Northern New York – The second 7-week course offered by the Northern New York Dairy Institute will begin January 12, 13 and 14, 2010, and will focus on dairy herdsmanship and herd health. The dairy herdsmanship and herd health course will include instruction on best practices for maintaining herd health through cow comfort, nutrition, recognizing signs of health issues and evaluating treatment options.

• Tuesday January 12, 2010, 12noon to 3pm at various sites in Watertown area; contact Ron Kuck, Cornell Cooperative Extension Jefferson County, 315-788-8450, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Tuesday January 12, 2010, 1-4pm at WH Miner Institute, Chazy; contact Emily Myers, Cornell Cooperative Extension Clinton County, 518-353-4949, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 1-4pm at the Franklin County 911 Emergency Services Building, Malone; contact Carl Tillinghast, Cornell Cooperative Extension Franklin County, 518-483-7403, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Thursday January 14, 2010, 12noon to 3pm at Countryside Veterinary Clinic with Dr. Mark Thomas, Lowville; contact Frans Vokey, Cornell Cooperative Extension Lewis County, 315-376-5270, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Thursday, January 14, 2010; 12noon to 3pm at Cornell Cooperative Extension Learning Farm Classroom, Canton; contact Brent Buchanan, Cornell Cooperative Extension St. Lawrence County, 315-379-9192, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

All sessions are open to farmers from other counties. Instructors include veterinarians, dairy industry technicians and academics, and agribusiness leaders.

“This will be an excellent course for developing your ‘cow sense’ and learning how to recognize cow behavior that can indicate an early opportunity to correct health or lameness issues,” says Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County Dairy and Livestock Educator Ron Kuck.

Kuck is coordinating the Institute with Regional Dairy Specialist for Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties Emily Myers. Myers, an educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County, says, “The Dairy Industry is always changing rapidly and attending continuing education courses like these help farmers keep up-to-date on the latest and greatest information that is currently available."

Northern NY Dairy Institute participants may take the course to earn a certificate of achievement for $75/module or may qualify for college credit in collaboration with Morrisville and Alfred State colleges for $150/module.

The NY Center for Dairy Excellence and Cornell University’s PRO-DAIRY Program provide additional funding for the Northern NY Dairy Institute. Local agribusiness professionals, Cornell Cooperative Extension educators and the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program provide support.

“Grant funding from the NY Center for Dairy Excellence and NY Farm Viability Institute developed the curriculum, then helped make possible hands-on training in farm worker skills throughout New York State. Workforce training is critical to a farm’s economic health, but sometimes farms may lack the time, resources, or know-how. These courses are developing a valuable service,’’ says John Lincoln, a dairy farmer and chair of the NY Farm Viability Institute board of directors.

The next Northern NY Dairy Institute course is planned for March 2010 and will address Dairy Financial Management. A summer 2010 course on utilizing the Dairy Comp 305 computer program to manage cows and maximize profits be offered online. A Fall 2010 is expected to focus on Feeds and Feeding Management.

35 participants recently completed the first NNY Dairy Institute course on dairy cow reproduction management.

For more information and registration for the Northern NY Dairy Institute, contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or WH Miner Institute.