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
March 2025
This two-part workshop will introduce you to some new tools to help you increase your sales. Presentations by Matt LeRoux of the Cornell Dyson School. 5:30 pm: Creating & Pricing Consumer Friendly Meat with MeatSuite Introducing Bundle Builder – a new tool to help assemble bulk bundles of meat 6:30: Pizza, Sandwiches and Networking 7:15 pm: Using the Customer Experience & Pricing to Improve Market Sales Sharing Cornell’s research on customer spending & prices at farmer’s markets. Practical ways to…
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Join Pro-Dairy statewide and local experts to stay up-to-date on all things related to manure management. Learn implementation strategies to help you responsibly apply your manure and utilize nutrients most effectively while protecting the environment. Get updates on the latest requirements for keeping you farm team safe and dealing with animal mortalities. The program begins with registration at 10:00am and runs through 2:30pm and includes a hot lunch. Register by calling Kim Holden at 607-865-7090 or email kmh19@ cornell.edu, or…
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