Custom/Third Party Manure Applicator Registration - Update & Resources

Kirsten Workman, PRO-DAIRY

NYSDEC now requires commercial manure applicators that apply manure on CAFO farms to register with the department and complete annual reporting. PRO-DAIRY put out a fact sheet this summer outlining the new requirements here. While applicators need to register by January 18, 2024 to be in compliance, it is my recommendation that they wait until after January 1, 2024 to do so. This will delay the need for annual reporting until the conclusion of 2024, when NYSDEC will have annual reporting forms ready and will allow more time to put the protocols and record-keeping systems in place to ensure compliance. 

Here are a few things that applicators can do to be ready in the meantime: 

• Start working with farm clients now to ensure good communication about their CNMP, signing contractor certification forms, and getting maps for all fields.
• Set up record-keeping systems that allow accurate accounting of manure applications to share with farm clients within the required 21-day time period (date, gallons & rate, fields applied) and aggregated data to report back to NYSDEC (total gallons spread/farm).
• Properly calibrate all spreading equipment and keep a record of these calibration activities.
• Get the registration forms assembled and completed accurately so they are ready to submit between January 1 and January 18, 2024. I have attached forms with example information filled out to assist in the accurate completion of those forms. Feel free to use them as a guide and/or reach out to me directly for assistance.

To learn more about this registration requirement, what it entails and the type of record-keeping that will be required, you can visit the following guidance documents:

• PRO-DAIRY Fact Sheet PD-23-07-02
• NYSDEC Fact Sheet

You can access the registration forms here:

• REGISTRATION FORM FOR A SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY
• ORGANICS RECYCLING ADDENDUM 

Natural Resources Conservation Service

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Environmental Quality Incentive Programs (EQUIP)

The NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers. Most people know the NRCS EQIP grants can support the purchase of a new high tunnel. Now with new funding opportunities, you can also apply for grants for energy upgrades, such as new heaters or a ridge vent that reduces energy usage.

EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resource concerns, such as:

• Improved water and air quality;
• Conserved ground and surface water;
• Increased soil health ;
• Reduced soil erosion and sedimentation;
• Improved or created wildlife habitat; and
• Mitigation against drought and increasing weather volatility.

EQIP Initiatives

Targeted EQIP financial assistance is available through several conservation initiatives. See which initiative is available in your state.

• High Tunnel Initiative
• Organic Initiative
• Air Quality Initiative
• Landscape Conservation Initiative
• On-Farm Energy Initiative
• Colorado River Basin Salinity Project

EQIP offers grant opportunities through Conservation Innovation Grants, which awards competitive grants that stimulate the development and adoption of innovative approaches and technologies for conservation on agricultural lands.

Read more here.

Carbon Accounting and Enhancement Opportunities for Dairy Manure Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Systems

Webinar

December 14, 2023

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

In this webinar, presented by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, attendees will learn about the carbon accounting of dairy manure anaerobic digestion (AD) to renewable natural gas (RNG) systems that are being implemented in New York through California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The presentation will cover ways to improve the Carbon Intensity score of these systems, including a case study on the economic analysis of an impermeable cover system on a digestate effluent storage pond. The webinar will also discuss considerations for multi-farm, centralized systems of either manure or biogas, and will include a Q&A session. This webinar is recommended for dairy farmers, their advisors, and agency representatives.

Topics

• Carbon accounting of dairy manure AD systems producing renewable natural gas (RNG)
• Enhancing AD system carbon reduction
• Case study economic analysis of covering digestate storage
• Considerations for multi-farm systems of centralized manure AD or biogas upgrading

Speakers

• Lauren Ray, Agricultural Sustainability & Energy Engineer, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY
• Peter Wright, Agricultural Engineer, Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY

Register HERE.

2023 NY Pesticide Reporting Reminder Notice and Electronic Reporting Requirement

If you currently hold an active certification allowing you to make commercial pesticide applications in calendar year 2023, you are required by law to submit an acceptable annual report of your pesticide applications (or lack thereof) no later than FEBRUARY 1, 2024. Read more HERE and file your report HERE.

New PRO-DAIRY and CCE Dairy Specialists Podcast - Cornell Cow Convos

The Cornell Cow Convos monthly podcast series led by PRO-DAIRY and CCE Dairy Specialists features current, new and emerging topics of interest to the dairy industry right now.

New episodes are released on the last Thursday of the month. The first few episodes include discussions on preventative healthcare for cows, the trend of beef on dairy, what to look forward to in the new year for dairy, and socially grouping or pair-housing calves. This series also features specially selected interviews with dairy farmers and industry experts and invites suggestions from our listeners for future topics.

• Submit a topic suggestion here

Episode 1: Welcome to Cornell Cow Convos!

Available Oct 19, 2023

In this first episode of Cornell Cow Convos, Dairy Specialists Lindsay Ferlito and Betsy Hicks cover what to expect in this new podcast series, introduce other hosts and their areas of specialty, and present topics for the first few episodes.

Listen to Episode 1

Episode 2: Preventative Health Care for Dairy Cows

Available Oct 26, 2023

In this second episode of Cornell Cow Convos, Northwest New York Team Dairy Specialists, Margaret Quaassdorff and Kaitlyn Lutz, interview Jimena Godoy, Animal Welfare Specialist and manager at Aurora Organic Dairy, to discuss preventative health care for cows, the importance of technology and training, and compassion for both employees and cows on conventional and organic dairy farms.

Listen to Episode 2

Episode 3: Trends in the Beef x Dairy Industry

Available November 30, 2023

In this third episode of Cornell Cow Convos, Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team Dairy Specialist, Margaret Quaassdorff and South Central New York Dairy and Field Crops Team Dairy Specialist, 

Listen to Episode 3

Are you thinking about starting a small farm? Do you already have a farm that you're looking to expand? Invest in your professional development and you'll see the returns in your business. Cornell Small Farms Program offers in-person trainings, workshops, and online courses for aspiring, new and experienced farmers.

Some options for 2024 are listed below, and you can read more and enroll HERE.

BF 104: Access to Capital: Funding Your Farm Plans

From Planning to Planting

•  Offered live for 6-weeks on Mondays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (Eastern) from January 15 – February 19.

BF 110: Soil Health: Investing in the Vitality of Your Farm

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (Eastern) from January 17 – February 21.

BF 121: Vegetable Production II: From Season-Long Care to Market

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Mondays from 7:00 - 8:30 PM (Eastern) from January 15 – February 19.

BF 203: Holistic Financial Planning: Building Farm Profit Into the Picture

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Tuesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Eastern) from January 16 – February 20.

BF 153: Indoor Specialty Mushroom: Managing Indoor Spaces for the Production of High-Quality Mushrooms

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (Eastern) from January 16 – February 20.

BF 220: Season Extension with High Tunnels

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Eastern) from January 17 – February 21.

BF 232: Sheep Production: Managing Your Flock For Success

•  Offered live for 6-weeks on Wednesdays from 7:00 – 8:30 PM (Eastern) from January 17 – February 21. 

BF 234: Goat Production: Dairy, Meat, and Fiber For Profit

• Offered live for 6-weeks on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM (Eastern) from January 17 – February 21. 

USDA Unveils Updated Plant Hardiness Zone Map

The plant hardiness zone map is described by the USDA as " the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which perennial plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature, displayed as 10-degree F zones and 5-degree F half zones."

Take some time to visit the new updated interactive map. The 2023 map incorporates more data and more sophisticated ArcGIS Modeling using more detailed and complex formulas. The resulting map offers gardeners a more accurate and detailed map! Simply put in your zip code and navigate around the map to find your exact gardening location. This new map features interactive layers so you can look at roads and other details over top of the map while navigating.

Worth noting, while about half of the country has experienced changes in zones when compared with the 2012 map, the USDA has cautioned against drawing any conclusions about global warming or temperature change. You should not compare across the 1990, 2012, and 2023 hardiness zone maps to derive any information about temperature change over time. The 2023 map has been created using increased numbers of data from more locations. This has contributed to improved information and better spatial modeling and thus a more accurate and detailed map. While the maps cannot be compared to draw conclusions about global changes in temperatures, the use of more data and better modeling will definitely give a more superior baseline for your gardening and landscaping work.

Read this article written in 2012 when the 2012 updated map was first released. The amount of information used between the 1990 map and the 2012 also increased substantially to improve the quality of the map. While these maps don't allude to any changes in our climate over time, Cornell has many excellent resources for you to learn more about gardening in a warming world. Check out these 2 great resources:

Gardening in a Warming World A Climate Smart Gardening Course Book

Gardening in a Warming World – Cornell Climate Stewards

Read the full USDA article here and access the updates map here.

What's Bugging You?

Join Live, on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.

2023 Schedule:

• December 1: Houseplant IPM | Firewood pests

Register for 2023 Events Here. Watch the past Event presentations Here. Register for the 2024 events Here.

A preview of the 2024 events:

Reminder: Master Forest Owner Volunteer Training for 2024 will be coming up in the Spring again.

The 2024 course dates are still to be determined but plan ahead if you are interested.

Learn more here. If you have any questions about the MFO program, you can learn more at www.CornellMFO.info or from Program Director Peter Smallidge at pjs23@cornell.edu or 607-592-3640. 

Vegetable Seed Production Course and Mentorship Available to Growers Throughout the Northeast 

To increase the number of growers able to produce high quality regionally adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seed in the northeast a group of educators, experienced seed producers, and regional seed companies is working together to offer a training in seed production and connect participants to markets for their seed. Last year 65 commercial growers participated in the course, and we are inviting another 65 to participate this season. The course is free through generous support of a Northeast SARE Research and Education grant, but we expect participants to fully engage in the course and to share their experiences with us at the end of the course.  



The online course, which starts January 10^thand runs for 10 weeks, is designed to help growers determine whether seed production is a good choice for their farm and then to guide them in selecting an initial seed crop to grow for sale, on-farm, or community use. Each week will feature guest speakers with expertise in seed production, plant pathology, seed economics, and more. During the course participants will form learning cohorts and will work with a mentor throughout the 2024 growing season to successfully produce a quality seed crop. The cohorts will have monthly group check-ins via Zoom and one-on-one access to a grower mentor experienced in producing their chosen seed crop. At the end of the season, participants can sell their marketable seed crops back to the companies that provided stock seed. 

The grower mentors for this course bring substantial experience in seed production and will help participants deepen their understanding of how to cultivate vegetables to produce the highest quality seed.

If you are interested in being a part of the seed education cohort, please fill out a quick intake form by visiting this link: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0DK2oimZ1gPcYnQ  

If you have any questions about the project, you can reach Crystal Stewart-Courtens at cls263@cornell.edu. For more information about the course, please reference the course syllabus.  

Cornell Patents 'Coral Chaos'

Cornell's Mark Bridgen of the Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center in Riverhead, New York, bred a new variety of Alstroemeria. Alstroemeria Coral Chaos is a Zone 5 garden perennial, flowering throughout summer and until a killing frost comes along. The flowers are large, salmon pink-colored (the “coral” in Coral Chaos) on the outside with yellow highlights and brown flecks on the inside. It’s a strong plant, too, with upright flower stems growing to be 28- to 26-in. tall. And like any terrific alstroemeria, its cut flowers have a vase life of up to two weeks. Mark has also developed Mauve Majesty and Tangerine Tango which are also patented by Cornell—the first ornamental plants the University had ever patented.

These winter-hardy alstroemeria are available now via Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, and two large wholesale perennials growers are adding Coral Chaos to their offerings soon. If you have questions about Mark's Zone 5 alstroemeria, feel free to contact him at mpb27@cornell.edu.