End-of-Season Combine Clean-out Recommendations
Joshua Putman, Field Crops and Forage Specialist
Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Program
For many growers in Southwest New York, fall harvest is coming to an end. Now is the time to prepare harvest equipment for winter storage. Proper post-harvest preparation includes cleaning all parts of the combine, including the head, feeder-house, rock trap, concaves, cleaning shoes, elevators, grain bin, unloading auger, chopper, rear axle, and chassis before entering storage. These can help reduce the likelihood of animals nesting in the equipment which can lead to electrical damage resulting in fire, improves the function and longevity of parts, and puts a closure to the 2020 growing season. A full combine clean-out protocol is available at the North Central Agriculture and Natural Resource Academy. If you have questions about combine clean-out or have noticed a field with significant pest pressure, contact Josh Putman at 716-490-5572 or jap473@cornell.edu.
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2025 Cornell Food Beverage & Animal Feed Manufacturer Survey
December 19, 2025
Industry and Educational Advocates for New York State's Food, Beverage, and Animal Feed Manufacturing industries:
As you know, NYS has a diverse food and beverage manufacturing industry, in both the types of industries that exist and the wide distribution of firms by scale. Many manufacturing firms have strong backward linkages to agricultural production sectors in the state that support both farm-level and downstream food industry firms and consumers. In collaboration with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, a team from Cornell University's Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management has recently rolled out the 2025 New York State Food, Beverage, and Animal Feed Manufacturer Survey. The industry will benefit from an updated assessment of the industry that informs private and public investments and opportunities to support firm growth and improved profitability.
Cornell Organic Field Crops & Dairy Conference
March 6, 2026
Waterloo, NY
Farmers, researchers, educators, and agricultural service providers from across the Northeast are invited to the 2026 Cornell Organic Field Crops & Dairy Conference, held Friday, March 6, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Lux Hotel & Conference Center in Waterloo, N.Y.
Co-hosted by New York Soil Health and Cornell CALS, the annual conference brings together leaders in organic grain, dairy, and livestock systems to share practical tools, new research, and farmer-tested strategies to support resilient and profitable organic production.
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