ALBANY CO., N.Y. — Farmer Discussion Group meetings in December hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany and the Capital Area Agriculture & Horticulture Program will focus on machinery costs, how to manage those costs, and deciding when to rent, purchase, or upgrade machinery. The topic of insects will also be discussed to teach farmers what to look for when identifying insects. Attendees will practice with hand lenses and insect specimens. They will also practice sending pictures of insects with a phone, so that CCE Educators can help them diagnose problems in the field. All meetings are from noon to 2 pm. Lunch is provided by sponsors. One pesticide applicator recertification credit availability is pending. For questions and RSVP, please contact Aaron Gabriel (518-380-1496, adg12@cornell.edu) or Sandy Buxton (518-1498, sab22@cornell.edu) or RSVP o nline, https://pub.cce.cornell.edu/event_registration/main/events.cfm.
Managing machinery costs is critical for farmers of all size operations. It requires a large investment of money, and it takes close management to get a profitable return on it. Farmers have the option of repairing, purchasing, and renting machinery. Making the decision requires knowing what it costs you to perform machinery operations. Methods and worksheets will be available at the Discussion Group meeting. Concerning insects, farmers will remember 2017 as the year of the potato leafhopper. It turned many crops a sickly yellow, including alfalfa, hops, potatoes, beans, and more. It can be tricky identifying insects, especially the small ones like the potato leafhopper. Farmers will get a chance to learn and practice their insect identifying skills by attending the Discussion Group meeting.
Noon to 2 pm
December 19th @ Brunswick Family Community Center
19 Keyes Ln, Troy, NY (Rensselaer County)
December 20th @ CCE – Columbia/Greene Office
479 Rte 66, Hudson, NY (Columbia County)
December 21st @ Agroforestry Resource Center
6055 NY Rte 23, Acra, NY (Greene County)
—Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County
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