Farmer Training
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:
Upcoming Events › Agriculture
February 2025
Transitioning farm ownership and management to prepare for retirement requires careful planning to meet your retirement needs while also assuring the farm is successful and profitable for the next operator. This workshop will be an interactive work session, where you will leave having identified the process and work needed to achieve a successful farm transition. We will focus on the financial health of your farm business, the assets of the business that will be transferred in the operation, consider your…
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Making your Pastures Work for You is the theme of this workshop. Start planning your 2025 pasture season now. Hear from four speakers discuss strategies that result in improved labor efficiency & increased pasture production and animal performance. Grazing System Tune-Up: Paddock layout, fence & water Pasture Renovation Strategies Clipping Pastures: When does this actually make sense? Grazing Management: Making decisions that keep you on track Register by calling or emailing Kim Holden by February 26th: 607 865-7090 or [email protected]
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Making your Pastures Work for You is the theme of this workshop. Start planning your 2025 pasture season now. Hear from four speakers discuss strategies that result in improved labor efficiency & increased pasture production and animal performance. Grazing System Tune-Up: Paddock layout, fence & water Pasture Renovation Strategies Clipping Pastures: When does this actually make sense? Grazing Management: Making decisions that keep you on track Register by calling or emailing Kim Holden by February 26th: 607 865-7090 or [email protected]
Find out more »March 2025
Ticks are a threat to livestock and farmer alike. Joellen Lampman, Cornell IPM Specialist, will provide the latest information on all of the species of ticks currently found in New York via Zoom. Following her presentation, a local farmer will tell her story of how a tick bite changed her life. Each participant will receive a free “Don’t Get Ticked New York” tick removal kit. Where each specie of tick is found in New York State Livestock and human diseases…
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