At the Watershed Agricultural Council, we believe education is vital to the success of new and established farm operations. We collaborate with Cornell Cooperative Extensions and other agencies to deliver learning opportunities for farmers of all ages, experience levels and farming expertise.

Our workshops and trainings run the gamut of topics, such as

• Farming for the first time, business planning and market analysis;
• Learning to raise healthy heifers through NYS Calf Health Assessment Program;
• Taking a pasture walk to better understand a rotational grazing strategy;
• Discovering the importance of proper record keeping in receiving Nutrient Management Credit payments;
• Transitioning from dairy to beef;
• Operations and maintenance of your Whole Farm Plan BMPs; or
• Supplementing a farm’s bottom line with a value-added dairy product like cheese, learning how to make it and then marketing the final product.

Speakers are often experts in their fields like veterinarian, precision feed managers, no-till operators and Extension agents. Or you might hear and learn something from your neighbor farmer.

Producer Groups

We also coordinate Producer Groups focused on dairy, beef and sheep/goat issues. These farmer-to-farmer gatherings meet periodically to discuss livestock topics of interest or to find solutions to on-farm hurdles. If you are interested in joining a Producer Group, contact:

Beef: Rich Toebe, CCE Dairy-Livestock Coordinator (607) 865-7090, ext. 208

Grazing: Dale Dewing, CCE-WAP Team Leader (607) 865-7090, ext. 246

Calf health: Rich Toebe, CCE Dairy-Livestock Coordinator (607) 865-7090, ext. 208

Sheep, goat, small ruminant livestock: Rich Toebe, CCE Dairy-Livestock Coordinator (607) 865-7090, ext. 208

Below are upcoming events for farmers: