January 24, 2011
Contacts: See last paragraph
New Dairy Insurance Plan On North Country Crop Congresses’
Agenda Feb. 2, 3, 15 and 16
Dairy and crop farmers will learn about the new Dairy Gross Margins
insurance program, managing BMR corn, and the latest weed control at the
10am to 3 pm North Country Crop Congresses on February 2nd at the Madrid
Community Center, Madrid, NY; February 3rd at the Carthage Elks Lodge,
Carthage, NY; February 15 in at the WH Miner Institute Auditorium, Chazy,
NY; and for the first time-ever in Malone, NY, at Gallaghers’ Restaurant
on February 16, 2011.
Charlie Koines, a crop insurance educator working for the New York State
Department of Agriculture & Markets (NYSDAM), will present information
on the benefits and components of the new Dairy Gross Margins insurance
program. His presentation is made possible by NYSDAM and the USDA Risk
Management Agency.
Koines says, “This new federal Dairy Gross Margins insurance program
allows farmers to stabilize their cash flow with an insurance payment
they will receive when dairy prices fall below a pre-determined level
based on three published price factors during the months the farmer
chooses to insure.”
Koines says the insurance program is open to farms of all sizes.
Dr. Rick Grant of the WH Miner Agricultural Research Institute will be
presenting the benefits of growing BMR (brown mid-rib) corn and how to
best use this high quality forage to maximize dairy cattle milk
production.
Grant says, “Based on research conducted here at Miner Institute, if
managed well, feeding BMR can add significantly to milk production per
cow per day, however, milk per acre can be substantially lower. At the
2011 North Country Crop Congresses, we will discuss how farmers can
calculate production income gain over production costs to evaluate their
opportunity to use BMR corn effectively.”
Local farmers at each Crop Congress location will share their
experiences with growing, feeding and storing BMR corn. David Fisher of
Mapleview Farms, Madrid, NY, will speak at the Madrid Crop Congress; Lyn
Murray of Murcrest Farm, Copenhagen, NY, will speak in Carthage; and Jon
Rulfs of Adirondack Farms, Peru, NY, will speak at the Malone and Chazy
programs.
Cornell University Crop and Soil Sciences Associate Professor Dr.
Russell Hahn will provide farmers with new weed control strategies for
2011 and present the latest corn herbicide research data at the Crop
Congress events.
Dr. Hahn says, “As weeds evolve their resistance to commonly-used
control treatments, growers need new options. The North Country Crop
Congresses provide the opportunity to update growers on the status of
herbicide-resistant weed populations and to share research results with
products that contain an new herbicide – Kixor. This information should
help growers make informed decisions about weed control in field corn.”
Scott Walker, territory sales manager with DEKALB/Asgrow, Ogdensburg,
NY, will help farmers understand the history, current status and future
development of traits; the importance of resistance management
stewardship; and how it preserves the biotechnology crop traits that
influence crop yield and how well a crop resists insect.
“Knowing which seed offers the traits and technologies for each
individual farm’s needs for yield, crop vigor or insect and disease
resistance is a valuable management tool,” Walker says.
Farmers may register to attend a Crop Congress by calling their local
Extension office. New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and Certified Crop Advisors credits are pending approval.
Those interested in qualifying for credits must arrive on time and stay
for the entire program.
To register for the Madrid Crop Congress, contact Stephen Canner at
315-379-9192 x233; for the Carthage event, contact Joe Lawrence at
315-376-5270 or Mike Hunter at 315-788-8450; for the Chazy event,
contact Wanda Emerich at 518-846-7121 x117 or Eric Young at x113; for
the Malone event, contact Richard Gast at 518-483-7403. Program or lunch
fee varies by site. #
