The fields are being plowed and the first seeds of the season are being planted. If you're looking for an alternative method for buying locally-produced foods, look no further than the Madison County CSA's. Over the past decade, Madison County has witnessed a growth in farms that market their products directly to consumers through offering memberships, also known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). By participating in a CSA, the consumer pays a membership fee at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly share of the farm's harvest. Madison County has 7 CSAs to choose from!

Each CSA is unique and works a little differently – some include fruit, meat, and other locally-grown and processed products – others include pick your own crops, online ordering and feature on-farm events for the whole family. Stone Brothers Farm & Greenhouse, a CSA in their third year, provides members with hydroponically grown fresh vegetables during the colder months – including the earliest strawberries of the season! Side Hill Farmers, is taking orders online for their meat CSA and then delivering each month's share to a restaurant near you!

Being part of a CSA is a fun-filled experience for the whole family. Children can learn about how healthy fruits and vegetables are grown and work with their parents to cook and taste new recipes. At Lucky Moon Farm CSA, you can even get a glimpse of how solar panels are helping farmers to reduce their energy costs. 

To learn more about a CSA near you, please contact the farms below.

Farm Name	Address & Phone Number	Website
Common Thread CSA	3424 Lake Moraine Road, Madison 315-882-0086	Link
Stone Bros. Farm & Greenhouse	3652 Milestrip Road, Canastota 315-655-3213	Link
Alambria Springs Farm	834 Musician Rd., Earlville 315-837-4769	Link
Greyrock Farm	6100 East Lake Road, Cazenovia 484-888-6254	Link
Side Hill Farmers	315-677-4090	Link
Hartwood Farm	5258 Irish Ridge Road, Fenner 315-655-5652	Link
Lucky Moon Farm	4976 Lincklaen Road, Cazenovia 315-655-2283	Link

If you are interested in other ways to support local farms, Madison County has several farmers' markets around the county. The Village of Hamilton Farmers' Market opens for the season on Saturday, May 4th. The hours of operation are Saturdays from 8am-1pm. Cazenovia Farmers' Market begins on Saturday, May 11th and is opened Saturday's from 9am-4pm. The Town of Lenox Famers' Market begins later in the season on July 13th and is opened Saturday's from 9am-2pm and the Oneida Farmers' Market runs from Thursday, June 6th and the hours of operation are Thursdays from 10-3pm.

More information on where to find locally-grown products can be found at www.madisoncountyagriculture.com.

If you are an equine owner in Madison County or a equine business owner that operates in Madison County please fill out the appropriate survey, it will only take a maximum of fifteen minutes. Feel free to share the links with anyone else who fits the criteria of the survey.

For more information about the survey or its results please contact:

• Danielle Pidgeon,
  Cornell Cooperative Extension Intern
  depidgeon@cazenovia.edu
• Beth McKellips,
  Director Agricultural Economic Development
  bam233@cornell.edu

(Taken from 2009 Integrated Pest Management Guide for Organic Dairies, NYS IPM Publication No. 323 v2)

House flies can be monitored using sticky ribbons or spot cards. Spot cards are 3-by-5-inch white file cards attached to obvious fly resting surfaces. They reflect the number of house flies present by showing the number of fly fecal and regurgitation spots. Sticky ribbons are 2 inch strips that are normally 2 feet long. The sticky material covering the strips immobilizes the insect and provides an easy method to monitor fly populations over time. The number of spot cards, or sticky fly ribbons to place will vary according to the type used and the facility size, but place traps in a minimum of 5 to 10 locations throughout each animal housing unit. If possible, mount at equidistant locations on posts, beams, and walls, making sure to include some wind-free areas within the barn where flies tend to rest. Leave cards or ribbons for 7 days, count and record the number of flies on the sticky ribbons, or the number of fecal and regurgitation spots on the spot cards, then replace with fresh dated cards or ribbons. Although either device is effective for monitoring house flies, dated spot cards have the additional value of providing long-term historical records of fly activity. Dated and numbered spot cards kept over time can be particularly helpful in assessing management success and resolving conflicts with neighbors over claims of increased fly abundance. Spot cards can also help detect fly breeding areas by comparing spot density on the cards when placed in different locations in and around the barn.

Advantages: inexpensive, easy to use, provides a good historical record of fly populations. May help to detect breeding areas.
Disadvantage: will not reduce fly population.

Sticky ribbons

Advantages: inexpensive, easy to use, traps as well as monitors flies.
Disadvantages: difficult to handle, cannot store for historical record.

Fly Ribbons, Tapes, and Paper

These traps are attractive to house flies and stable flies and come in a variety of sizes and shapes but all act to trap flies on their sticky surfaces. They range from the typical house fly ribbon running about 2"x 24" to giant sticky traps like the Spider Web ™ which are approximately 1' x 24'. These huge sticky tapes are placed high above stable stanchions. Both their color and scent enhance their attraction to flies. These wide tapes have a capacity to trap thousands of flies before requiring replacement. Any of the types of sticky traps should be located on posts, high beams, or in other areas out of the wind where flies tend to rest. The number of traps required depends on the tolerance of the dairy operator and the fly population. Sticky traps must be replaced when the surface becomes dry or when saturated with flies and dust.

Advantages: Inexpensive.
Disadvantages: Difficult to handle, can also catch birds and bats.

Fly Strings

The fly string system includes two reels, one empty and one wound with sticky string that is hung across the barn near the stable ceiling above rows of animals. As the string fills with flies, the empty reel is cranked, winding in the fly-saturated string and laying out fresh sticky string (figure 7.1d and 7.2). Install parallel strings every 60 feet or more depending on the fly population and tolerance for fly presence.

Advantage: Inexpensive, easy to use.
Disadvantage: Requires installation.

Alsynite Trap

This cylindrical fiberglass sheet reflects light in a way that is particularly attractive to stable flies but will attract house flies also. Sticky translucent fly paper is wrapped around the outside and replaced when saturated with flies. When Alsynite panels are painted white instead of clear, they select for house flies instead of stable flies. Place out of reach of animals in a sunny location since they attract flies by visual means. The trap is should be set 1 to 2 feet above the ground and placed about 10 feet from building walls or on pastures in those areas where the animals will be concentrating, such as near water troughs.

Advantage: Easily installed, moveable, no resistance.

Horse Pal

The 2 x 2 x 5 ½ foot Horse Pal ® is specifically designed to attract and catch horse, deer, and stable flies by mimicking the underside of a cow. Flies land on the surface of the swaying dark sphere, migrate up toward the light in the screened area, and are ultimately trapped in the jar on top. The jar is removed periodically and emptied. Begin by placing 1 to 2 traps in the field and increase as necessary. Traps should be placed near, but out of reach of curious animals to prevent damage.

Advantages: Easy to install, movable.
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive.

Epps Trap

Biting flies tend to circle their host before landing for a meal and perceive the clear plastic spaces of the trap as open space under the animal. They fly into the clear plastic and ricochet into trays of liquid where they drown. Maintain the trap by skimming dead insects from the liquid and replacing the liquid when fouled. Mow weeds beneath the trap to preserve the contrast between light areas and dark. Traps work best placed in a sunny part of the pasture near historic fly problem areas. Use one trap per 20 acres of pasture, or place in a sunlit spot outside stables. Placing the trap out of reach from curious livestock is highly recommended. A new, more portable version of this trap is now available. Biting flies, such as stable, horse, and deer flies, are attracted to the large shape of the Epps Trap made to resemble a cow.

Advantage: Can be very effective in catching horse flies in particular.
Disadvantage: Keeping the water tray full and clear of dead flies is time consuming, the stationary version of this trap is difficult to move, expensive.

Attractant Traps

These traps are most commonly used for house flies. A scented liquid lures flies into one-way openings where they then fall into a bottle or disposable bag below. Many manufacturers make traps that use a similar trapping techniques such as Big Stinky, Apache, Final Flight, Magnum, and Fly Terminator. Traps can attract flies from a radius of about 100 to 150 feet and are particularly useful for keeping flies from migrating off the farm to residential areas. Set traps near or upwind from breeding sites but be aware, these traps can attract neighboring flies too. Place near the ground in sunny areas.

Advantages: inexpensive, reusable, easily installed, movable.

Blue Tabanid Trap

This homemade trap attracts deer and horse flies when attached to a slow moving vehicle such as a tractor. The trap is simply a blue cylinder coated with sticky material such as Tanglefoot®. Remove flies when trap becomes saturated and recoat the trap when contaminated with dust and dirt.

Advantages: Very inexpensive
Disadvantages: Messy. Not sure how effective.

Walk through trap. Photo by Keith Waldron Missouri publication by Robert D. Hall.

Walk-through Traps

This trap is specifically for horn flies. Several versions of this trap are available, but all require cows to walk through the trap where flies are dislodged from the animal's back and then trapped in some way. One version has a set of special screens on the right and left. Fabric hanging from the ceiling dislodges flies causing them to instinctively fly toward the natural light beyond the trapping system of screens. The trap works on the same principles as a lobster trap. Placed at pasture gates where cows must pass through regularly, the trap can reduce fly numbers by 40 to 70% over time. Plans for building this trap are on the University of Missouri Cooperative Extension website.

Advantages: Reusable, easily installed, movable, durable.
Disadvantages: Large initial investment, may not be commercially available.

Estimated Cost per Trap (2009)

Trap	House fly	Stable fly	Deer & Horse fly	Horn & Face fly	Approximate $/Unit 2009	Comments
Spot Cards	x	x	-	-	$0.01/card	Used for monitoring
Sticky Tapes	x	x	-	-	$0.50/roll	Used for monitoring and reduction of small populations
Spider Web Fly Glue Trap™	x	x	-	-	$13.00/roll	Can trap thousands of flies with one trap; replace when full, dried out, or dusty
Fly String	x	x	-	-	$71.00 for hardware and 1,600 ft. string	Capacity – 150 flies/linear ft. string
Attractant Trap	x	x	-	-	$25.00 for trap & lure
Epps Trap	-	x	x	-	$300/trap
Blue Tabinid	-	-	x	-	>$5.00/trap
Horse Pal	-	x	x	-	$300/trap (2012)
Walk-through Trap	-	-	-	*	Varies	Price depends on whether it's built or purchased.

by Karen Baase, Association Issue Leader – Agriculture,
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County

By now, everyone recognizes the Chobani name. It's the nation's top selling yogurt, and has quickly become a staple in many households. Central New Yorkers are proud that Agro Farma Inc., the parent company, is headquartered in Norwich and see it as a noteworthy employer and positive business force in Central New York.

Agro Farma's place in the world of milk markets and the milk economy is described by Dr. Andrew Novakovic, the E.V. Baker Professor of Agricultural Economics in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. In his Briefing Paper, "The Chobani Paradox", Novakovic explains why the word "paradox" is appropriate in this particular case. Here are a few of his main points.

Dairy farmers are always pleased to see growing demand for their milk, and especially gratified if they see a new plant and its expansion close by. But that gratification disappears if they don't see the results in their milk checks.

Two important aspects of the nation's complicated milk pricing system come into play. First, classified pricing dictates that milk is priced according to its use. So, beverage milk is priced higher than milk used for manufacture. Second, pooling of revenues refers to how proceeds from milk used in soft products, cheese, butter and dry products are allocated equitably to dairy producers. All these values are minimum prices. The numbers come together each month for dairy producers in the form of a blend or uniform price per hundredweight. Novakovic says that "Classified pricing, by its very design, tends to reward growth" in the fluid milk/beverage classification, "and pooling tends to discourage growth in manufacturing classes" – like milk sold for yogurt manufacture.

So if a dairy product manufacturer expands or enters a new market, as Agro Farma, Inc. has, they may experience resistance from cooperative milk suppliers, who already have established beverage milk customers and always try to add more. They don't want to walk away from high paying customers and sell a larger share of their milk as non-beverage milk at a lower price. This is – at least in part – the scenario for Northeast milk cooperatives. They've struggled with maintaining and growing beverage milk sales, supplying milk for Chobani yogurt, and satisfying their cooperative members.

Another complication is the fact that growth in the milk supply is an individual farm decision, just as growth on the demand side is a firm decision. On the supply side, New York's annual milk production growth "has been tepid for decades" compared to Idaho's, which has quadrupled since 1990. Therefore, Agro Farma faced these market realities and is building a new manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho – a supply area that is growing and where milk procurement will be less costly and competitive.

Novakovic sums up the "paradox" this way: "For dairy farmers and others in the (dairy) industry, growth in the demand for milk is assuredly better than the opposite. However, there are adjustment challenges when growth is localized and dramatic. Moreover, the system of regulated prices can create seemingly perverse incentives that may dampen the obvious appeal and incentives of demand-driven growth."

The fields are being plowed and the first seeds of the season are being planted. If you're looking for an alternative method for buying locally produced foods look no further than the Madison County CSA's. Over the past decade, Madison County has witnessed a growth in farms that market their products directly to consumers through offering memberships, also known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). By participating in a CSA, the consumer pays a membership fee at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly share of the farm's harvest. Madison County has 8 CSA's to choose from!

Each CSA is unique and works a little differently – some include fruit, meat, and other locally grown and processed products – others include pick your own crops, online ordering and feature on-farm events for the whole family. Stone Brothers Farm & Greenhouse, a CSA in their second year, provides members with hydroponically grown fresh vegetables during the colder months – including the earliest strawberries of the season! Sommers' Harvest Farm provides a "Market Share" where you can pick your harvest share right from their table at the Hamilton Farmers' market. Side Hill Farmers, a new CSA to Madison County this year, is taking orders online for their meat CSA and then delivering each month's share to a restaurant near you!

Madison County's Agricultural Economic Development Program recently interviewed Alambria Springs Farm. When asked what separates this CSA from others in the county, owners Brian Musician & Amy Yahna replied, "We offer a larger quantity box for large families or for people that are serious vegetable eaters. We also offer membership into our local buying club if you are a CSA member."

Being part of a CSA is a fun-filled experience for the whole family. Children can learn about how healthy fruits and vegetables are grown and work with their parents to cook and taste new recipes. At Lucky Moon Farm CSA, you can even get a glimpse of how solar panels are helping farmers to reduce their energy costs.  Many of these CSA's still have shares available for the 2012 season. To learn more about a CSA near you, please contact the farms below, or check out www.madisoncountyagriculture.com for a complete listing of the farms' offerings.

Stone Bros. Farm & Greenhouse 3652 Milestrip Road, Canastota 315-655-3213	Side Hill Farmers 315-677-4090 www.sidehillfarmers.com
Common Thread Community Farm 3424 Lake Moraine Road, Madison 315-893-7767 www.commonthreadcsa.com	Sommers' Harvest Farm 2698 Smith Road, Eaton (2.5 miles from Hamilton Village Green) 315-527-3429 www.sommersharvestfarm.com
Greyrock Farm 6100 East Lake Road, Cazenovia 484-888-6254 www.greyrockfarmcsa.com	Hartwood Farm 5258 Irish Ridge Road, Fenner 315-655-5652 www.hartwoodfarm.com
Alambria Springs Farm 834 Musician Road, Earlville 315-837-4769 www.alambriafarm.com	Lucky Moon Farm 4976 Lincklaen Road, Cazenovia 315-655-2283 www.luckymoonfarm.org

If you are interested in other ways to support local farms, Madison County has several farmers' markets. The Village of Hamilton Farmers' Market opens for the season on Saturday, May 5th. The hours of operation are from 8am-1pm. Cazenovia Farmers' Market commences the same day and is open from 9am-5pm, and the Town of Lenox Famers' Market begins later in the season on July 14th and is open from 9am-2pm. More information on where to find locally-grown products can be found at www.madisoncountyagriculture.com.

by L. E. Chase, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University

New York dairy producers received a number of awards at the recent World Forage Superbowl. This contest is held in conjunction with the World Dairy Expo held in Madison, Wisconsin. Producers submit samples of hay, haylage or corn silage for this contest. Over 400 samples were submitted from 23 states in all of the categories. Samples are judged based on lab analysis (60% of score), visual (20%), herd production information (10%) and calculated milk per ton (10%). There were 2 corn silage classes. One was for BMR hybrids while the other was for non-BMR hybrids.

Jon Merrell from Wolcott, NY had the grand champion BMR corn silage. He entered a Mycogen F2F488 sample. Other New York winners in this category were Jeff True, Perry (2nd), Jason Stoltzfus, Waterville (4th), Morrisville College (7th) and Covale Holsteins, Preble (8th). As would be expected, all winners used Mycogen BMR hybrids. Table 1 contains the data for the winners in this group.

Table 1. BMR Corn Silage Winners

Farm	State	Hybrid	DM, %	CP, %	NDF, %	Starch, %	Ash, %	Fat, %	NDFD, % of NDF	Milk, lbs./ton
J. Merrell	NY	Mycogen F2F488	36.3	8.1	36.4	33.2	3.8	2.8	75.7	3680
True Farms	NY	Mycogen BMR	35.8	8.5	37.3	33.4	3.2	2.9	75.6	3612
Four Mile Creek	WI	Mycogen F2F488	31.3	8.9	37.8	32.2	3.8	3	69.4	3577
J. Stoltzfus	NY	Mycogen BMR	37.3	10.9	37.2	32.2	3.9	2.7	73.6	3611
Trierweiler Dairy	MI	Mycogen  F2F569	36.1	7.4	38.6	33.8	3.9	2.6	74.8	3580
Putt Dairy	OH	Mycogen F2F665	35	8.6	36.5	34.4	4	2.9	69.2	3609
Morrisville College	NY	Mycogen BMR	33.6	8.5	38.2	33.2	3.8	2.8	65.8	3605
Covale Holsteins	NY	Mycogen BMR	35.1	7.9	36	35.1	4.2	2.9	70.7	3617

Jon Merrell from Wolcott, NY had the 4th place non-BMR corn silage. This was a Mycogen TMF 2Q298 hybrid. Table 2 contains the results for the top 5 winners in this group. Six of the top 10 in this group used Mycogen seeds. Three of the top 10 submitted samples of the Mycogen TMF94 hybrid. This is an older hybrid but still seems to perform well. The other 4 winners used Dekalb, Master's Choice, MC 590 or Pioneer hybrids.

Table 2. 2011 Non-BMR Corn Silage Winners

Farm	State	Hybrid	DM, %	CP, %	NDF, %	Starch, %	Ash, %	Fat, %	NDFD, % of NDF	Milk, lbs./ton
K. Leudemann	MI	Mycogen TMF 2N494	30.1	8.3	36.1	34.8	3.9	2.7	68	3583
B&D Dairy	WI	Mycogen TMF 2Q716	36.2	8.1	35.3	37.2	3.7	2.8	65.2	3633
Hickory Gables	MI	Mycogen TMF 2W727-2Q7	36.3	8.5	33	36.9	4	3	60.9	3591
J. Merrell	NY	Mycogen TMF 2Q298	35.9	7	35.5	37.9	3.5	2.8	58.9	3623
Gernatt Dairy	MI	Mycogen TMF 2N494	32.2	7.6	35.8	36.8	4.1	2.7	56.7	3568

It is important to remember that these results only apply to the samples submitted. This data should not be used to make hybrid comparisons from various companies. Hybrid comparisons can best be made using data from test plots where the various hybrids are grown in the same management and environmental situations.