and the producers they serve.    

Your NEAFA board is dedicated to our three organizational pillars of Advocacy, Collaboration and Education.  

ADVOCACY – we must have a voice in Northeast statehouses to ensure that the challenges we face are conveyed to political decision makers so that rules and regulations are not onerous and punitive to our members and the producers they service.  As I noted above, we need to have our pulse on what the new political challenges are and how we best address them.  The Board’s decision in late 2022 to employee the resources of Himan Straub for our lobbying activities has exceeded all expectations that we had.  They continue to be an invaluable resource for us.  Our most recent venture has been our very close involvement with the Vermont Dairy Producers Association.  This venture expands our political reach to a significant portion of our membership.

COLLABORATION – as consolidation in our industry continues and our numbers shrink, we know that we must collaborate with other organizations that share common challenges.  Over the past two years our growing collaboration with the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) and New York Farm Bureau has been extremely positive.  Messaging the same challenges to decision makers from differing industry points of view leads to impactful discussions within statehouses across the Northeast.

EDUCATION – I view this NEAFA pillar from two different standpoints.  First is our continued relationship with Cornell and ProDairy.  Our annual Herd Health and Nutrition Conference is always viewed as a very relevant and take-home message meeting.  Along with this we continue to advocate for the funding of ProDairy to allow them to continue to educate the industry through the many subjects they cover.  Secondly, our education efforts tie back to ADOCACY as our lobbying efforts involve a great deal of education of political decision makers to keep them in check with the realities of agriculture.

As 2024 comes upon us I encourage all of our members to convey your thoughts, ideas and concerns to the Board so that we can best serve you.  It is our presence in front of the right people and addressing the right topics that will continue be our strength in serving NEAFA membership.  

We have an excellent agenda for our upcoming Annual meeting in Albany on February 6-7.  I encourage you to attend to be educated, interact with your Northeast agribusiness colleagues and express any thoughts you might have on how NEAFA can better serve you.  Also, please take time to read the NEAFA Accomplishments flyer that is included in your membership renewal.  It is a great summary of what your organization has accomplished over the past few years.  Lastly, if you know of any prospective members that we should be recruiting please encourage them to join or let us know and we will pursue their membership.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve NEAFA for these past ten years.  As I exit the Board, I know that NEAFA leadership is in very good hands and look forward to my continued involvement in this great organization.

My best to everyone for a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you in Albany!

NEAFA Member Profile: Elanco

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

For November, NEAFA sat down with Richie Shepardson, the Northeast regional sales representative at Elanco for a NEAFA member profile. “Since the 1950’s, Elanco has been involved in Animal Health,” said Shepardson. “Elanco is based out of Greenfield, Indiana. They have an extremely broad portfolio, which is one of the great professional perks of working here. There’s a lot going on with technology and products for dairy farms, nutrition consultants, veterinarians, etc. There are a number of feed additives for production animals, and items categorized as ‘packaged goods’ which include vaccines, antibiotics, and other animal health products. We also have the EKS - Elanco Knowledge Systems. EKS is a data analytics space where there are currently a lot of conversations going on around how to continue to help dairies to model and reduce their carbon footprint, while continuing to pursue production efficiency and improved animal health.”

Shepardson grew up on a small farm in New Hampshire and was introduced to the dairy industry while attending the University of New Hampshire to major in biochemistry. “It became apparent to me that a career in biochemistry wasn’t something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” said Shepardson. “When a couple of friends were going to take a dairy course, it sounded interesting, so I signed up too. I immediately fell in love with it and started a minor in dairy management. After finishing my undergraduate at UNH, I started grad school at Penn State, eventually receiving my Masters in Animal Science, focused on dairy nutrition.”

 As the Northeast Regional Sales Representative, Shepardson is based out of Vermont, and covers New York, New England, and some of Pennsylvania. “Elanco is very much a global company,” said Shepardson. “My main focus in the Northeast is on the farm animal side of the business and is generally dairy related products. I have some conversations around poultry and swine, but dairy is my bread and butter.”

For Elanco and Shepardson, supporting agriculture in the Northeast is an integral part of doing business here. “You want to be supportive of the people that you’re working with,” said Shepardson. “Elanco wants to continue to be involved with agriculture in the Northeast, and believes that you should support the organizations that support nutritionists, dairy farmers, and other agribusiness. NEAFA and the events that they help put together are great opportunities to have discussions with others in the industry that may have different points of views on the best way to support and move agriculture forward. Their events are great learning opportunities.”

For Shepardson, the myriad of different agribusinesses in the Northeast is a boon for the area. “One great thing about working in agriculture in the Northeast is the wide diversity in the size and type of dairies and agribusinesses,” said Shepardson. “There are so many bright and progressive dairies, high quality feed companies and nutrition consultants here. I’m really excited to have great conversations with them at events, to talk about research, to hear what they’re up to. I think that Elanco in general is excited about new technology and research with existing productions and working on new products. We’re looking forward to continue to share information, to innovate, and to help dairies and other agribusinesses improve.”

For more information on Elanco, visit www.elanco.com

2024 NEAFA Scholarship for Future Agriculturalists Open for Applicants

In partnership with the Northeast Agribusiness & Feed Alliance (NEAFA), the NYS FFA Leadership Training Foundation, Inc. announces the opening of the 2024 NEAFA Scholarship for Future Agriculturalists.  Four, $1,000 scholarships will be available to current high school seniors from New York and New England states who wish to pursue post-secondary studies in the field of Agriculture.   To learn more about this scholarship offering along with the timeline for the application process you can visit the NY FFA Foundation link at  http://www.nyffafoundation.org/neafa-scholarship.html

About NEAFA
The mission of the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance is to speak with a collective
voice and advocate for our members, animal agriculture and other stakeholders in New York
and the six New England states. The alliance's strategic objectives are advocacy,
collaboration, and education. https://www.northeastalliance.com/

The Alliance was formed in 2004 when two longstanding organizations, the New England
Grain and Feed Council and the Eastern Federation of Feed Merchants, merged to combine
their collective strengths.

About NY FFA Foundation

The mission of the NY FFA Leadership Training Foundation, Inc. is to coordinate sustainable long-term funding to
prepare FFA members for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.
www.nyffafoundation.org

Governor Hochul Vetoes Two Water Regulation Bills

Provided by Julie Marlette, Hinman-Straub

Earlier this month, Governor Hochul vetoed two NEAFA opposed bills related to the oversight and application of certain pesticides to specified wetlands and reclassified some waterways and regulated them as streams. 

The first S.5957, Harckham/A.5949, Burdick (Veto 81 of the laws of 2023) would have prohibited the application of pesticides to certain local freshwater wetlands under the jurisdiction of local governments that have implemented a freshwater wetlands protection law. This proposal, also vetoed last year, would undermine the integrity of Department of Environmental Conservation’s pesticide management program, which is based on extensive scientific review and submission of supporting data. In addition, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) provides New York State with the ability to conduct its pesticide program through cooperative agreements with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Concerns have been raised that adoption of this legislation would undermine this arrangement and the State’s ability to continue to regulate pesticide use in this way. NEAFA sought a veto of this legislation.

In addition, the Governor again vetoed S.1725-A, Harckhsm/A.4601-A, (Veto 70 of the Laws of 2023) Glick which would have reclassified certain class “C” waterways as streams and subject them to the same rules and oversight.  This is the third time this bill has been vetoed. 

In both of these instances to Governor cited her administration’s commitment to clean water and state regulation of such – deeming these proposed changes costly and unnecessary.

At this time, the proposed ban on the use of treated seeds (neonics) has not been delivered to the Governor for action. 

Link to Veto Message 81 of the Laws of 2023

Link to Veto Message 70 of the Laws of 2023

Nationwide Milk Carton Shortage

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

Just before Halloween, my son brought home a letter from our school district, as many children did throughout the US. It informed us that milk served at lunch might change in the next several months due to an impending shortage of the paper half pint cartons used to package milk. The letter went on to describe that our school would provide milk in cups and other alternatives if the “milk carton shortage” were to come to fruition. Fortunately, milk in cartons has not disappeared in our local school yet, but the supply chain issues with paper cartons is expected to last through the beginning of 2024.

While there is no shortage of fluid milk in the country, Pactiv Evergreen of Lake Forest, Illinois, which bills itself as “the leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America,” acknowledged in a statement on Nov. 3 that it “continues to face significantly higher than projected demand” for its milk cartons.

The shortage is affecting the company’s ability to “fully supply some school milk orders,” according to Matt Herrick, spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association.

Dairy processors, NYS Ag and Markets, NYS Education Department, and industry partners continue to communicate and work collaboratively towards solutions to ensure that milk can still be served in schools and institutions despite the paperboard packaging shortage. The American Dairy Association Northeast (ADANE) has shared some tips for how you can support your local schools during the shortage. 

Offer Assistance to Schools

This approach may work best in a school you have a relationship with, for example, the school your children attend or where a family member is an employee.

    Send your contact a brief email (suggested text below).

• “Hi, I’m Name (if applicable, give context: XXX’s mom). We know schools are under tremendous pressure to continue serving milk to their students.  How can I help you do that?”

• I’m available to help pour milk one day a week (insert preferred availability/frequency).

• I’d like to work with our dairy promotion team/4-H Club, FFA (or other) to coordinate volunteers.

• I have a lead on a place to obtain cup donations.

• I’m willing to coordinate a cup donation drive.

Volunteer to Serve Milk

Like many workplaces, school cafeterias are often short-handed. Offer to help set up a schedule of volunteers to pour milk for students.

• Ask if school clubs would be willing to sign up for shifts. Perhaps organize a friendly competition between groups to rally the most volunteers.

                             - Sports teams – football team vs. basketball team

                             - Choir vs. band students

• Ask if student volunteers could get extra credit or if this could count towards service hours for graduation.

Collect Cup Donations

Before starting to solicit donations, check with your school to be sure they will be accepted and what guidelines they may have (certain sizes, packaging, delivery instructions, etc.).

• Think about some of the vendors you work with. Sometimes it’s easier for companies to give products/supplies vs. money.

• Ask your county fair committee if they would be willing to provide cups or a monetary donation.

• Consider a community cup drive, where community members drop cups off in the school parking lot on a pre-determined date and time.

For more information, contact ADA North East Director of Consumer Confidence Beth Meyer at bmeyer@milk4u.org.

To view additional tips on the ADANE website, please visit Tips to Support Schools During Milk Carton Shortage | American Dairy Association North East.

Join Us for an Awesome Annual Meeting!

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

VP NEAFA

President & CEO Natural Biologics, Inc.

We hope you’ll join us for an action-packed annual meeting, February 6th and 7th at the Albany Marriot in Albany NY.  The conventions committee has been working diligently to put together an agenda that is relevant, informative and fun. The agenda fully supports our pillars of advocacy, collaboration and education.

The meeting will kick off on Tuesday morning with an in-person lobby day.  If our experience over the last year is any indicator, Hinman-Straub will do a fantastic job setting up meetings and providing talking points for both our upstate, ag-supporting legislators, and downstate legislators who need a more comprehensive ag perspective. This year we are working hard to focus on being more proactive on policy and funding which we support, rather than waiting until specific legislation or the budget comes out and then reacting to it.  We hope you’ll join us for this very important part of our advocacy efforts.

Following the morning’s lobbying, we’ll head over to the Marriot for a follow-up on last year’s transportation summit, with updates from some of the same speakers, and a few new perspectives.  The lineup should provide great insight into issues in our transportation sectors as well as opportunities to improve.  The panel will be moderated by Tonya Van Slyke from NEDPA and include: 

• Joe Painting – Vermont Rail System

• Keith Kimball – La Casa De Leche Company & Red Maples Dairy Farm  

• Kendra Hems – NYS Trucking Association

• Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Trodden – NYS Ag & Markets 

The afternoon’s program will wrap up with a presentation by Dr. Nichole Price from the Bigelow Institute in Maine, on some of their research into various marine sources of feed additives which may be useful in mitigating enteric methane from ruminants.  Following on that, Dr. Price will moderate an interactive discussion with participants on their perceptions and outlook for adoption of these types of solutions.  They held a similar session after the Cornell Nutrition Conference and it was a lively and interesting conversation.

Our reception will be held along with the current class of LEAD NY, providing a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of the future leaders within the ag sector of the Northeast.

Wednesday morning will kick off with the business meeting where we’ll get an update on the state of the Alliance from President Jenny Mills and vote on a new slate of directors for the Board.  NYS Department of Ag & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball will be on hand to provide some insight into priorities for the department and Mike North from Ever.Ag will join us to provide the perennially popular updates and outlook on national and global dairy markets.  The NEAFA-supported faculty members from Cornell, Drs. Kristin Reed and Joe McFadden will share their significant research progress on making the Northeast and national dairy industries more sustainable. 

Switching over to our Advocacy part of the program,  NEAFA Director and newly appointed Director of the VT Dairy Producers Association, Kevin Kouri will provide an update on legislative initiatives which are being prioritized in VT, while Julie Marlette from Hinman-Straub will provide insight into NY legislative priorities.  Broadening our view, Constance Cullman from AFIA will get us up to speed on national issues they are working on.

The annual awards luncheon will be MC’d by radio host and ag advocate Trent Loos. Loos will guide us through the Distinguished Service Award, recognition of new and retiring board members, and then regale us with stories of his efforts to help bridge the gap between rural and urban America.  We hope that you’ll come out to learn, network and share in the fellowship of members and guests who share NEAFA’s vision to support and grow a sustainable agribusiness industry in the Northeast.  Register now to attend or sponsor the NEAFA Annual Meeting!

Northeast Dairy Challenge

By Carie Telgen, NEAFA Communications Committee

Over 80 students from 10 different universities around the Northeast convened in Harrisburg, PA recently as part of the Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge competition.  The mission of the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge is to “develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance progress of the dairy industry by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers and agribusiness and university personnel.”  Along with the help of multiple industry and university volunteers, students from each university were co-mingled into 18 different teams that then toured and evaluated 2 different dairy farms in the surrounding area.  Each team is given the farm financials, herd records and farm goals and are then expected to critically evaluate the operation for areas of opportunity.  After the visit, students can ask the farmer questions about what they saw and are then required to put together a 20-minute presentation back to the farm on their observations and recommendations.  A panel of 5 judges evaluate each team to decide which team was able to best articulate and evaluate the dairy with financially impactful, reasonable, and attainable action items.

“Dairy Challenge requires us to work through problems with a wholistic approach, as a team with students from other schools, on a farm we are not familiar with” says Lainey Koval a Cornell Senior and Dairy Challenge attendee.  Koval is a previous NEAFA Scholarship winner that hopes to find a job in agricultural finance after graduation, before eventually returning to her home farm.  Using observational and critical thinking skills, students perform a S.W.O.T. analysis, are encouraged to put partial budgets together for their recommendations and truly understand the financial implications of the recommendations they make.  “The hardest part is to prioritize the importance of our recommendations in relation to the impact for the dairy, in a short amount of time” says Koval.  

Team building is an important part of Dairy Challenge as each team is made up of students from multiple universities.  This year’s team building event required teams to build a tricycle that was then donated to a local charity.  The networking that students get during the Dairy Challenge event goes beyond working as teammates.  Following their presentations, students are encouraged to attend the job fair where multiple agribusinesses are present to discuss future externship and employment opportunities.  There is also the opportunity to tour another agribusiness in the area on the days the students are not presenting.  The Dairy Challenge program started in 2002 and continues to expose students to real life situations, preparing them for careers where critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork are paramount to success. 

October Legislative Update

Packaging Hearing in Albany on October 24 - Lawmakers held a joint legislative hearing in Albany on the proposed Packaging and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would change how the state manages solid waste.  The Senate and Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committees heard testimony on a bill to require companies selling, offering for sale, or distributing packaging materials and products to register with a packaging reduction organization to develop a packaging reduction and recycling plan.

Proponents say that the state must divert waste – especially plastic - from landfills and incentivize manufacturers to reduce their packaging. New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher raised concerns about the impacts a “extended producer responsibility” program might have on New York farms: “We are highly concerned that the current proposals, if passed, will result in many more farms closing their operations across the state.” Read his testimony here.

Election Day is November 7 - Election Day is quickly approaching. Local elections will be held across the state on November 7, and voters will also consider two proposed amendments to the state constitution. The first proposal would raise the debt limit of small city school districts, and the second would extend for ten years the current debt limit for the construction of sewage treatment facilities.

Information on where and how to vote and local ballots is available from the NYS Board of Elections.

Challenging 2024–25 State Budget Expected – On September 20, State Budget Director Blake Washington issued the annual “call letter,” seeking budget requests from every state agency.  Agencies were requested to submit flat budgets with certain exceptions. State agencies had been permitted to request modest growth – up to 2% - in recent years. Governor Hochul will submit her proposed Executive Budget request in mid-January, and officials have announced a $9.1 billion deficit in 2024. 

Congressional District Plan Heads to State’s Highest Court – The NYS Court of Appeals – the state’s high court – is scheduled to hear an appeal of a lower court decision in July that ordered a state panel to redraw new congressional districts. The lower court decision has been paused pending appeal, and the Court of Appeals has scheduled a hearing on the matter for November 15.  Depending on the outcome of the appeal, newly approved district lines for New York’s 26 congressional districts will stand as written or sent back to the drawing board.

NEAFA News Member Highlight: Jefo Nutrition Inc

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month’s NEAFA Member highlight is of Jefo Nutrition Inc. “Jefo is a global leader in high-performance, non-medicated nutritional solutions for animals,” said Chris Gwyn, the Sales Director for Canada and Ruminant Business Development Manager for North America. “Founded in Canada in 1982, the company offers innovative, cost-effective, and efficient solutions in over 80 countries. With its commitment to Life, Made Easier, Jefo aims to improve animal health and increase human longevity by feeding growing populations with better sources of protein.”

Gwyn joined Jefo Nutrition Inc in 2005, and has worked in a variety of roles over the years for the company. “I grew up in Eastern Ontario in the city,” said Gwyn. “My father was a history professor with a passion for farming and my mother grew up on an English dairy farm. I grew up working on farms and dairy farms in particular right through university. There’s a certain warmth and relaxation that you get from being around livestock, so a farm is my happy place. When I graduated from the University of Guelph - with a degree in animal science and a focus in ruminant nutrition, I worked on a dairy farm in Cayuga County in Central New York.”

According to Gwyn, Jefo Nutrition is focused on innovation. “We are innovators, go get it done company,” said Gwyn. “We have been on the forefront of nutritional strategy for 20 years. We do what we can to support the industry by working collaboratively with others. For our consumer business, we create nutritional solutions that aid the feed industries products with the end goal of sustainable milk, meat and eggs. For ruminants, we create vitamin strategies that focus on efficiency of the animal. A key technology in ruminant sector is designing and producing rumen bypass ingredients. We made a forty million US dollar investment on a ruminant bypass ingredients facility. Those ingredients can make for efficient digestion and absorption of nutrients, helping the animals’ metabolism work as effectively and efficiently as possible. Our Quebec facility, which is within five hours of the Northeastern Agricultural market, is the most modern plant in the world, and will quadruple our production ability.”

For Gwyn, being a member of NEAFA is a must for doing business in the Northeast. “It’s an important organization in supporting agriculture in the Northeast,” said Gwyn. “Being a member is something that we can do to help make sure that agriculture in the northeast, which has its own unique pressures, is supported. We have similar pressure in land use and production in Canada, and you need a strong lobby group to make sure that the needs of northeastern agriculture and the feed industry are looked after. I’ve been to NEAFA’s annual meetings and golf tournaments in the past. For me, it’s always nice to see of how companies that compete day to day can get together to network and support one another. We’re all here to promote agriculture, and to get a better understanding of the issues going on in the northeast or in agriculture in general.”

Looking to the future, Gwyn is excited for the next generation joining the industry. “There’s a high level of interest and engagement in young people in studying ag and getting into the industry,” said Gwyn. “It’s admirable that in the USA there are strong 4H and FFA programs where youth are actively involved with agriculture. There’s a high level of engagement, and it’s not just from rural areas. You have people like me from the city that have a passion for it. Agriculture is here to stay, people need to eat. There are a lot of youth that are coming up that will be strong leaders for the future. NEAFA and other organizations are great for their support and scholarships for practical agriculture is a big positive. Change is ever present. As an industry and as companies, we need to see what change is coming, and to make sure that we can have it fit within our business and ag to make it a positive outcome.”

To learn more about Jefo Nutrition Inc., click here.

President's Pen: October 2023

By Jenny Mills
NEAFA President

Fall is in full swing – harvest, cooler nights and shorter days.  We hope that you and your families and customers stay safe this busy season!   In August, we focused on the collaboration efforts that NEAFA is involved with, and education seems to be a great topic to explore this month as another great Cornell Nutrition Conference wraps up!

First, it was wonderful to see so many members in attendance at the Cornell Nutrition Conference in Syracuse, NY.  Thank you to the CNC program committee that we collaborate with for giving NEAFA time on the program for an update.  We also appreciate Papillon giving us a few minutes during their CNC breakfast presentation to promote the value of NEAFA membership.  We had great conversations around membership, current happenings in agriculture and the advocacy efforts being made throughout the Northeast on several topics.  As we quickly approach another cycle of state budgets and new legislative sessions, we need your input on priority issues, such as transportation and future regulation around environmental sustainability.  Please reach out to anyone on the NEAFA board with your ideas!   

Education is a key pillar to our NEAFA strategy.  Part of our mission in education is to support programs to develop agriculture’s next generation of leaders.  The Northeast Dairy Challenge is one program we sponsor through our Good Works fund.  Please check out the article written by Dr. Carie Telgen on this college event that took place this past month.  If you have programs that support the development and education of youth for consideration of Good Works funds, please reach out.

In addition to supporting youth, NEAFA is committed to continuing education efforts  for our members and industry partners.  Our education efforts for 2024 start with our upcoming Annual Meeting, to be held February 6-7, 2024 in Albany at the Marriott on Wolf Road, which will include lobby day activities at the Capitol, updates from our many collaborators and an agenda around the theme “Navigating the New Frontier.”  Trent Loos will be our keynote speaker and emcee. Plans are also being made for our annual Herd Health Conference that will be held in April 2024. 

Membership is key to our education efforts.  If you collaborate with partners in your day-to-day, please encourage them to become members of NEAFA – the first year is half off as a bonus!  Seeking different perspectives and experience within our industry will allow us to strengthen our efforts towards NEAFA’s mission of supporting and growing a sustainable agribusiness industry in the Northeast.  

As we finish harvest, I hope you, your families and clients have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

September Legislative Update

By Hinman Straub

As we enter fall, our advocacy around the proposed treated seed ban (neonics, or the “Birds and the Bees” bill as it is known) continues but at this time the bill has not been delivered to the Governor. The Governor’s office is hearing from advocates and opponents of the bill and considering all feedback. We will continue our advocacy on this critical issue, independently and with partners. We will keep you up to date as this issue develops. 

However, the Governor has taken action on a number of other bills of interest, which have been summarized below. 

Prohibits Requesting Employee Login and Personal Account Information (S2518a, Ramos - A836 Dinowitz) 

This law prohibits employers from requesting, requiring, or coercing employees or potential employees personal account and login information except for login information related to the employer’s internal computer or information systems. The employer cannot discipline, penalize or threaten an employee for refusal in providing such information and cannot refuse to hire any applicant for failing to disclose such information. Employers are permitted to view, access or utilize information regarding an employee or applicant available in the public domain.

Status: Chapter 367 of the Laws of 2023

Effective Date: This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.

Agriculture Technology Challenge (S1723a, Skoufis – A1528a, Woerner)

This law establishes an agriculture technology competition for students and 4-H

program participants.

Status: Chapter 280 of the Laws of 2023

Effective Date: This act shall take effect immediately. 

Employee Freedom of Speech and Conscience (S4982 Ramos - A6604 Reyes)

This law prohibits employers and employment agencies from discriminatory practices by establish employees’ right to refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings, listen to speech, or view communications with the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters. “Political matters” are defined as those “relating to elections for political office, political parties, legislation, regulation and the decision to join or support any political party or political, civic, community, fraternal or labor organization.” “Religious matters” means those “relating to religious affiliation and practice and the decision to join or support any religious organization or association.”  

Status: Chapter 354 of the Laws of 2023

Effective Date: This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however that the amendments to section 399-c of the vehicle and traffic law made by section two of this act shall expire and be deemed repealed one year after it shall have become a law, when upon such date the provisions of sections three, four, five, six, seven and eleven of this act shall take effect; and provided further that the amendments to paragraph 1 of subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law made by section eleven of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such subsection when upon such date the provisions of section twelve of this act shall take effect.

Wage Payment Protections (S5572, Gounardes - A6796, Burgos) 

This law amends the wage theft law in New York to increase the wage limits beyond which executive, administrative, or professional employees cannot seek help from the state in recovering owed compensation from $900 a week to $1,300 a week.

Status: Chapter 433 of the Laws of 2023

Effective Date: This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.

Protections Against Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression(S7382, Hoylman-Sigal - A7355 Simone)

This law adds to the protected classes under New York’s Human Rights Law relating to interns, precluding all employers within the State from discriminating against an intern based on their “gender identity or expression.”

Status: Chapter 305 of the Laws of 2023

Effective Date: This act shall take effect immediately.

NEAFA Member Profile: Gold Star Feed and Grain

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month, NEAFA spoke with Jason Lent, the General Manager for Gold Star Feed and Grain (GSFG). “I’m based out of Strykersville, NY, and have been the General Manager for the past year,” said Lent. “I worked my way into agriculture. I went to school at the University of Cincinnati, where I studied marketing and management, and then received a MBA in finance. My first job after school was doing credit and then accounting for consumer goods at Sara Lee. I then worked for Land O’Lakes (LOL) in Minnesota. I worked on the dairy foods side for  five years, and then spent two years in California at their Tulare Processing Plant. It was out there that I got introduced to the parent company for GSFG, J.D. Heiskell and Company, during a joint venture between them and LOL on Golden State Feed and Grain. That’s really what got me interested in the agricultural side of the business. I really enjoyed my time with JDH on that project, but I had to get back to Minnesota, where I spent the next seven years in a variety of roles for LOL. When I decided that I needed a change, JDH was always the first place that I said I would call. I took a roll in Amarillo as the assistant general manager for 3 years, until the opportunity opened up at Gold Star, and I took on my current role.”

The focus at GSFG is on dairy cow feed according to Lent. “We’re 99% dairy cow feed,” said Lent. “We manufacture and deliver to dairy farms from Western NY to Central NY and a little bit in Pennsylvania. We’ve got four locations across Western and Central NY. We have feed mills in Strykersville, Springville, Adams Center, and Sangerfield, NY (including a grain elevator across the street). We have 125 Employees, and as the general manager I’m able to interact with all the people day in and out. I work with all aspects of the business, and the hardworking people we have are a big part of what we do. We’ve doubled in size in the last two years. It’s been a lot of change, and leading through that has been a lot of fun.”

Being new to the Northeast, Lent has just started to get to know NEAFA. “I went to golf for good works this year, and that was my first event with NEAFA,” said Lent. I just moved here a year ago, and now that my family is here, we’re getting entrenched in the culture of the area. We’re looking to get more involved in organizations that do more for agriculture and our community. The support that the organization gives to the industry in the North East is such a huge benefit to the area. Being a part of that is great, and obviously the networking opportunity is fantastic. The events that they host and the opportunity to get to visit with vendors and others across the industry is great.”

Looking forward, Lent is excited for the future of GSFG. “We’re going to continue to look for opportunities to grow,” said Lent. The main office is moving to East Aurora in October, we continue to invest in our feed mills and people, and it feels like the NY Market is setup well for the future. There’s investment going on in milk processing, and that should continue to increase demand. We’re looking forward to continuing to service this market and to grow with it.”

For more on Gold Star Feed and Grain, visit: https://www.goldstarfeed.com/

Celebrating Dairy Day at the NYS Fair

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

Vice-President NEAFA

As usual, Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair was all dairy, all the time, kicking off with the Dairy Day Recognition and Awards ceremony on August 31.  In addition to the many awards for dairy products (197 entries across 26 categories), a few of New York dairy industry’s top dairy leaders were also honored.  

This column has often mentioned the need to keep our industry vibrant by making sure there is a robust pipeline of young people interested in pursuing careers in the dairy industry.  For the last 25 years, Debbie Grusenmeyer, Senior Extension Associate in the PRO-Dairy Program at Cornell, has been doing just that.  Debbie works tirelessly to coordinate with county and regional 4-H extension educators across the state to conduct the regional and state 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowls.  Debbie was instrumental in reformatting the quiz bowl to reflect more about modern dairy management and reduce the emphasis on arcane dairy trivia.  Debbie also coordinates youth cattle judging clinics and contests around the state in which over 300 students participate each year.  Her singular achievement has probably been the creation of the Junior Dairy Leader program in which 16 to 19 year olds spend a year learning about dairy careers, leadership and professional development opportunities in the dairy industry. We can certainly attribute a full generation of New York’s dairy leaders having been impacted by Debbie’s programs. In recognition of her work, Debbie was honored with the NY Dairy of Distinction Distinguished Person of the Year award.

Sunnyside Farms, operated by the Rejman family, was also honored with one of the PRO-Dairy Agriservice awards for 2023.  Neil and Greg Rejman received the award from Department of Ag & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball and PRO-Dairy Director, Tom Overton.  Sunnyside Farms was recognized for decades of collaboration with Cornell programs, from years-long research studies with the vet college and animal science department, as a case study subject for nutrient management and animal welfare programs with PRO-Dairy staff and as a host for countless farm tours with visitors from all corners of the globe.  The Rejmans themselves have been active leaders and advocates for the dairy industry in local, state, regional and national forums.

The second Agriservice award was presented to John Lehr of Farm Credit East.  John was honored for his activity in farm business management programs and applied research for dairy farms and especially for his development of the Dairy Advancement Program.  This program is run by NYS Department of Ag & Markets and Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure the long-term viability of NY’s dairy industry through adoption of sound, economically viable environmental stewardship practices.  The program’s continuing success can be attributed to the outstanding collaboration between state government, New York dairies, Cornell’s Pro-Dairy program and agriservice professionals who work on implementation of the recommended practices.  

This year’s Dairy Day awardees exemplify all three of NEAFA’s pillars of Advocacy, Collaboration and Education and really demonstrate how individuals truly can make a difference across an entire industry.  Our congratulations and thanks go out to this year’s award winners.