York Dairy Farms Research Articles

Greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient use efficiency assessment of 6 New York organic dairies

Improving nutrient use efficiency and reducing GHG emissions are important environmental priorities for organic-certified dairy operations. The objectives of this research were to quantify annual nutrient use and GHG emissions in 6 organic New York dairy farms. Farm-gate nutrient mass balances (NMB) were estimated with the Cornell NMB calculator. Whole-farm GHG emissions were estimated using the Cool Farm Tool (CFT) and COMET. Farm-gate NMB were low, ranging from -6.5 to 19 kg N/ha for N1 (without legume N fixation), 26 to 71 kg N/ha for N2 (including N fixation), -2.4 to 8.2 kg P/ha for P, and 1.1 to 19.8 kg K/ha for K. Additional nutrient imports, coupled with nutrient management planning, adequate legume stands, and diet balancing may help improve P balances and ensure no N deficiencies in the system. Estimates of annual GHG emissions intensity ranged from 0.98 to 2.10 kg of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq) per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM) estimated by CFT, and from 0.69 to 2.48 kg CO2-eq/kg FPCM estimated by COMET. Enteric fermentation, feed production, and fuel and energy use represented the largest sources of GHG. For farms with liquid manure storages, manure management was also a significant source. Estimates of soil carbon (C) stock changes from CFT were in agreement with or smaller than previous studies, and estimates from COMET were in agreement or greater. Variability and uncertainty in the results for soil C stock change indicate that more research and new protocols are needed. The effects of individual management changes on GHG emissions intensity were small, ranging from -8 to +7% in CFT, and -8% to +8% in COMET. The management changes that resulted in the largest reductions in GHG emissions intensity included increasing individual cow productivity and ratio of milk to total feed, and implementation of manure treatment systems.

Partitioning of nutrient variation in alfalfa and corn silage by source on New York dairy farms

Variation in feed components contributes to variation and uncertainty of diets delivered to dairy cows. Forages often have a high inclusion rate (50 to 70% of DM fed) and variable composition, thus are an important contributor to nutrient variability of delivered diets. Our objective was to quantify the variation and identify the main sources of variability in corn silage and alfalfa-grass haylage composition at harvest (fresh forage) and feed-out (fermented forage) on NY dairy farms. Corn silage and alfalfa-grass haylage were sampled on 8 NY commercial dairy farms during harvest in the summer and fall of 2020 and during their subsequent feed-out in the winter and spring of 2021. At harvest, a composite sample of fresh chopped forage of every 8-ha section of individual fields was collected from piles delivered for silo filling. During a 16-week feed-out period, 2 independent samples of each forage were collected 3 times per week. The fields-of-origin of each forage sample during feed-out were identified and recorded using silo maps created at filling. A mixed-model analysis quantified the variance of corn silage DM, NDF, and starch and haylage DM, NDF, and CP content. Fixed effects included soil type, weather conditions, and management practices during harvest and feed-out while random effects were farm, silo unit, field, and day. At harvest, between-farm variability was the largest source of variation for both corn silage and haylage, but within-farm sources of variation exceeded farm-to-farm variation for haylage at feed-out. At feed-out, haylage DM and NDF content had higher within-farm variability than corn silage. In contrast, corn silage starch showed higher within-farm variation at feed-out than haylage CP content. For DM content at feed-out, day-to-day variation was the most relevant source of within-farm variation for both forages. However, for the nutrient components at feed-out (NDF and CP for haylage; NDF and starch for corn silage) silo-to-silo variation was the largest source of variability. Weather conditions systematically explained a proportion of the farm-to-farm variability for both forages at harvest and feed-out. We concluded that because of the high farm-to-farm variation, corn silage and haylage must be sampled on individual farms. We also concluded that due to the high silo-to-silo variability, and the still significant day-to-day and field-to-field variability within-farm, corn silage and haylage should be sampled within individual silos to better capture changes in forage components at feed-out.

Financial risk and resiliency on US dairy farms: Measures, thresholds, and management implications

Given the revenue and cost volatility with resulting tight profit margins in dairy farming, it is increasingly important to measure, monitor, and understand farm financial risk. Solvency, liquidity, debt repayment capacity, and financial efficiency measures can reveal potential problem areas and assist in financial risk management. Financial risk is defined as uncertainty about interest rates, willingness of lender to keep or put money into the business, ability to meet cash flow needs, and the market value of collateral. Financial resilience is defined as the ability to withstand events that impact firm net income. Solvency was measured by equity to asset ratio. Liquidity was measured by current ratio. Repayment capacity was measured by debt coverage ratio. Financial efficiency was measured by operational expense ratio and net farm income ratio. Critical thresholds for these farm financial measures include those determined by US agricultural lenders since maintaining access to outside capital is important for farm financial management. To demonstrate these concepts and measure financial risk and resilience, this research uses farm data from a balanced panel of 105 New York dairy farms from 2010 through 2019. Results reveal that there were 4 average, 2 good, and 4 poor financial years for these operations on average as measured by farm profitability. Solvency positions were relatively stable being based on long-term asset and liability values. During the poor years, the percent of farms below danger thresholds for liquidity and debt repayment capacity spiked.

Characterization and comparison of the microbiomes and resistomes of colostrum from selectively treated dry cows

Professionals in animal agriculture promote prudent use of antimicrobials to address public and animal health concerns, such as reduction of antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in products. Few studies evaluate the effect of selective dry-cow therapy on preservation of the milk microbiome or the profile of AMR genes (the resistome) present at freshening. Our objectives were to characterize and compare the microbiomes and resistomes in the colostrum of cows with low somatic cell count that were treated or not treated with intramammary cephapirin benzathine at dry-off. From a larger parent study, cows on a New York dairy farm eligible for dry-off and with histories of somatic cell counts ≤200,000 cells/mL were enrolled to this study (n = 307). Cows were randomly assigned to receive an intramammary antimicrobial and external teat sealant (ABXTS) or sealant only (TS) at dry-off. Composite colostrum samples taken within 4 h of freshening, and quarter milk samples taken at 1 to 7 d in milk were subjected to aerobic culture. The DNA extraction was performed on colostrum from cows with culture-negative samples (ABXTS = 43; TS = 33). The DNA from cows of the same treatment group and parity were pooled (26 pools; ABXTS = 12; TS = 14) for 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing. Separately, the resistome was captured using a custom RNA bait library for target-enriched sequencing. Sequencing reads were aligned to taxonomic and AMR databases to characterize the microbiome and resistome, respectively. The R statistical program was used to tabulate abundances and to analyze differences in diversity measures and in composition between treatment groups. In the microbiome, the most abundant phyla were Firmicutes (68%), Proteobacteria (23%), Actinobacteria (4%), and Bacteroidetes (3%). Shannon and richness diversity means were 0.93 and 14.7 for ABXTS and 0.94 and 13.1 for TS, respectively. Using analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), overall microbiome composition was found to be similar between treatment groups at the phylum (ANOSIM R = 0.005), class (ANOSIM R = 0.04), and order (ANOSIM R = -0.04) levels. In the resistome, we identified AMR gene accessions associated with 14 unique mechanisms of resistance across 9 different drug classes in 14 samples (TS = 9, ABXTS = 5). The majority of reads aligned to gene accessions that confer resistance to aminoglycoside (TS = ABXTS each 35% abundance), tetracycline (TS = 22%, ABXTS = 54%), and β-lactam classes (TS = 15%, ABXTS = 12%). Shannon diversity means for AMR class and mechanism, respectively, were 0.66 and 0.69 for TS and 0.19 and 0.19 for ABXTS. Resistome richness diversity means for class and mechanism were 3.1 and 3.4 for TS and 1.4 and 1.4 for ABXTS. Finally, resistome composition was similar between groups at the class (ANOSIM R = -0.20) and mechanism levels (ANOSIM R = 0.01). Although no critical differences were found between treatment groups regarding their microbiome or resistome composition in this study, a larger sample size, deeper sequencing, and additional methodology is needed to identify more subtle differences, such as between lower-abundance features.

Day-to-day variation in forage and mixed diets in commercial dairy farms in New York

We evaluated variation in sampling and analysis of forages and quantified day-to-day variation in silages and TMR in typical New York dairy farms. Alfalfa-grass haylage and corn silage samples were collected daily from 7 dairies, for a total of 24 wk for haylage, 22 wk for corn silage, and 16 wk for TMR samples. Multiple samples also were collected at 4 dairies to evaluate both sampling and subsampling variation. Based on SD, sampling for DM varied from actual DM by up to ±2 percentage units. Haylage was more variable than corn silage, likely due in part to variability of grass percentage within fields. The most practical parameter to measure for daily rebalancing of rations is DM, and DM had considerable day-to-day variability for haylage, with less variability for corn silage and TMR. Assuming a 7 percentage-unit threshold for a weekly range in DM is great enough to benefit from daily rebalancing, this threshold was exceeded 14% of weeks for corn silage, 25% of weeks for TMR, and 42% of weeks for haylage. A better understanding of day-to-day variability will help determine the accuracy required for on-farm silage moisture determinations. Nutrient composition of fed rations differs from formulated rations due to day-to-day variation in DM concentration and nutrient composition of forages. Although providing excess feed likely will mitigate the effects of day-to-day silage variability, it not only increases feed costs but also is less environmentally acceptable.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate propylene glycol alone or in combination with dextrose as a treatment for hyperketonemia in dairy cows

Our objective was to investigate the effect of i.v. dextrose as an adjunct therapy to oral propylene glycol on the resolution of hyperketonemia (HYK; blood β-hydroxybutyrate ≥1.2 mmol/L), disease incidence, and early lactation milk yield. Cows (n = 1,249) between 3 and 16 d in milk (DIM) from 4 New York dairy farms were screened once weekly for HYK for 2 wk. Those with HYK and no previous history of retained placenta, metritis, or HYK were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: 300 mL of oral 100% propylene glycol for 3 d (PG3); 300 mL of oral 100% propylene glycol for 3 d plus 500 mL i.v. 50% dextrose on d 1 (PG3D1); or 300 mL of oral 100% propylene glycol for 3 d plus 500 mL i.v. 50% dextrose on all 3 d (PG3D3). Cows with a blood β-hydroxybutyrate <1.2 mmol/L at initial screening were re-screened the following week and randomly assigned to the above treatment groups if blood β-hydroxybutyrate was ≥1.2 mmol/L. Cows were assessed for post-treatment HYK resolution 1 and 2 wk after initial HYK diagnosis. We collected farm-diagnosed occurrence of adverse events (sold, died, metritis, displaced abomasum, or ketosis) during the first 60 DIM and milk yield data from the first 10 wk of lactation from herd management software. We used mixed-effects multivariable Poisson regression models to assess the risk of post-treatment HYK resolution at 1 and 2 wk following initial HYK diagnosis and adverse event occurrence among treated cows. We used repeated-measures ANOVA to assess differences in average daily milk yield between treatments. The overall HYK incidence was 30.1% (n = 373). Sixty-four percent of cows (n = 237) were assigned to a treatment group in the first week (3 to 9 DIM), and 36% (n = 136) assigned the second week (10 to 16 DIM). The incidence of 1 or more adverse events during the first 60 DIM was 9.4% (n = 35). We found no effect of treatment on risk of post-treatment HYK resolution at wk 1 (PG3 56.9%, PG3D1 45.0%, PG3D3 50.0%) or wk 2 (PG3 60.0%, PG3D1 52.1%, PG3D3 59.5%) following initial diagnosis, or for risk of adverse event occurrence (PG3 7.4%, PG3D1 8.0%, PG3D3 12.6%). Average daily milk yield (mean ± SE) was similar between treatment groups (PG3: 42.7 ± 0.6 kg/d, PG3D1: 42.4 ± 0.6 kg/d, PG3D3: 42.6 ± 0.6 kg/d). The addition of dextrose for 1 or 3 d provided no improvement in resolution of ketosis assessed once weekly, reduction in adverse events during the first 60 d of lactation, or a difference in average daily milk yield during the first 10 wk of lactation.

Milking time hygiene interventions on dairy farms reduce spore counts in raw milk

Spore-forming bacteria, such as Paenibacillus spp. and Bacillus spp., can survive HTST pasteurization in spore form and affect the quality of dairy products (e.g., spoilage in fluid milk). With the demand for higher quality finished products that have longer shelf lives and that can be distributed further and to new markets, dairy processors are becoming interested in obtaining low-spore raw milk supplies. One method to reduce spores in the dairy system will require disrupting the transmission of spores from environmental locations, where they are often found at high concentrations (e.g., manure, bedding), into bulk tank raw milk. Previous research has suggested that cow hygiene factors (e.g., udder hygiene, level of spores in milk from individual cows) are important for the transmission of spores into bulk tank raw milk, suggesting that one potential strategy to reduce spores in bulk tank milk should target cow hygiene in the parlor. To that end, we conducted a study on 5 New York dairy farms over a 15-mo period to evaluate the effect of a combination of intervention strategies, applied together, on the levels of aerobic spores in bulk tank raw milk. The combination of interventions included (1) training milking staff to focus on teat-end cleaning during milking preparation, and (2) implementing changes in laundered towel preparation (i.e., use of detergent, chlorine bleach, and drying). Study design involved collecting bulk tank raw milk samples for a week before and a week after initiating the combination of interventions (i.e., training on the importance of teat-end cleaning and towel treatment). Observations on teat-end condition, udder hygiene scores, and number of kickoffs during milking were also collected for 24 h before and after implementation of the interventions. A total of 355 bulk tank raw milk samples were collected with mean mesophilic and thermophilic spore counts of 2.1 and 2.4 cfu/mL, respectively, before interventions were applied, and 1.6 and 1.5 cfu/mL, respectively, after the interventions were applied. These reductions represent decreases of 37 and 40% in bulk tank raw milk mesophilic spores and thermophilic spores, respectively. Importantly, spore reductions were observed during each of the 3 visits once the interventions were applied, and the largest reduction in spores was recorded for the first sampling after training the milking staff. Further, when a higher proportion of very rough teat ends was observed, bulk tank milk thermophilic spore counts were significantly higher. The intervention strategies tested here represent easy-to-execute cleaning strategies (e.g., focusing on teat-end hygiene and towel washing procedures) that can reduce bulk tank raw milk spore levels. Future studies should validate the effect of on-farm interventions for reduced spore raw milk on corresponding processed product quality and will need to verify the effects of these small changes on product shelf life.

Combining field phosphorus runoff risk assessments with whole-farm phosphorus balances to guide manure management decisions.

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural fields contributes to water quality degradation. A phosphorus index (PI) is a tool that scores fields based on P loss potential. Recently, a new transport × best or beneficial management practice (BMP) approach was proposed for the New York PI (NY-PI), which first scores fields using landscape-based transport factors (raw scores) and then offers various BMPs to reduce the score (i.e., risk of P transport). The final score is assigned a management implication (N needs based, P removal based, or zero P application), taking into account field-specific soil-test P (STP) and the farm's whole-farm P balance. With farmer and nutrient management planner input and data on field-specific transport factors and whole-farm P balances of 18 New York dairy farms, we set coefficients for transport factors, BMPs related to P application, and STP limits and determined the impact of implementation of the new NY-PI on manure management options. Based on raw scores, the proposed NY-PI initially limited manure application to 51% of the total cropland area of the participating farms (28% N-based, 23% P-based). Implementation of BMPs (i.e., changing the method and ground cover or timing of P application) allowed 43-98% of the land area to receive manure at N-based rates. For farms with whole-farm P balances within the feasible limits set for New York, an additional 0-50% of the land base was classified as N-based management, depending on BMP selection. These results show the ability of the new NY-PI to limit P applications on fields with high transport risk while incentivizing adoption of BMPs and improvements in whole-farm P management.

Complete Genome Sequences and Transmission Electron Micrographs of Listeria Phages of the Genus Homburgvirus.

Bacteriophages that infect the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were previously isolated from New York dairy farms. The complete genome sequences for three of these Listeria phages, with genome sizes of 64.6 to 65.7 kb, are presented here. Listeria phages LP-010, LP-013, and LP-031-2 are siphoviruses that belong to the genus Homburgvirus.

Labor-use efficiency and New York dairy farm financial performance

PurposeDairy farms, along with livestock and specialty crop farms, face a tight labor supply and increasing labor costs. To overcome the challenging labor market, farm managers can increase labor-use efficiency through both human resource and capital investments. However, little is known about the relationship between such investments and farm profitability. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between dairy farm financial performance and labor-use efficiency, as measured by labor productivity (milk sold per worker equivalent); labor costs (hired labor cost per unit of milk sold and hired labor cost per worker); and investment in labor-saving equipment.Design/methodology/approachCluster analysis is applied to partition dairy farms into three performance categories (high/middle/low), based on farms’ rate of return on equity, asset turnover ratios and net dairy income per hundredweight of milk. Next, the annual financial rank is fitted into both random- and farm-level fixed-effects ordered logit and linear models to estimate the relationship between dairy farms’ financial performance and labor-use efficiency. This study also investigates the implications of using a single financial indicator as a measure of financial performance, which is the dominant approach in literature.FindingsThe study finds that greater labor productivity and cost efficiency (as measured by hired labor cost per unit of milk sold) are associated with better farm financial performance. No statistically significant relationship is found between farm financial performance and both hired labor cost per worker and advance milking systems (a proxy of capital investment in labor-saving technology). Future studies would benefit from better measurements of labor-saving technology. This study also demonstrates inconsistency in regression results when individual financial variables are used as a measure of financial performance. The greater labor-use efficiency on high-performing farms may be a combination of hiring more-skilled workers and managerial strategies of reducing unnecessary labor activities. The results emphasize the importance of managerial strategies that improve overall labor-use efficiency, instead of simply minimizing total labor expenses or labor cost per worker.Originality/valueThis study examines the importance of labor productivity and labor cost efficiency for dairy farm management. It also develops a novel approach which brings a more comprehensive financial performance evaluation into regression models. Furthermore, this study explicitly demonstrates the potential for inconsistent results when using individual financial variable as a measure of financial performance, which is the dominant measurement of financial performance in farm management studies.

Influence of producers’ attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control for practicing prudent use of antimicrobials on New York dairy farms

Targeted communication concerning the judicious use of antimicrobials is vital to address public health concerns such as residues and resistance. Understanding dairy farmers’ behavior, motivations, and barriers toward antimicrobial use can influence how veterinarians translate research into practice and guide effective ways of implementing protocols. A multidisciplinary team investigated behavioral tendencies toward antimicrobial use by administering a survey modeled with the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA). The RAA is a framework from social psychology containing the constructs attitude (A), perceived norms (PN), and perceived behavioral control (perception of the ease or difficulty of a behavior; PBC), and is used in combination with structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine what drives intentions (I). The objective of the survey was to provide direct and indirect measures of these constructs to determine importance of and associations with intention to use antimicrobials prudently.

Understanding the effect of producers' attitudes, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control on intentions to use antimicrobials prudently on New York dairy farms.

Understanding farmers’ behavior, motivations, and perceptions toward antimicrobial use can influence how veterinarians translate research into practice and guide effective ways of implementing protocols. A multidisciplinary team investigated behavioral tendencies of New York dairy farmers toward antimicrobial use by administering a survey modeled with the reasoned action approach. This approach is a framework from social psychology containing the constructs attitude, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control, and is used in combination with structural equation modeling to determine what drives intentions. Multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) models were then used to determine the effects of beliefs on their underlying constructs. The objective of the study was to provide direct and indirect measures of the constructs using survey data to determine importance of and associations with intention to use antimicrobials prudently. The structural equation model indicated that perceived behavioral control explained intention. Thus, farmers who feel capable of prudent use expressed positive intentions. Attitude and perception of others also had influence to a lesser extent. MIMIC models showed that the most important attributes of instrumental attitude were increasing profitability, decreasing risk of residues, and increasing herd health. Contributing attributes of affective attitude were job satisfaction, decreasing resistance, and increasing milk production. For perceived norms, the attributes were opinions/approval of family and peers, veterinarians, and milk processors. Finally, for perceived behavioral control, attributes focused on saving money on labor and treatment, ability to fit into the daily routine, and effectiveness with veterinary guidance. In conclusion, the best approach for adoption of practices might be presentation of examples of successful strategies by other producers, particularly in peer groups. In addition, veterinarians should provide the tools and guidance needed to produce economic gain, reduction of risks associated with residues and resistance, and positive experiences when using the tactics.

Bacterial spore levels in bulk tank raw milk are influenced by environmental and cow hygiene factors

Sporeforming bacteria are responsible for the spoilage of several dairy products including fluid milk, cheese, and products manufactured using dried dairy powders as ingredients. Sporeforming bacteria represent a considerable challenge for the dairy industry because they primarily enter the dairy product continuum at the farm, survive processing hurdles, and subsequently grow in finished products. As such, strategies to reduce spoilage due to this group of bacterial contaminants have focused on understanding the effect of farm level factors on the presence of spores in bulk tank raw milk with the goal of reducing spore levels in raw milk, as well as understanding processing contributions to spore levels and outgrowth in finished products. The goal of the current study was to investigate sources of spores in the farm environment and survey farm management practices to identify variables using multimodel inference, a model averaging approach that eliminates the uncertainty of traditional model selection approaches, that affect the presence and levels of spores in bulk tank raw milk. To this end, environmental samples including feed, bedding, manure, soil, water, and so on, and bulk tank raw milk were collected twice from 17 upstate New York dairy farms over a 19-mo period and the presence and levels of various spore types (e.g., psychrotolerant, mesophilic, thermophilic, highly heat resistant thermophilic, specially thermoresistant thermophilic, and anaerobic butyric acid bacteria) were assessed. Manure had the highest level of spores for 4 out of 5 aerobic spore types with mean counts of 5.87, 5.22, 4.35, and 3.68 log cfu/g of mesophilic, thermophilic, highly heat resistant thermophilic, and specially thermoresistant thermophilic spores, respectively. In contrast, bulk tank raw milk had mean spore levels below 1 log cfu/mL across spore types. Multimodel inference was used to determine variables (i.e., management factors, environmental spore levels, and meteorological data from each sampling) that were important for presence or levels of each spore type in bulk tank raw milk. Analyses indicated that variables of importance for more than one spore type included the residual level of spores in milk from individual cows after thorough teat cleaning and forestripping, udder hygiene, clipping or flaming of udders, spore level in feed commodities, spore level in parlor air, how often bedding was topped up or changed, the use of recycled manure bedding, and the use of sawdust bedding. These results improve our understanding of how spores transfer from environmental sources into bulk tank raw milk and provide information that can be used to design intervention trials aimed at reducing spore levels in raw milk.

Short communication: Oral and intranasal administration of a modified-live Salmonella Dublin vaccine in dairy calves: Clinical efficacy and serologic response

Our objectives were to evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral and intranasal administration of a commercial modified-live Salmonella Dublin vaccine in dairy calves and to determine the serologic response associated with these extralabel routes of administration. We conducted a randomized field trial with calves from a New York dairy farm following an outbreak of Salmonella Dublin. A total of 399 Holstein calves were allocated by pen to 3 treatment groups: oral vaccination, intranasal vaccination, and an unvaccinated control group. Administration of the vaccine through oral and intranasal routes did not have a significant effect on pneumonia incidence risk or weight gain; however, calves vaccinated orally and intranasally had lower mortality risk as compared with control calves. Among calves tested using a Salmonella Dublin ELISA, vaccination did not induce an increase in antibody production relative to control calves, indicating that oral and intranasal administration will not hinder diagnosis based on this assay.

Decoding Worker “Reliability”: Modern Agrarian Values and Immigrant Labor on New York Dairy Farms

AbstractThis article examines the reasons offered by New York dairy farmers for hiring undocumented immigrant workers in their milking parlors, and connects those discourses to broader economic and cultural change in U.S. agrarian society. Based on interviews with 25 dairy farmers on 22 farms, this article examines farmers’ assessments of the Amish, white non‐Amish, Puerto Rican, and undocumented Latino labor pool. The analysis shows that farmers consider undocumented immigrants the most “reliable” workforce, and that their reliability stems from their deportability and from their separation from their families, which drives them to work long hours. I argue that farmer discourses about immigrant “reliability” must be understood in the context of economic pressure to adopt a more commercial orientation to dairying, and of modern agrarian values that prize urban middle‐class lifestyles. Ultimately, worker “reliability” is a euphemism for the transnational separation of workers from their families, and one that is operationalized by farmers to justify the pursuit of economic success and more leisure time off the farm.

Herd-level prevalence of Salmonella Dublin among New York dairy farms based on antibody testing of bulk tank milk.

Salmonella Dublin is an important cause of salmonellosis among dairy cattle and poses a considerable threat to public health. This serotype is increasingly being identified among bovine Salmonella isolates from clinical samples in the north-eastern United States, and these isolates are generally multidrug resistant. Our objective was to estimate the herd-level prevalence of Salmonella Dublin among dairy cattle herds throughout New York. Bulk tank milk samples from nearly all commercial dairy herds in New York were collected from milk quality testing laboratories during the first half of 2013. Antibody testing of bulk tank milk was performed using a Salmonella Dublin ELISA kit. Samples representing 4,896 commercial dairies were collected, and antibodies against Salmonella Dublin were detected in 46 herds (0.9%; 95% CI, 0.7%-1.3%). Given the herd-level sensitivity of ELISA testing for Salmonella Dublin in bulk tank milk at a single timepoint, this approach presumably underestimated the true prevalence. Some Salmonella Dublin-positive herds had both positive and negative bulk tanks at the same sampling time, indicating that herds with multiple tanks should test all of them when using this ELISA. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiologic features of Salmonella Dublin in the north-eastern United States, including risk factors for introduction into dairy herds and principal transmission pathways.

Assisting New York Dairy Farms with Preparing for OSHA Safety Inspections

ABSTRACTIn 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a Local Emphasis Program targeted at New York farmers. This program involved random inspections of dairy farms across the state. This article provides an overview of the efforts made in New York to prepare farmers for these inspections. As a result of this program launch, several safety services offered by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health were significantly impacted, and required expansion and modification in order to meet the needs of New York farmers.

An Estimated Structural Model of Entrepreneurial Behavior

Using a rich panel of owner-operated New York dairy farms, we provide new evidence on entrepreneurial behavior. We formulate a dynamic model of farms facing uninsured risks and financial constraints. Farmers derive nonpecuniary benefits from operating their businesses. We estimate the model via simulated minimum distance, matching both production and financial data. We find that financial factors and nonpecuniary benefits are of first-order importance. Collateral constraints and liquidity restrictions inhibit borrowing and the accumulation of capital. The nonpecuniary benefits to farming are large and keep small, low-productivity farms in business. Although farmers are risk averse, eliminating uninsured risk has only modest effects on capital and output.

An Estimated Structural Model of Entrepreneurial Behavior

Using a rich panel of owner-operated New York dairy farms, we provide new evidence on entrepreneurial behavior. We formulate a dynamic model of farms facing uninsured risks and financial constraints. Farmers derive nonpecuniary benefits from operating their businesses. We estimate the model via simulated minimum distance, matching both production and financial data. We find that financial factors and nonpecuniary benefits are of first-order importance. Collateral constraints and liquidity restrictions inhibit borrowing and the accumulation of capital, especially among high-productivity firms seeking to expand. The nonpecuniary benefits to farming are large and keep small, low-productivity farms in business. Although farmers are risk averse, eliminating uninsured production risk has only modest effects on capital and output. (JEL C51, D24, G32, Q12, Q14)

Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Climate Change Adaptation in Dairy Production Using Farm Simulation

Process-level modeling at the farm scale provides a tool for evaluating strategies for both mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. The Integrated Farm System Model (IFSM) simulates representative crop, beef, or dairy farms over many years of weather to predict performance, economics, and environmental impacts including various emissions and a farm-gate life cycle assessment of carbon, energy, water, and reactive nitrogen footprints of the feed, meat, or milk produced. To illustrate use of the model, a representative dairy farm in central New York was simulated over 25 years of recent historical weather to determine the environmental benefits and economic costs of alternative manure handling strategies. Use of an enclosed manure storage with a flare to burn the methane produced decreased the farm-gate carbon footprint of the milk produced by 20% at an increased annual cost of $42 cow-1. Using an anaerobic digester to produce gas and electricity used on the farm reduced the carbon footprint by 19% and reduced profitability by $56 cow-1. The addition of subsurface injection of manure along with a reduction in N fertilizer use greatly reduced ammonia emission from the farm and increased annual profit by $9 cow-1. Climate change is projected to affect many aspects of dairy production, including growing season length, crop growth processes, harvest timing and losses, cattle performance, nutrient emissions and losses, and ultimately farm profitability. Climate projections for high and low emission scenarios were downscaled from nine general circulation models. IFSM was then used to simulate the same New York dairy farm over 25-year periods using recent, mid-century, and late century climate projected by each of the climate models. Simulations were done without and with adaptation through modified crop varieties and planting and harvest dates. Forage production normally increased with projected climate change and corn grain yields decreased, and together feed production was maintained. Warmer temperatures increased volatile loss of ammonia N, and changes in precipitation patterns increased nutrient runoff losses in surface water. The reactive N footprint of the milk produced was increased by 2% to 11% with the change in climate, but other environmental footprints were relatively unaffected. With appropriate adaptation to climate change, annual farm profitability increased by about $100 cow-1. However, for the high emission, late century projection, profit decreased by $10 cow-1 and the risk or annual variance in profit increased by 34%, reflecting greater annual variation in crop and animal productivity. Whole-farm and climate models provide useful tools for studying the benefits and costs of greenhouse gas mitigation and the adaptation of farms to changing climate.