The New York Farm Viability Institute, an independent nonprofit and farmer-driven organization, announced the formation of the New York Center for Dairy Excellence last week. The Center will work to increase dairy farm profitability and build a stronger dairy industry in New York state, along with providing coordination and leadership for collaborative, focused efforts for the state’s and the Northeast’s dairy industry. It’s really great to hear about a positive move for the Northeast – I can’t wait to hear about some of the Center’s successes!
A New York Dairy Industry Task Force will be established to work closely with the Center and the Farm Viability Institute’s existing Dairy Committee. Representation will reflect the diversity of the dairy industry, including farms of different sizes, geography and production practices, as well as agri-business, New York Department of Agriculture and Markets, Cornell University and Cooperative Extension, State University of New York schools, farm groups and agencies and others.
The New York Center for Dairy Excellence will collaborate with the Center for Dairy Excellence in Pennsylvania and Vermont’s dairy leadership to seek solutions and coordinate efforts to reduce obstacles to success in the Northeast dairy industry. The dairy centers will work with the Northeast Dairy Leadership Team, forged from an agreement to work collaboratively and regionally that was initiated in June by the departments of agriculture from each of the three states.
In addition to the Center for Dairy Excellence, the Institute has funded two dozen projects throughout the state that are addressing a variety of barriers to success in dairy farming, including business and transition planning, farm uses for waste milk, organic dairy management training, distribution systems for value-added products, bilingual employee management, farm startup, manure management and more. Later this year, New York Farm Viability Institute will pilot a two-year dairy farm team project on 10 farms in two New York counties.