ALBANY, NY — New York State Acting Agriculture Commissioner Darrel J. Aubertine today announced a continuation of workshops designed to help dairy farmers maintain profitability in an uncertain market environment. Managing the Margin workshops teach dairy producers effective risk management strategies they can use to anticipate and manage price risks for both milk and feed. Seven workshops will be offered throughout the State in the month of March.
"We're seeing an increased interest among dairy producers in learning how to better manage the risk associated with their business climate," the Commissioner said. "The Managing the Margins workshop helps develop risk management skills and increase the confidence level of dairy farmers in the face of volatile markets. Our goal by hosting these workshops is to help farmers improve the bottom line of their operations, which remain the economic backbone to much of upstate New York."
The objective of the workshop is to provide producers with concepts and tools to determine breakeven prices, marketing plans, and crop insurance decisions appropriate for their operations under various conditions. Specific topics that will be discussed include margin risk, risk tolerance, breakeven analysis, use of crop insurance, and market volatility. The "Managing the Margin" workshop was developed by and will be conducted by John Berry, a former dairy farmer who now works for Cooperative Extension in Pennsylvania. This is the same workshop that was offered in January at various locations throughout the State.
Register Now! The next seven Department-sponsored workshops are all scheduled in March. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 3:00 p.m. A $15 to $20 local registration fee secures lunch and a spot at the workshop. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended.
March 10, 2011 in Ballston Spa
CCE of Saratoga County, 50 West High Street, Ballston Spa
RSVP to Richard Smith at 518-885-8995 x229
March 11, 2011 in Cobleskill
CCE of Schoharie County, 173 South Grand Street, Cobleskill
RSVP to David Cox at 518-234-4303
March 21, 2011 in Randolph
Randolph Municipal Building, 72 Main Street, Randolph
RSVP to Lynn A. Bliven at 585-268-7644 x18 or 716-699-2377 x124
March 22, 2011 in Batavia
CCE of Genesee County, 420 East Main Street, Batavia
RSVP to Cathy Wallace at 585-343-3040 x138
March 23, 2011 in Geneva
NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, Jordan Hall, 630 West North Street, Geneva
RSVP to Cathy Wallace at 585-343-3040 x138
March 24, 2011 in Bath
Civil Defense Center, 7220 State Route 54, Bath
RSVP to Jim Grace at 607-664-2316
March 25, 2011 in Oneonta
Holiday Inn, 5206 Highway 23, Oneonta
RSVP to Marianne Kiraly at 607-865-6531
Managing the Margins workshops are coordinated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Crop Insurance Education Program and funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency. Other crop insurance education opportunities for dairy farmers include a monthly dairy gross margin crop insurance webinar series, grain marketing workshops, and others that are listed on the Department's website at http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/CropInsurance.html. Further information on the New York Crop Insurance Education Program is available by contacting Sarah Johnston at 1-800-554-4501.
Source: New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets