two educational farm tours sponsored by Cornell Cooperative. Extension (CCE) of ... from institutions including Cornell
Story Title Program Educators
“Sundae on the Farm”- Farm Tours Franklin - *Current/Emerging Issues* Steve M. McDonald Diane R. Dumont Harry N. Fefee Kimberley M. Morrill Kitty O'Neil Rick LeVitre
Is this related to an Equal Yes Program/Employment Opportunity? Executive Summary Franklin County residents celebrated “June Dairy Month” with two educational farm tours sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Franklin County and assisted by collaborators Franklin County Farm Bureau, and USDA Farm Service Agency. PAPAS Dairy was the site of first tour Sunday, June 14th followed with Tierney Farm Jerseys on Sunday, June 21st from 12:00 to 3:00pm each day. I s s u e s / N e e d s a n d New York ranks third in dairy producing states behind Audiences California and Wisconsin. Locally, Franklin County has a diversity of dairy farms; from very large dairies with thousands of cows to small, grass-based organic dairies. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture there are a total of 688 farms in Franklin County. Of those, 155 are dairy operations with a total of 14,500 milk cows. Just like every other industry, so has the dairy industry changed. In an effort to combat the fluctuating milk prices, herd sizes have increased. With the help of modern research from institutions including Cornell University , dairy farmers can maximize production, quality, and milk components with the implementation of “best practices”. These include, but are not limited to, the following: cow comfort, improved genetics, harvesting top quality feed, and maintaining quality control measures that ensure a healthy environment. Since the 1950’s the U.S. trend continues to show a decline in the total number of dairy cows with a steady increase in total milk production. Extension Responses CCE Franklin County organized and conducted the tours. Specialists in the dairy field facilitated tours including; dairy comfort, milking systems, calf raising, heifer facilities, manure and nutrient management, grazing management, and veterinary/health care. Modern farm equipment was on display. The county dairy princess and her ambassadors were on hand to lead groups from tour station to station, serve ice cream sundaes and promote dairy farming and dairy foods.
A c c o m p l i sh men ts an d The public, over 500 individuals, came and learned about Impacts their neighbors, the farmers. Myths were debunked as many individuals proclaimed and wrote on evaluations. The production and harvest of milk became a reality for so many who take it for granted when they buy a gallon of milk or a pound of butter. The people also learned of the dollars spent on a farm and agriculture's importance to the local economy. Collaborators Franklin County Farm Bureau, USDA Farm Service Agency, PAPAS Dairy, Tierney Farm Jerseys, AgriMark Dairy Cooperative, Clinton County Soil & Water, Dundee Feeds, North Star Veterinary Practice. Special funding sources Stewart's Shops of Malone supplied ice cream and utensils for (if any) m a k i n g a n d d i s t r i b u t i n g 5 0 0 + s u n d a e s .
