Farm Strategic Planning

The Farm Strategic Planning Specialist on the Harvest NY team provides producers assistance with farmstead development, facility layout, and environmental planning to optimize production on dairy, crop and livestock farms.
Robotic Milking Systems - What We've Learned So Far (Part 2)
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: July 6, 2018

Robotic Milking Systems - What We've Learned So Far (Part 1)
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: June 4, 2018

I was recently invited to participate in a robotic farming discussion group. The evening began with a few presentations by a robot manufacturer which, surprisingly, were less about sales and more about start-up and management of the systems and the cows. These proved to be good fodder for a fruitful discussion among the technical service people, dairymen and women, and other industry people in attendance, like yours truly.
20 Attributes to Highly Successful Managers: Insights from Danny Klinefelter
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: January 24, 2017

On January 5, 2017 the NY State Agricultural Society held its 185th Annual Meeting and Agricultural Forum in Liverpool, NY. Dr. Danny Klinefelter, Professor and Extension Economist from Texas A&M University gave the keynote address: Attributes of Highly Successful Farmers and Collaborative Arrangements. Provided is a synopsis of that address with some embellishments.
These attributes are not size, or even industry, dependent. They apply just as easily to the CEO of a large multi-national corporation as they will to the brew master of a start-up microbrewery. See how many you can check off as, "Yes, I do that."
PRO-DAIRY
Last Modified: January 29, 2016

For nearly 30 years, PRO-DAIRY has been positively impacting New York's dairy industry. Through its research, discussion groups, educational programs, financial analysis, websites, publications and personal contacts, the Cornell University based program reaches thousands of dairy professionals annually.
Rules of Good Farmstead Layout
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: December 11, 2015

General guidelines on how a farmstead should be laid out so that you can plan your next expansion.
To Rehab or Not to Rehab Older Farm Buildings
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: December 9, 2015

With many new facilities being constructed, and production animals being moved out of the old facilities, the question that remains is: What do we do with the old buildings? Do we raze it or remodel it? Has the structure outlived its useful life or with a little tweaking can it be part of another facet of the enterprise or even an entirely different enterprise? In order to answer these questions you will need to honestly evaluate the current status of the structure. Sentimentality aside, Humstone (1988) presents a 10-point preliminary checklist to begin evaluation of the feasibility of remodeling and/or restoring an existing barn.
10 Commandments of Manure Application
Timothy Terry, Farm Strategic Planning Specialist
Harvest New York
Last Modified: March 11, 2015

With the advent of spring weather, and most of us suffering varying degrees of cabin fever, the rush will soon be on to empty those manure storages. With that in mind, we offer you the 10 Commandments of Manure Application reminders.
Cow Comfort in Tie Stall Barns
Last Modified: June 19, 2014

An article on cow comfort in tie stall barns by David Balbian, Dairy Specialist, CNYDFC in the PRO-DAIRY section of the August 2013 edition of Dairy Business East.
Dairy Acceleration Program
Last Modified: June 19, 2014

The Dairy Acceleration Program is an initiative of Governor Cuomo in partnership with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation designed to enhance profitability of New York dairy farms while maintaining a commitment to environmentally responsible growth.
Dairy Farm Business Summary and Analysis (DFBS)
Last Modified: June 19, 2014

A tool to analyze the profitability and productivity of New York State dairy farms, comparing their business to other farms in their area, state and country. This allows them to make sound financial decisions and set future goals that will keep them competitive in the market.
Upcoming Events
New York City Soil Health Field Day
May 18, 2022
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Bronx, NY
Part of the 2022 Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Field Day series, the field day in NYC will offer insights on urban soil health and water management.Announcements
Propagating Strawberry Plants Through Runners
The production of strawberry plants is challenging due to the rigorous sanitation needs that must be met, especially in field propagation settings, but also in greenhouse settings. To add to that, growers in New York may find it more difficult to obtain their preferred strawberry varieties in the coming years, as fewer nurseries are propagating strawberries. The solution: strawberry plug plants propagated from runners in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse or high tunnel.Plug production of rarer varieties that do well in New York State will fetch a higher price than dormant bare-root plants due to the higher cost of production and lower availability in the Northeast, especially if plants are available in August. Propagating Strawberry Plants Through Runners, written by Anya Osatuke of CCE Harvest NY and Brad Bergefurd of The Ohio State University, only discusses production and marketing potential of plug plants because successful field production of bare-root strawberries is very difficult to achieve without the use of highly restricted soil fumigants.