Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series describing a tour of Chenango County agriculture that was offered up this month to New York State’s elected officials. The bus stops highlighted the county’s unique ag businesses, but also pointed to the governmental regulations that challenge them.

NORWICH – Chenango County pitched over much more than a bail of hay last week to New York State officials who visited a sampling of the types of enterprises that make up the local agricultural industry.
Using a three-pronged approach, the tour showcased the cutting-edge conservation practices in place on the Tumilowicz Dairy farm, highlighted the new demand for milk from Chobani yogurt’s parent, Agro Farma Inc. and displayed the innovate organic vegetable and fruit growing systems under cover at Norwich Meadows Farms.
A bevy of agencies hosted the event, including Cornell Cooperative Extension, Chenango County Farm Bureau, Commerce Chenango, the Chenango County Planning and Development Department and Chenango County Soil and Water Conservation District. Numerous county supervisors made up the 34 in attendance. State officials on hand were: New York State Assembly members Donna Lupardo (D-126th Dist.) and Peter Lopez (R-127th Dist.) and staff representatives from the offices of Assemblyman William Magee and Senators James Seward (R-51st Dist.) and Thomas Libous (R-52nd Dist.)

Tumilowicz Dairy
The 200-acres plus Tumilowicz Dairy, now going on its third generation in Norwich, is one of 213 dairies in Chenango County. And like most, with rising input costs for everything from fuel to feed flying in the face of stagnant milk prices, farmers Bob Tumilowicz and his son, Alex, have used available state and federal financial assistance programs to manage the pressure.
Over the past decade, the Tumilowiczes have expanded their barn in order to increase the milking herd to 80 cows; poured a concrete, ribbed and sloped barnyard surface that stores manure and keeps rainwater separate; dug a new well and piped fresh water to 10 water troughs; erected high tensile fencing; and built riparian buffers and paddock crossings that keep cattle out of streams, ponds and any standing water.
Total investment? Upwards of $100,000. It took lots of soul-searching and patience, according to the father-son team, but the enhancements are already paying off.
“The improvements work both ways for the people and for the farmer. Water quality is important for us all. My cows are spoiled. I didn’t want to dig it, but they do like that well water better,” said Bob, “and they are healthier.”
Spending $60,000 on the barnyard alone was “a huge investment,” according to Alex.
“The barnyard is one of the greatest investments for a farmer. We used to loose some regularly, from slipping and twisting their ankles in the barnyard. I’d have to get in there and take them out. We aren’t loosing good cows anymore,” he said.
Multiple players within Chenango County Cornell Cooperative and the Farm Service Agency guided the Tumilowiczes through the bureaucracy of applying for federal Conservation Reserve Program and state Agricultural Non Point Source Pollution and Abatement funds. Combining programs to maximize the benefit takes reams of paperwork and layers of approvals, but it ultimately lessens the amount of matching funds from a farmer’s pocket.
Soil and Water Director Lance Lockwood said he couldn’t stress enough that good water quality and a healthy herd results in a more profitable farm.
“It rained on this farm yesterday and I want to tell you that the water that left here was a lot cleaner than it was 10 years ago,” said Lockwood. “And as for the economic benefit, Bob is leaving in his son, Alex’s hands a much better quality farm.”
David Balbian, dairy management specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension, pointed out that three-quarters of a dairy’s cost goes for feed. To get the biggest bang for their buck, he described how the Tumilowicz’ precision feed management system results in more protein actually leaving the farm in tanker trucks of milk than what’s being consumed by the cows in grains.
“The aim is to minimize the environmental impact of how we feed our cows, and the two biggest worries on any farm: how much nitrogen and how much phosphorous remains,” he said. “They are doing an excellent job at that.”

EPA mandates threaten Chenango County’s farms
Balbian’s presentation prompted Assemblyman Lopez to question pending Environmental Protection Agency mandates on farms upstream of the Susquehanna River, as are nearly all of Chenango County’s farms. The EPA would limit the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from upstate New York that ultimately flow as run-off into the Chesapeake Bay. Suggested regulations would prohibit manure spreading in winter, for example, and require manure storage and ammonia emission controls in barns.
According to Lockwood, if implemented, the changes would be as catastrophic as when the government mandated that farmers change from storing milk in cans to tanks.
Lopez asked whether the phosphorous levels demanded would actually harm soils. “I’m curious to know if they are asking for unreasonable restrictions. I’ve heard it argued both ways amongst my colleagues,” he said.
Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown, a member of the Chenango County Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee, said New York had been meeting the EPA’s farm run-off regulations until the agency decided to change its parameters.
“Other states weren’t in compliance, so they came back to the best state, New York, and asked our farmers to do more,” he explained.
“It’s an endless march,” said Assemblyman Lopez. “Where do we ultimately help farmers make money? We want to help you get government the heck out of the way.”
Dairy is Chenango County’s number one agricultural industry, with an economic impact of about $100 million in income per year (about twice the value of the milk due to the economic multiplier). According to Chenango County Cooperative Extension Director Ken Smith, 2010 was a pretty positive year despite the very low milk prices in 2009.
Keeping dairymen profitable and spending money within the local economy keeps everything churning. A representative from McDowell & Walker, Inc. a feed, fertilizer and ag supply shop of Afton and Sidney, said farmers spend the money they have in the local economy, and whenever they don’t have it, the economy can expect to feel the ramifications in about six months.
“The alternative is brush and recreation land that doesn’t turn any income into the area,” he said.
Balbian pointed out that housing developments have more environmental risk than farms due to over-fertilized lawns. And dense housing developments require waste water treatment plants, none of which are 100 percent efficient at eliminating nutrients. Plenty of nutrients find their way into streams and rivers, he said.
New Berlin dairyman Ken Dibbell blamed milk distribution cooperatives, politicians and the “big farm virus” for manipulating milk price controls that have put farmers last in consideration. He said the county’s last remaining equipment dealer, South New Berlin Valley Supply, was forced out of business because of it.
“The economy in Chenango County has been devastated by milk prices. Now the cost of fuel and equipment’s up. Congress is doing nothing but keeping themselves healthy with a cheap food policy for everyone else but farmers,” said Dibbell.
There’s a wide variance of dairy farms in Chenango County from the largest operation of 600 head to the more traditional 40 to 60 cow operation. But unlike the stigma that bigger is always better, when it comes to farming, it’s the approach to agribusiness management rather than size that leads to success.
“Thankfully we have gotten away from that theory, which is good news for Chenango County because we’re not going to do big farms here because of the topography,” said Smith.
Brown commented that generational farming is what’s best for Chenango County. “Anything we can do to support that we should.”
Chenango County has the most acreage of any county taking advantage of federal farm bill programs and is #13 in the state for tapping available programs through the Agricultural Non Point Source program, said Balbian.
The next article in this series will describe the next stop on the Chenango County ag tour: Agro Farma’s corporate headquarters at the former Woods Corners Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals plant in Norwich.