Cornell Cooperative Extension-Yates County and the Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team (NWNY) will host a crops congress on Wednesday, March 27 at the Benton Firehouse, 932 NY-14A. The cost is $5, payable at the door on the day of the event.
The congress is set to share information on the following topics:
• Review of Key Pest Management Issues of Corn and Soybean in 2023 (Mike Stanyard, Field Crops Specialist, CCE/NWNY Team) — Stanyard will review the major issues that growers faced with insects, diseases and weeds in corn and soybean production in 2023. He will review pest biology, field identification, and management strategies for 2024.
• Enhancing Soil Fertility and Structure through the Use of Cover Crops (Jodi Letham, Field Crops and Soils Specialist, CCE/NWNY Team) — Soil, a complex substance, sustains living organisms, efficiently cycles nutrients, stores water, and maintains an environment for plant growth when in balance. Letham’s talk will cover topics involving how to maximize return on your investment into your soil health and fertility through proper nutrient management and the use of cover crops, including cover crop selection.
• Grazing Cover Crops for Soil Health and Saving Money (Nancy Glazier, Small Farms & Livestock Specialist, CCE/NWNY Team) — Glazier will discuss the benefits of grazing cover crops as well as how grazing affects some of the benefits of cover crops, such as weed and disease management. Included in the discussion will be feed cost savings projections. She will review the best practices involved with grazing crops and share how to get the most benefit from utilizing cover crops as an alternate forage and season extension for dairy and beef cows.
REGISTRATION
If you would like to attend (or require additional information), call the CCE-Yates County office at 315-536-5123 or contact Caroline Hunt at cb239@cornell.edu. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Participants can earn 2.0 DEC Recertification credits in Category 21.
About the Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program
The NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team is one of the outstanding regional agricultural Cornell Cooperative Extension programs in New York, serving a 9-county region in the western part of the state. The specialists work with Cornell faculty and extension educators statewide to provide service to large and small farms, whether dairy, livestock, hay, corn, wheat, or soybean-focused. The team is part of the outreach of the Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Pro-Dairy program. Educational programs and individual assistance cover a wide area of best management practices as well as a dairy farm business.
For more information, visit their website at https://nwnyteam.cce.cornell.edu/.