NEAFA Member Profile: Gold Star Feed and Grain

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month, NEAFA spoke with Jason Lent, the General Manager for Gold Star Feed and Grain (GSFG). “I’m based out of Strykersville, NY, and have been the General Manager for the past year,” said Lent. “I worked my way into agriculture. I went to school at the University of Cincinnati, where I studied marketing and management, and then received a MBA in finance. My first job after school was doing credit and then accounting for consumer goods at Sara Lee. I then worked for Land O’Lakes (LOL) in Minnesota. I worked on the dairy foods side for  five years, and then spent two years in California at their Tulare Processing Plant. It was out there that I got introduced to the parent company for GSFG, J.D. Heiskell and Company, during a joint venture between them and LOL on Golden State Feed and Grain. That’s really what got me interested in the agricultural side of the business. I really enjoyed my time with JDH on that project, but I had to get back to Minnesota, where I spent the next seven years in a variety of roles for LOL. When I decided that I needed a change, JDH was always the first place that I said I would call. I took a roll in Amarillo as the assistant general manager for 3 years, until the opportunity opened up at Gold Star, and I took on my current role.”

The focus at GSFG is on dairy cow feed according to Lent. “We’re 99% dairy cow feed,” said Lent. “We manufacture and deliver to dairy farms from Western NY to Central NY and a little bit in Pennsylvania. We’ve got four locations across Western and Central NY. We have feed mills in Strykersville, Springville, Adams Center, and Sangerfield, NY (including a grain elevator across the street). We have 125 Employees, and as the general manager I’m able to interact with all the people day in and out. I work with all aspects of the business, and the hardworking people we have are a big part of what we do. We’ve doubled in size in the last two years. It’s been a lot of change, and leading through that has been a lot of fun.”

Being new to the Northeast, Lent has just started to get to know NEAFA. “I went to golf for good works this year, and that was my first event with NEAFA,” said Lent. I just moved here a year ago, and now that my family is here, we’re getting entrenched in the culture of the area. We’re looking to get more involved in organizations that do more for agriculture and our community. The support that the organization gives to the industry in the North East is such a huge benefit to the area. Being a part of that is great, and obviously the networking opportunity is fantastic. The events that they host and the opportunity to get to visit with vendors and others across the industry is great.”

Looking forward, Lent is excited for the future of GSFG. “We’re going to continue to look for opportunities to grow,” said Lent. The main office is moving to East Aurora in October, we continue to invest in our feed mills and people, and it feels like the NY Market is setup well for the future. There’s investment going on in milk processing, and that should continue to increase demand. We’re looking forward to continuing to service this market and to grow with it.”

For more on Gold Star Feed and Grain, visit: https://www.goldstarfeed.com/

Celebrating Dairy Day at the NYS Fair

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

Vice-President NEAFA

As usual, Dairy Day at the Great New York State Fair was all dairy, all the time, kicking off with the Dairy Day Recognition and Awards ceremony on August 31.  In addition to the many awards for dairy products (197 entries across 26 categories), a few of New York dairy industry’s top dairy leaders were also honored.  

This column has often mentioned the need to keep our industry vibrant by making sure there is a robust pipeline of young people interested in pursuing careers in the dairy industry.  For the last 25 years, Debbie Grusenmeyer, Senior Extension Associate in the PRO-Dairy Program at Cornell, has been doing just that.  Debbie works tirelessly to coordinate with county and regional 4-H extension educators across the state to conduct the regional and state 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowls.  Debbie was instrumental in reformatting the quiz bowl to reflect more about modern dairy management and reduce the emphasis on arcane dairy trivia.  Debbie also coordinates youth cattle judging clinics and contests around the state in which over 300 students participate each year.  Her singular achievement has probably been the creation of the Junior Dairy Leader program in which 16 to 19 year olds spend a year learning about dairy careers, leadership and professional development opportunities in the dairy industry. We can certainly attribute a full generation of New York’s dairy leaders having been impacted by Debbie’s programs. In recognition of her work, Debbie was honored with the NY Dairy of Distinction Distinguished Person of the Year award.

Sunnyside Farms, operated by the Rejman family, was also honored with one of the PRO-Dairy Agriservice awards for 2023.  Neil and Greg Rejman received the award from Department of Ag & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball and PRO-Dairy Director, Tom Overton.  Sunnyside Farms was recognized for decades of collaboration with Cornell programs, from years-long research studies with the vet college and animal science department, as a case study subject for nutrient management and animal welfare programs with PRO-Dairy staff and as a host for countless farm tours with visitors from all corners of the globe.  The Rejmans themselves have been active leaders and advocates for the dairy industry in local, state, regional and national forums.

The second Agriservice award was presented to John Lehr of Farm Credit East.  John was honored for his activity in farm business management programs and applied research for dairy farms and especially for his development of the Dairy Advancement Program.  This program is run by NYS Department of Ag & Markets and Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure the long-term viability of NY’s dairy industry through adoption of sound, economically viable environmental stewardship practices.  The program’s continuing success can be attributed to the outstanding collaboration between state government, New York dairies, Cornell’s Pro-Dairy program and agriservice professionals who work on implementation of the recommended practices.  

This year’s Dairy Day awardees exemplify all three of NEAFA’s pillars of Advocacy, Collaboration and Education and really demonstrate how individuals truly can make a difference across an entire industry.  Our congratulations and thanks go out to this year’s award winners.

Member Profile: Arm & Hammer Animal Food Production

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

For the August member profile, NEAFA spoke with Andy Schwytzer, a strategic account manager for Arm & Hammer’s Animal and Food Production, which is a division of specialty products for Church & Dwight. “I’ve worked with Arm & Hammer for 6.5 years now,” said Schwytzer. “I’m mostly focused on dairy nutrition feed additives. Arm & Hammer has a long history with agriculture, and we’re committed to innovating and delivering industry leading advancements throughout the food chain. Part of that is through the acquisition of several different companies in the past 8 years to include pre and pro-biotics for our portfolio of products.” 

That long history includes some interesting stories according to Schwytzer’s colleague, Elliot Block. “I don’t “know” (the full story) but I can tell you the myth,” said Block. “It was bicarbonate that was sold into agriculture, and the story is that sometime in the early 1850’s, the company noticed a lot of sodium bicarbonate being sold to bakeries. The amounts were WAY more that the bakeries could use for their sales of baked goods. After investigating, they found out that dairy farmers were buying 50 lb bags from bakeries to feed to their cows. But it wasn’t until the 1960s that C&D actually formed an animal feed business group. Until then, there was a product manager in consumer goods that managed the cow business.”

For Schwytzer, animal husbandry and agriculture were a daily part of life growing up. “My dad is a veterinarian,” said Schwytzer. “I grew up working on dairy farms and went to Cornell for a degree in Animal Science. I did dairy nutrition for 5 years, and I’ve been in the industry my whole career after graduating in 2001. As a teenager, milking cows was a paycheck, but it soon turned into a love for animals. Today, what’s fulfilling for me on a macro level, is the contribution that Arm & Hammer, myself, and frankly all the other companies involved with NEAFA make to society. We’re committed to feeding the world. Personally, the ability to work with all of the professionals in this industry is a privilege.

Being a NEAFA member is an important part to working in the Northeast according to Schwytzer. “I’ve been a member for over a decade,” said Schwytzer. “The biggest things that it does for the industry, in my opinion, is its lobbying and policy work. For me personally, it’s been the business relationships that have developed into more personal relationships with the members involved at NEAFA. Customers of mine have become friends through the events that NEAFA hosts. I go to the Golf for Good Works every year. I go to the annual meetings. I find them informative and a good way to learn about policy. They help me learn and understand about what policies are pivotal to agriculture, and about how I can impact those policies on an individual basis.”

Looking toward the future, Schwytzer believes that ag in the Northeast will be in good hands. “What I’m most excited about are all the new people entering the industry,” said Schwytzer. “The skill level, dedication, and the business acumen are all things that they’re bringing with them that just blow me away. To know that an organization like NEAFA, through their scholarship program and the fellowship at Cornell, are helping to encourage and educate today’s youth for tomorrow, well I think those investments are really paying off.”

For more information on Arm & Hammer’s Animal Food Production division, click here.

New York Congressional Redistricting Update

Hinman Straub

Initially, the New York State Supreme Court (the State’s lowest court – not THE Supreme Court) denied an attempt by Congressional Democrats to require that new lines be drawn for New York State congressional districts. Congressional Democrats argued that the lines drawn by the special master – to replace those that were rejected by the court for being an unconstitutional gerrymander as well as an unconstitutional process for the drawing of the lines – were only meant to be used in the 2022 elections and that the Independent Redistricting Commission (“IRC”) should draw new lines – as required in the state Constitution. The Judge rejected that argument based on the lack of process for such a redrawing of the lines in the state constitution. In fact, the timelines under which the IRC is authorized to act are specifically outlined in the state constitution – this  current action of course falling well outside of the prescribed timelines within which the IRC is authorized to act. 

A majority of appellate judges (those in the Appellate Division – the Court in between the  State Supreme Court and the New York State Court of Appeals ), ignoring the actual language of the State Constitution, overturned this decision in a 3-2 vote and ordered the IRC to draw new congressional maps for 2024. The Congressional Republicans have appealed this decision. The New York State Court of Appeals (the State’s highest court) is set to hear arguments  on this case in November. It is hard to predict how they will decide. But, to casual observers of politics and the courts, based on the issues surrounding Hector LaSalle’s spiked confirmation and Judge Rowan Wilson’s ascension as Chief Judge – it appears as though Congress is likely to get new lines. Stayed tuned in November!

Summer Advocacy Continues

By Julie Marlette, Hinman Straub, Special for NEAFA

NEAFA leadership, in partnership with Hinman Straub, has  remained active in advocacy through the summer months. In addition to continued advocacy in opposition of enactment of the legislature’s proposed ban on neonic treated seeds (S.1856-A, Hoylman-Sigal / A.7640, Glick, NEAFA has also submitted a veto request to the Governor, seeking her disapproval of legislation that would authorize certain local governments to adopt local laws or ordinances prohibiting the application of pesticides to wetlands they regulate, except those being used for the control of invasive species (S.5957, Harckham/A.5949, Burdick). Identical wetlands legislation was  vetoed by this Governor last year. That veto message can be read here. 

NEAFA has continued to meet with the  Governor’s office on both of these bills, to share concerns, opposition and request that the bills be vetoed. NEAFA, alongside other advocates, also met with staff from  the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, one of two state agencies that will be instrumental in advising the Governor on her final action to voice concerns on these issues.  

NEAFA has shared  a formal written veto requests  which can be viewed by clicking here.

You can help amplify opposition to these bills by sending a message to the Governor as well. The New York State Farm Bureau has made automated messages available here: 

Neonic Letter in Opposition

Wetland Letter in Opposition

Coast to Cows to Consumer Project

Dairy herd grazing on the Wolfe’s Neck Center farm. Wolfe’s Neck is an outreach dairy partner of the Coast to Cow to Consumer project (Photo by Wolfe’s Neck Center).

By Dr. Nichole Price, Senior Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences

The Coast Cow Consumer (C3) project investigates novel algae-based feed additives. We seek naturally produced compounds that reduce enteric methane emissions and enhance milk quality and production.   

Certain marine alga feed additives (for example, Asparagopsis spp.) have very limited availability on the market, and are not yet certified by FDA. However, alternative algae formulations may be just as effective at drastically reducing methane ‘burps’ and provide additional cow nutritional benefits. C3 focuses on algal strains that are far more scalable for mass production, use recycled natural resources, and are often already GRAS certified.

C3 is a partnership across research nonprofits (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, William H. Miner Institute), academic institutes (Colby College, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, Clarkson University, Syracuse University) and outreach specialists (Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Wolfe’s Neck Center).  Collectively, we use laboratory assays, animal feeding trials, mathematical modeling exercises, socioeconomic impact analyses, life cycle assessment, techno economic analyses, and stakeholder engagement activities to develop pragmatic candidate products. Our solutions balance environmental, economic, and social considerations together with aquaculturists’ and dairy farmers’ interest and acceptance.

C3 program director Dr. Nichole Price will be presenting the latest research from the first two years of our five-year project at the 2024 NEAFA Annual Meeting, and we invite you to join us!

For more information, visit our website at coastcowconsumer.com

2023 Golf for Good Works a Resounding Success

By Charlie Elrod, Ph.D. Vice-President, NEAFA, President, Natural Biologics, Inc.

One could not have asked for more spectacular weather or a better crowd for the 2023 Golf for Good Works tournament on August 22nd at the Turning Stone golf course.  110 golfers signed up to participate and about half that number turned out for the reception on Monday evening.  The skies were clear, the temperatures in the mid-70s and winds were calm as we gathered to enjoy reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.

The next morning was blissfully cool as the group started gathering around 6:30 for sign-in, breakfast, coffee, more fellowship and putting practice.  John Clark, chair of the Good Works committee, welcomed everyone and provided a recap of how the funds raised in this event go to support the next generation of dairy leaders.  FFA scholarships and support for the Northeast Collegiate Dairy Challenge are just two of the efforts supported by NEAFA through the Golf for Good Works.  John then introduced Ella Underberg, the President of the New York State Chapter of FFA.  Ella welcomed everyone and thanked the golfers for their support of FFA. Todd Lighthall, Executive Director of the NY FFA chapter also welcomed the group and thanked them for their support.  He also put in a plug for the NYS FFA Golf Tournament to be held October 7th.  

After brief instructions from the golf superintendent the teams took off for their appointed starting hole on the course.  In the end about 100 golfers played with the team of Tom Buck, Mark Absalom, Michael O’Neill and Luke Lines taking first place with a score of 61, or 11 under par, followed closely (actually with the same score, but decided using the USGA tie-breaking method) by the team of Mark Anderson, Zach Anderson, John Myers and Brad Saunders.  Third place, and only trailing by one point, was the team of Chris Pierpont, Shane Laurie, Kyle Laurie and Paul Pratico.  NEAFA’s Treasurer, excelling as he does in all things, got the high score with his team.  

After about 5 hours of play the teams began to trickle back in for the awards lunch.  The excitement was evident as everyone recounted the highs and lows of their day, but universally the fantastic course and perfect weather were the hallmarks of a great day of golf.  Visit the photo gallery to see pictures of the day on the NEAFA website.

While it was a great day for golf, more importantly, it was a great day of fundraising for an important cause.  The first accounting for the day suggests that over $8000 was raised to support programs for youth in dairy.  The hole-in-one competition netted about $1200 for the Northeast Dairy Challenge. Thank you to the many NEAFA member companies who contributed so generously to the tournament.  

For results from the tournament, click here.

President's Pen: August 2023

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

It is time for the changing of the seasons again – cooler nights, State Fair, kids returning to school – signs of the harvest to come!  Last month, we focused on the advocacy efforts that NEAFA is involved with and with another great turnout for the annual Golf for Good Works tournament, collaboration seems to be a great topic to explore this month!

Collaboration can be defined in many ways, but visually the diversity of members, friends, agricultural partners and non-agricultural partners that were in the Turning Stone ballroom on August 22 demonstrated collaborating to support youth education through many agricultural organizations.  The partnerships, sponsorships and participation by so many from diverse backgrounds was amazing.  Great weather, great golf and conversation – all positives from your collaboration.  Thank you again for all your support!  See the recap of the Golf for Good Works event in this newsletter!

NEAFA has viewed collaboration as a key pillar in education and advocacy.  A few highlights from these pillars include:

• Education – the investment that NEAFA put into the two faculty positions within the Department of Animal Science at Cornell continues to pay dividends for our members.  Dr. Charlie Elrod and I were fortunate to get some time with Dr. Kristan Reed and Dr. Joe McFadden in July to review updates with their research programs.  Their focus on environmental modeling and mitigation of greenhouse gas production will continue to help our producers and industry solve challenges and potential future regulations around sustainability.  Stay tuned for updates from both Dr. Reed and Dr. McFadden at our Annual meeting, taking place February 6-7, 2024 in Albany.

• Advocacy – NEAFA’s collaboration with Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance (VDPA) has resulted in a collaborative investment to have Shouldice and Associates represent our legislative priorities in Vermont.  NEAFA is excited to invest in a collective voice with VDPA with the goal of multiplying efforts from both organizations.  As a result of this collaboration, NEAFA will have a seat on the VDPA board.  Kevin Kouri will serve on the board of VDPA and help shape the future of this important collaboration in Vermont.  We look forward to an update on this new collaboration at our Annual meeting as well.

• Advocacy – NEAFA is proud to continue to work with several industry groups to collaborate on legislative priorities and promotion of agriculture through several annual events.  Again, the goal of collaborating with groups such as Northeast Dairy Producers’ Association, New York Farm Bureau, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance, GROW-NY, Council of Agricultural Organizations (CAO) is to identify common priorities (realizing not all priorities are in common with all groups).  This fall, we look forward to collaborating with these groups to help craft legislative priorities around transportation that were brainstormed this past year.  More to come, but we welcome your input to these priorities as we work with Hinman Straub to shape what NEAFA focuses and collaborates with other agricultural organizations on next legislative session!

Lastly, collaboration isn’t possible without a strong membership – the heart and soul of NEAFA.  At our last strategy session, we had healthy discussion around NEAFA’s mission and if we are “inclusive” versus “exclusive” to our membership.  As we tackle the consolidation of some parts of our agriculture industry in the Northeast, we are happy that we have taken the “inclusive” approach and reached out to get more diversity on our board and members from the ag finance, insurance, transportation, equipment suppliers to broaden our voice.  At one of our first board meetings this year, we discussed what we want members and the industry to think of when they heard our name – NEAFA.  New board member Jen Conard from NBT Bank said “to be the Chamber of Commerce for Agriculture.”   I think that is fitting as we all collaborate to advocate and educate for agriculture throughout the Northeast.  If you collaborate with partners in your day to day, please encourage them to become members of NEAFA – the first year is half off as a bonus!  

Stay tuned for more information on our Annual Meeting, to be held February 6-7, 2024 in Albany at the Marriott on Wolf Road, which will include lobby day activities at the Capitol, updates from our many collaborations and an agenda around the theme “Navigating the New Frontier.”  

Have a safe and enjoyable end to summer!

An Update from AFIA

Louise Calderwood Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs | American Feed Industry Association

With the advent of summer, legislative issues are slowing down but the American Feed Industry Association still has several topics we are tracking closely.

Food Safety:  Traceability, kill steps and mycotoxins.

We are hearing from state regulators that some animal feed and pet food manufacturers still do not have a way to trace their products in the event of a recall despite the Food Safety Modernization Act requirements which have been in place for years. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is considering development of a model regulation which could then be adopted by states to require lot numbers on animal food labels. We feel there is more progress to be made through education rather than moving to a regulatory approach, but it is discouraging that twenty years after the bioterrorism act requirements for trace forward/trace back, some firms are still unable to comply with a fundamental principle for a food safety system.

Similarly, we have been told that some animal food and animal food ingredient manufacturers are experiencing increased attention being paid to mycotoxins during state and federal FSMA inspections. The most recent report on mycotoxins in animal food was published by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine in 2016. The FDA has expressed an interest in developing multi-analyte testing systems to support rapid testing of several mycotoxins from a single sample of ingredients or feed. It might be a good time to review your procedures for controlling the presence of mycotoxins in ingredients and feed.

Animal Food Additives

In 2020, the AFIA alerted the CVM to 25-year-old policy guidance that has prevented animal food manufacturers from clearly identifying on their product labels the non-nutritive benefits (e.g., reduced food safety pathogens or emissions) their animal food ingredients can produce in animals, unless they are reviewed through the agency’s cumbersome drug approval process.  

This request spurred action, leading the CVM to hold a listening session and comment period for stakeholders in late 2022. Many organizations including the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance joined the AFIA in calling for the agency to regulate these products as feeds, not drugs, given they act primarily in animals’ gut microbiomes and are already safely used on farms in other countries. 

By 2023, the CVM began working with Congress to modernize its policy to keep pace with scientific innovation and proposed statutory changes to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that would establish a new regulatory category – zootechnical animal food substances – to review these novel ingredients. The agency said it needed the legal authority of congressional approval to make this change, so the AFIA took its advocacy efforts to Capitol Hill. Once again, NEAFA joined us in sending a clear message to legislators about the need for this change. Thank you!

Now, Congress is considering a legislative solution – the Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development (Innovative FEED) Act – to bring about the necessary changes to put U.S. agriculture on par with its international counterparts and move the United States closer to achieving its public health and environmental challenges.   The Act recently passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee on another piece of legislation with a strong showing of bipartisan support. We now wait for the full Senate to act and conference the differences with the House version. 

Neonic Advocacy Continues

By Julie Marlette, Hinman Straub, Special for NEAFA

Since the end of session in June, NEAFA leadership, in partnership with Hinman Straub has continued to advocate in opposition of enactment of the legislature’s proposed ban on neonic treated seeds. NEAFA is meeting regularly with industry partners including the New York State Fam Bureau and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association to coordinate efforts and share information. 

NEAFA has already met with the Governor’s office once since the end of session to reiterate  the concerns and opposition, and will be having a second meeting with them shortly, to drill down further on the issues with the proposal. NEAFA will be joining a number of coalition partners in the coming weeks to meet with staff from  the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, one of two stat agencies that will be instrumental in advising the Governor on her final action.  

Finally, NEAFA has also shared  a formal written veto request  which can be viewed by clicking here.

You can help amplify this message by sending a message to the governor as well. The New York State Farm Bureau has made an automated  message available here: 

Neonic Letter in Opposition

An Opportunity to Advocate for Ag

By Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

President, Natural Biologics, Inc. Vice-President NEAFA

How often have those of us in agriculture griped that the 99% of people who aren’t in ag don’t know what, how or why we do things?  How many of us take the opportunity to engage in conversations with our non-farming compatriots to inform and help dispel myths or misperceptions?  Volunteering at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the NYS Fair is one great way to move the needle and make a difference with the public right here at home.  

For the tenth year, the NY Animal Ag Coalition will be hosting the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the NYS Fair from August 23rd to September 4th.  Over 300 dairy farmers and allied industry volunteers play a vital role interacting with members of the public as they watch cows in labor, give birth and calves receive their first bottle of colostrum.  What has become one of the top-ranking attractions at the state fair only happens with cows brought to the center by host farms, hundreds of volunteer hours to staff the center and financial support from the industry.  Over 200,000 visitors come through the birthing center each year, including “Super Fans” who have been there every single year.  At least 700 more will be watching online during the live births.

The farms which will loan expectant cows to the Birthing Center this year include:

Locust Hill Dairy

Stein Farms

Pine Hollow Dairy

Patterson Farms

Twin Birch Farm

Walnut Ridge Dairy

Dr. Carie Telgen, a veteran volunteer at the Birthing Center says "In 10 years of volunteering at the Dairy Cattle Birthing Center, I have countless memories with fair-goers of all ages, where spending 5 or 10 minutes in open, honest conversation, has positively changed their mind about the dairy industry and the products we produce. No doubt, they can be the most exhausting 2 days of my summer, but hands-down the most fulfilling!”

If you would like to sign up to volunteer at the Birthing Center, please follow this link and pick the days and times when you can help.

NEAFA Member Profile: Balchem

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month’s NEAFA member highlight is of Balchem’s Animal Nutrition and Health Division, based out of Montvale, NJ. “Balchem has three segments,” said Luke Lines, the Business Development Manager for the East. “Human Nutrition and Health, Specialty Products, and of course Animal Nutrition and Health. I cover everything East of the Mississippi and all of Canada. Balchem operates globally. We were based out of New Hampton, NY until last year, but we outgrew the facilities there. Last fall we moved to Montvale, NJ.

Balchem is a global leader in choline production, nutrient encapsulation, chelated minerals and functional ingredients. “Our chelation process works to fulfill the unique needs of various animal species including nutrition, gut health, and feed quality,” said Lines. “We also understand that due to animal diversity and the ever-shifting environment in which they’re raised, no animal or situation is the same. This is our area of expertise in animal nutrition and health. We produce all of these products in our facilities in the US and around the world. We sell to the animal health sector via distribution, and those products get distributed out to feed companies which then get sent to farms and nutritionists. We’re very involved in the ruminant side; mostly dairy, but also with beef cattle, goats and sheep. We also do some work with swine and poultry.” 

Lines comes from an agricultural background, growing up in New York and Ohio. “My father was the director at the Miner Institute in Chazy, New York,” said Lines. “When I was in 4th grade, we moved to Ohio when he became an ag econ professor. I went to Ohio State for undergrad and my masters degrees in dairy science. I’ve been with Balchem a little over 11 years. I started as sales specialist before becoming the business development manager for the Eastern US and Canada.”

For Lines, working in agriculture is a vocation. “My passion is feeding the world,” said Lines. “When I was in the peace corps in Tunisia, I learned how important food is for people. The production of food is a very important aspect of life, and we sometimes take it for granted in the US. Food production is what excites me. My specific passion is on the dairy side, because that’s my upbringing. My mom and dad both grew up on dairy farms. Ruminants can take products that humans can’t readily consume and turn them into products that we can enjoy, and I love that.”

When Lines started working in the Northeast, involvement with associations in the area was a must. “I’ve been involved with NEAFA prior to it's beginning in 2004, as a member of both the New England Grain and Feed Council and the Eastern Federation of Feed Merchant,” said Lines. “I started working for Elanco in Indiana, and then moved to Albany, NY for them. The first meetings that I had were at the Cornell Nutrition Conference, and everyone there told me that if I wanted to be successful in the Northeast, these were organizations I needed to be involved with. That stayed true when they combined in 2004, so I’ve been a member since then as well. NEAFA is just a great organization. Everybody that is involved is dedicated to making agriculture better. It’s also a great way to network, be involved, and to get to know what’s going on in the agricultural industry in the Northeast.”

For Lines, the future of agriculture is bright in the Northeast. “I’m excited about Northeast dairy,” said Lines. “I think we have a really bright future. I work all across the eastern half of the US and Canada. I’ve been on a lot of farms, and I think we have a really healthy industry up here in the Northeast, and the support system from associations and universities, etc., is fantastic. It’s a very health industry, and I love to see that manufacturing is taking off up here. I’m coming towards the end of my career, but I’m excited for the students that are coming out of universities. They have a lot to offer. I think for the young people coming out of school, it’s a really exciting time to get involved with the industry, and I’m looking forward to seeing them grow the industry.”

For more information on Balchem, visit: https://balchem.com/animal-nutrition-health/ 

President's Pen, July 2023

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

Summer is in full swing; it is gratifying to see the many advocacy efforts so many in agriculture make during this busy season. From dairy promotion efforts at local grocery stores to educating consumers at the county fair about how producers care for their cattle, the environment and nutritional benefits of animal protein, local education of consumers is important. As the summer closes out, I encourage you to consider volunteering at the Dairy Cow Birthing Center at the NYS Fair – spending a day or two with consumers at this venue educating on modern farming practices is invigorating!

To help develop the next generation of agriculture advocates, NEAFA hosts the Golf for Good Works event annually. This year, the golf event, held at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY will kick off with a reception on Monday August 21 with the golf event to follow on Tuesday August 22. Join us! We will have special guests representing youth who have been a part of Good Works sponsored programs plus collaborators from Cornell. Please get your team (or sign up individually and we will find you a team!) here:

Golf for Good Works 2023 — NEAFA— Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (northeastalliance.com)

The Good Works fund is used to help support programs throughout the Northeast that link youth to agriculture and have an educational component to them. In addition, four $1000 scholarships are awarded annually in February to graduating high school seniors pursuing a career in agriculture. These scholarships are managed by the FFA but any Senior in high school in any Northeastern state can apply and applicants do not need to be FFA members.  Some of the groups that have received support from the Good Works program include: 

• 4-H Junior Dairy Leaders Program 

• 4-H Foundation

• FFA Foundation

• NY Animal Agriculture Coalition Birthing Center at the NYS Fair 

• NY Holstein Spring Dairy Carousel  judging contest

• New England Spring Show  judging contest

• New England Green Pastures Program  

• 4-H Dairy Judging Teams from several states

• Northeast Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge

• Cornell University Alliance for Science

• Vermont State Dairy 4-H

• Several Collegiate Dairy Judging Teams

• LEAD NY

• Maine 4-H Foundation

• Clinton County Farm Bureau – Day on the Farm 

• Cornell Dairy Fellows Program

• Oakfield Corners Dairy - Growing Through Showing Program

• Morrisville College Showmanship and Feeding Clinic

• Vermont Breakfast on the Farm

Since its inception, the Good Works program has awarded over $125,000 to these great youth organizations. The Good Works committee reviews requests quarterly – please let us know if you would like to serve on this committee!  The sole source of funding for Good Works is our annual golf tournament.We hope to see you August 21 and 22 at the Turning Stone to reconnect and raise funds for developing our future agriculture advocates! 

Speaking of advocacy, our legislative session has wrapped up but there is still lots of activity in Albany and Montpelier. NEAFA is excited to partner with Vermont Dairy Producers Association to enhance lobbying efforts in Vermont. Thank you to Kevin Kouri for helping bridge the connection between NEAFA and VDPA by agreeing to serve on the VDPA board. In New York, several bills are still awaiting governor action, including the neonic bill. Check out the legislative update from Julie Marlette and Hinman Straub for the latest on key issues.

Advocacy work within NEAFA starts with our committees. We appreciate the many hours of volunteering by all our members on committees – our current committees are listed at Committees — NEAFA— Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance (northeastalliance.com). If you are interested in joining a committee or have questions, please reach out. Your voice matters!

As summer starts to wind down, we look forward to seeing you at the Golf for Good Works tournament in a few weeks! Thank you for all your support for NEAFA advocacy!

NEAFA Member Profile: FITC

NEAFA Member Profile: FITC

By Eric Jenks, Special to NEAFA

This month, NEAFA interviewed Chris Pierpont from Feed Ingredient Trading Corporation (FITC) for our member profile. Pierpont is a member of NEAFA’s Transportation Committee, and is a merchandiser for FITC. “I’ve been a Merchandiser for FITC for five and a half years now,” said Pierpont. “We service feed mills and farms throughout the country. As a merchandiser, I get my customers the best price possible by arbitrating products from areas that not only have the lowest prices available, but also are competitive in freight rates. Some examples of products that we trade are cotton seed and distillers grains, wheat midds (middlings), and soy hulls. Our cotton seed products generally go directly to farms, while the distillers grains, wheat midds, and soy hulls usually go to feed mills.”

Pierpont’s interest in agriculture stemmed from his father’s work as a salesman for Monsanto. “He sold BST (Bovine somatotropin) to dairy farmers for 40 years,” said Pierpont. “I went to Qunnipiac University, and received a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. I hit the ground running after graduation with Interstate Commodities, where I worked from 2009-2017. I needed a change at that point so that I could stay closer to my family, and FITC proved to be a perfect fit.”

For Pierpont, NEAFA membership has a lot of positives. “I always attend the NEAFA Annual Meeting, and the Golf for Good Works Tournament (GFGW),” said Pierpont. “It’s a great organization to be a part of. NEAFA has done so many wonderful things for the agricultural community. The annual meeting is a great place to see my customers and colleagues, and to get a chance to get to know the people that I do business with. My favorite presentation during the meeting is the markets update. Similarly, the GFGW Tournament is a great chance to spend time with people. You have this wonderful opportunity to spend time together, learn from each other, and get to know them better. You could spend days at Turning Stone Resort and Casino between the golf and everything else going on there. Beyond that, for FITC, it’s great to have the opportunity to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. It’s important to be a part of an organization that does something for everyone in agriculture throughout the northeast.”

For more information on FITC, visit https://www.feedcorp.com/ 

Supply Chain Carbon Programs Projected to Drive Investment for Adoption of GHG Reducing Practices in Livestock and Dairy

Supply Chain Carbon Programs Projected to Drive Investment for Adoption of GHG Reducing Practices in Livestock and Dairy

In the past decade, the international community has made tangible progress aligning on commitments to fight global warming. The most significant of these commitments, the 2015 Paris Agreement, set an ambition to limit the mean global rise in temperatures to 1.5 °C, which would require greenhouse gas emissions to decrease 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. (1) 

The food and agriculture sector, which produces 19-29% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is a critical component of the GHG emissions puzzle. The industry contends with multiple competing demands: the need to feed a growing population that will consume 70% more food by 2050; the specter of significant climate related risks such as increasing flooding and drought; and public calls for GHG emission reductions. (2) 

Livestock, which comprises nearly two thirds of agricultural emissions, has become a key focus in the emissions conversation. (3)  Methane, which has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide, has been a particular target of regulation. (4) The cattle and dairy industry, which has historically received public attention related to animal welfare and antibiotic use, is also now in the public eye because of its meaningful methane emissions. 

To get ahead of potential emissions related regulation, many major food companies have made public GHG commitments, ranging from ingredients suppliers such as Cargill, to Consumer Package Goods (CPG) companies such as Nestle to retailers such as Walmart. Many of the commitments made by these large CPG companies mirror the targets set by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)(5), a voluntary initiative started by the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, and World Wildlife Fund. While major corporations have started to make bold emissions claims, most companies are still in the process of charting their decarbonization roadmap. (6)

With these public commitments we are seeing the emergence of carbon markets. Within the markets described below, carbon is quantified and transacted on a per metric ton basis. One carbon credit is equivalent to one metric ton of greenhouse gases, on a carbon equivalent basis, removed from the atmosphere.

Today, three types of carbon markets exist: compliance markets, voluntary markets, and inset markets.

Compliance markets, the first established carbon markets, have some involvement in the beef and dairy sector; however, primarily in methane digestion. Commonly known as offsets, compliance markets serve industries where emission volumes are regulated, the most well-known being the Low Carbon Fuel Standard market driven by California’s cap and trade market.

Voluntary and inset markets both serve private actors that have made voluntary emissions targets. Today’s most well-known voluntary markets also trade like an offset market where credit buyers and credit generators need not have a commercial relationship. Meanwhile, in inset markets, corporations intentionally focus on reducing the emissions of their value chain through their suppliers and buyers. This activity within the food value chain is resulting in investment in GHG reduction projects in agriculture.

The primary differences between carbon offsets and carbon insets are straightforward:

Offsets are when one industry uses carbon reductions generated from another industry to “offset” their own emissions footprint. Whereas insetting projects are interventions within a company’s value chain designed to generate GHG emissions reductions.

Today, we’re already seeing many CPGs experiment with pilot programs to incentivize producers in their value chains to adopt GHG reducing practices and technologies. For example, in January 2023, Danone launched an initiative to work directly with 58,000 dairy farmers to adopt methane reducing practices and committed to report methane emissions in its financial disclosures.(7)  And in March 2023, Tyson launched its Climate Smart Beef program and launched its Brazen Beef brand, the first beef product to receive the USDA’s approval for a “climate friendly” claim. (8)

From the livestock producer perspective there are emerging opportunities to leverage the market through publicly available carbon programs, primarily focused on soil health practices today with new programs in animal health, manure management and feeding practices emerging and project collaboration facilitated through food and agriculture companies and processors.

1 https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/  

2 https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climate-smart-agriculture  

3 https://ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions  

4 https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-crucial-opportunity-climate-fight  

5 https://sciencebasedtargets.org/resources/files/SBTiFLAGGuidance.pdf  

6 https://agfundernews.com/list-of-agrifood-corporate-climate-commitments-accountable

7 https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/dairy-giant-danone-aims-cut-methane-emissions-by-30-by-2030-2023-01-17  

8 https://www.provisioneronline.com/articles/114418-tyson-foods-rolls-out-climate-smart-beef-program 

Media Contact: Corey Scott corey@athian.ai (651) 262-3545

Original PDF Here

Regular Session Comes to a Close

By Julie Marlette, Hinman Straub, Special for NEAFA

The New York State Legislature concluded their regularly scheduled 2023 session Saturday June 10th. The Senate finished its work in the early morning hours on Saturday and the Assembly adjourned about twelve hours later at 4:30 pm.  The legislative session ended a little more than a month after lawmakers completed work on a new state budget. 

Before members even had the opportunity to leave town, it was announced that the Assembly would return to conclude their work. That session will take place the 20th and 21st of June. 

Of critical interest to NEAFA, in the final days of session the legislature did approve legislation (S1856a, Hoylman-Sigal – A7640, Glick) that proposes a ban on the use of certain treated seeds, including those used for corn and soybeans. The Commissioner of Environmental Conservation, in consultation with the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, would have the authority to waive this ban annually, if it is determined that there will not be adequate seeds, there is an environmental emergency or loss of crops.  

NEAFA will be encouraging a veto of this legislation when it is delivered to the Governor for her consideration. If you would like to share your  concerns, please consider joining our colleagues at the Farm Bureau by sending her a letter using this link: https://www.nyfb.org/engagements.

While fewer bills passed both houses in 2023 than in recent years, largely due to the delay in enacting a new budget (839 in 2023, vs, 1010 in 2022) a huge number of bills were considered in just the last ten days.  

Some additional items of interest to NEAFA members include: 

Agrivoltaics in Farming (S820, May - A607, Barrett) 

This law directs the Department of Agriculture and Markets, in cooperation with NYSERDA, to produce and distribute guidance and educational materials for farmers on the use of agrivoltaics in farming.

Employee Freedom of Speech and Conscience (S4982 Ramos - A6604 Reyes)

This bill, if signed into law, would amend provisions prohibiting employers and employment agencies from discriminatory practices to establish employees’ right to refuse to attend employer-sponsored meetings, listen to speech, or view communications with the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters. “Political matters” would be defined as those “relating to elections for political office, political parties, legislation, regulation and the decision to join or support any political party or political, civic, community, fraternal or labor organization.” “Religious matters” would mean those “relating to religious affiliation and practice and the decision to join or support any religious organization or association.”  

Wetlands Management (S5957, Harckham – A5949, Burdick)

This bill would authorize certain local governments to adopt a local law or ordinance to prohibits the application of pesticides that the municipality regulates. 

Wage Payment Protections (S5572, Gounardes - A6796, Burgos) 

This bill, if signed into law, would amend the wage theft law in New York to increase the wage limits beyond which executive, administrative, or professional employees cannot seek help from the state in recovering owed compensation from $900 a week to $1,300 a week.

It is important to note that in addition to the bills detailed below that will make their way to the Governor for approval or veto, many additional items were debated and negotiated up to the last day of session. Some of those items include:

• Indoor/Outdoor Temperature – Legislation was pushed that would place requirements on managing the temperature and prevent heat and cold related illnesses for employees in certain industries including agriculture. Ultimately, neither house advanced this bill. 

• Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) – Multiple bills were advanced that would enact some version of extended producer responsibility, passing costs on to producers who use packaging for their items. 

Vice President's Pen: Collaboration is Crucial

Dairy Month Celebration at King Brother's Dairy in Schuylerville, NY on June 20th, 2023.

Charlie Elrod, Ph.D.

President & CEO Natural Biologics, Inc.

Vice President, NEAFA

In recent months, the NEAFA newsletter has focused attention on activities surrounding agricultural advocacy as the various state and federal legislatures have been in session.  With that season coming to an end, NEAFA turns its attention to other opportunities for collaboration.  In late June, NEAFA co-sponsored a Dairy Month Celebration at King Brother’s Dairy in Schuylerville, NY, along with the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, NY Animal Ag Coalition, and NY Farm Bureau.  

The event was meant to showcase an incredible fifth generation dairy business, and to give these organizations an opportunity to informally meet with representatives from the NY State Senate and Assembly, Department of Ag & Markets, and the Governor’s Office.  Unfortunately, the legislature was still in session. New York Agriculture Commissioner Ball and some of his staff, along with a Food and Ag Policy Advisor from the Governor’s Office, were the only governmental representatives present.

What we heard from each organization and from the Commissioner, as well as in the many conversations to follow, is the need for more collaboration to support the dairy industry.  Each organization represents different constituencies with different priorities, yet there is a great deal of overlap between them.  

An overarching theme however, is the recognition that we all exist to support a vibrant dairy industry.  Everything, from providing exposure to animal agriculture in early childhood education, to advocating for FFA chapters in high schools and supporting the Dairy Fellows program at Cornell University, are seen as opportunities to build a stronger base for the peaceful co-existence of farms with the general populace. They are opportunities to grow the next generation of leadership for agriculture and agribusiness.  Any opportunity that we have to work with and support other organizations championing agriculture should be seized.  

Another arena of collaboration for NEAFA is a new, formalized relationship with the Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance.  Because our lobbyists, Hinman Straub, only work in NY, we wanted to be more active in our support of the VT dairy industry.  With monetary support from NEAFA, we are contributing to VDPA’s lobbying efforts with the Shouldice Group in Montpelier.  In addition, NEAFA’s board member Kevin Kouri will also serve on the board of VDPA.  In Vermont, there is a lot of urban pressure, and a growing proportion of the population that has no idea about what goes into dairy farming, and the benefits that those farms provide.  Only by actively participating in the legislative process there can we hope to forestall the erosion of dairy farmers’ right to farm.  We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with VDPA.  

In closing, I would encourage all of our members to seek opportunities to collaborate; both with other agricultural organizations or at large in your community.  Doing so in no way diminishes your efforts as a person or organization.  It only lends your skills, knowledge, and voice to a cause that seeks to build a stronger, more resilient agricultural community for the future.

A Note From NYAAC

From left to right: Jean Gallagher, Treasurer (Farm Credit East), Joel Riehlman, Chairman (Venture Farms), Steve Palladino, Vice Chairman (Walnut Ridge Dairy), Corinne Banker, Secretary (Blue Hill Farm)

By Eileen Jensen, Executive Director of NYAAC

The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition (NYAAC) is a collaborative group of advocates that builds trust between farmers and their community members. This non-for-profit organization showcases modern agricultural practices in an ever-changing industry by empowering and encouraging farmers to share their agricultural stories. To sustain the future of animal agriculture, NYAAC utilizes its diverse passions to amplify the voices of New York State farmers. With a dynamic staff, farmer directors, and industry professionals, this team effectively networks and builds relationships to raise funds and support for programs that align with the NYAAC mission. 

With the mission of enhancing the public’s understanding and appreciation for animal agriculture by fostering a dialogue with consumers, engagement with farmers, and cooperation among members of the industry, NYAAC provides opportunities for farmers to be positive advocates in their communities. NYAAC is the host of the Dairy Cow Birthing Center each year at the NY State Fair, and we’re excited to celebrate 10 years of “uddermiracles” later this summer. The Birthing Center is a chance to showcase the positive aspects of the dairy industry which includes answering questions about animal nutrition, health, and dairy product benefits. The highlight of the experience is witnessing the miracle of life, 36 times throughout the duration of the State Fair. This experience doesn’t happen without farmers and volunteers working together and we look forward to some of you joining us in August. 

NYAAC works throughout the year to provide time and resources to farmers to help them share their story. As Dairy Month is upon us, we hope everyone takes this chance to celebrate the agriculture industry with their neighbors and community members. There are numerous ways that we encourage farmers to positively promote agriculture. A few ideas include:

• Write a letter to your local decision makers inviting them to your farm.

• Donate chocolate milk to local summer recreation programs. 

• Be present on social media. 

• Issue a farm newsletter for neighbors to provide farm info and make yourself accessible. 

• Provide farm t-shirts for employees so that they can show pride in their employment. 

• Post roadside signs with positive messages. 

For assistance to get started on being an advocate for agriculture or to learn more about NYAAC programming, please reach out to Eileen Jensen, Executive Director, at eileen@nyanimalag.org or 315-719-2795. 

President's Pen, May 2023

By Jenny Mills, NEAFA President

College graduations, crop planting and capitol happenings seem to be the theme in May – another month quickly passes with some long hours in the field as well as the halls of our state legislatures.

The state budget in New York was passed this past month.  There are many positive restorations and increases in funding to many programs critical to agriculture – thank you to each of you who lobbied, spoke with your legislators, and worked with allied groups to make sure programs such as PRO-Dairy, NY Farm Viability Institute, the Investment Tax Credit for Farmers and Cornell Farm Labor Specialist remain intact.  Major changes to minimum wage and fossil-fuel equipment used in new buildings were also included in the final budget.  Please read details in the Budget article written by Julie Marlette from Hinman Straub.

A small group from NEAFA and Hinman Straub spent May 16 visiting NY legislators and the Governor’s office.  We had a packed day, with appointments just about every half hour!   We met with several legislators from downstate, including the Senator’s office that sponsored the Neonic ban bill.  We worked to educate these legislators on the importance of technology and choice for our producers.  We also discussed and thanked the legislators for their support in conjunction with the Governor’s office leadership on Fairlife’s announcement of the $260M facility slated to be built in Webster, NY.  This plant is planned to be the largest of its kind in New York, with rough estimates of processing 50,000 cows’ worth of milk per day into a portfolio of value added products.  A welcomed positive message and economic development for our dairy industry!  Our lobby days, both virtual and in-person would not be possible without the organization of the staff at Hinman Straub.  I wanted to make a shout out to the team at Hinman, led by Julie Marlette, of not only leading successful lobbying efforts, but also for helping keep NEAFA aware of legislation working through committees.  Hinman’s relationships in Albany have helped us further our messages and support the agricultural agenda.  Thank you!

Looking forward, we are excited to see you at our Annual Golf for Good Works event to be held on Tuesday August 22, with a reception to be held Monday evening August 21 at the Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY.  Great golf combined with a first-class networking event are in store again for this year.  Please note, due to the many conflicts that our June date posed with graduations, we pivoted this event to hopefully accommodate your schedule!  A big shout out to Sue Van Amburgh who works so much behind the scenes to make sure these events happen, as well as keeping our board organized.  We are already planning for our Annual Meeting in 2024 – stay tuned for dates and themes!

I look forward to seeing you soon – Happy Spring, enjoy and celebrate the many graduations, stay safe in the fields, and continue to advocate in our state capitols and with many industry happenings!

May NEAFA NY Legislative Advocacy Day

On Tuesday May 16th, NEAFA President Jenny Mills, Vice-President Charlie Elrod and Treasurer Barry Baetz traveled to Albany and engaged in a day of advocacy meetings.   The primary issue of focus was sharing information about the NEAFA’s opposition to the proposed ban on treated seeds (S.1856(Hoylman-Sigal)/A.3226 (Glick)). In addition the group thanked legislative leaders for the many restorations of funds and policies included in the recently enacted state budget, details about the recently announced fairlife milk processing plant in Monroe County and  concerns about the oversight of wetlands. 

This was also an opportunity to introduce some of the NEAFA leadership team to legislators from around the state. 

Conversations were productive but the possibility of a version of the neonic ban remains very real.  A further update will be included in the June newsletter.