In 2019/2020, Dairy One celebrated 70 years of business here in the Northeast. The pandemic prevented us from much fanfare but we continue our mission with great enthusiasm. That mission is to create and deliver data and information which will be used to make profit-enhancing decisions for members of the agricultural community.

We are an organization rooted in Northeast agriculture, and like you, we care deeply about the success of farms and the ag industry. As the industry continues to get smaller and smaller, increasing communication and collaboration wherever possible just makes sense for the benefit of the larger good.

With the launch of Data Driven News, we intend to give you a broad view of what Dairy One is doing and where we are going. Providing DHI service is still a foundational piece of our cooperative structure, but there is also much that is different from that DHI organization of 70 years ago.

We won't flood your inbox but you are welcome to flood ours. In other words, we encourage feedback. If you have questions, comments or suggestions for topics, please email us at [email protected].

Thank you for joining us on this journey!

With grain prices soaring, getting the most from homegrown forages will be more important than ever this fall.

As many of you know (probably better than we do), milk urea nitrogen is a key measure of how effectively the cow is using protein in her diet. MUN values that are higher than the recommended range generally indicate too much protein in the diet or that there is an imbalance between the protein and energy. This means the cows are not using their feed as effectively as possible. MUN values below the recommended range suggest the animals are not getting enough protein in the diet and could be sacrificing production.

Consultants can sign up to receive alerts or copies of reports for their clients by contacting their local DHI technician or by emailing [email protected].

As part of Dairy One’s Integrated Farming Solutions offerings around precision agronomy, Dairy One is now a Precision Planting dealer. To demonstrate the value of Precision Planting technology Dairy One has partnered with a number of organizations, including Dairy Support Services Co. (DSSC) to custom build a planter using Precision Planting equipment. DSSC is a family-run operation that works with farms across Central New York and offers an array of crop and other service needs. Dairy One's precision farming team enhanced one of DSSC's planters with a variety of Precision Planting products that have been proven to improve some of the most common issues found in traditional planters. 

This spring we partnered with AB Vista to deliver a Hoard's Dairyman webinar. The webinar focused on how on-farm NIR technology can help you optimize ration formulations, delivering improved ROI. The webinar featured Bruce Hageman and Chris Piotrowski from AB Vista and Dairy One's own Sarah Fessenden. Attendees heard about the science and value of on-farm forage analysis and were able to see a virtual demonstration of the NIR4 Farm. Use the link above to see a recording of the webinar.

For more information or to set up a demonstration, contact Sarah Fessenden at [email protected].

Lee Swinton is a DHI technician servicing the Mountain Region in VT and eastern NY. Here's what he had to say about working with farms in Vermont for the recent #Farm24VT social media event:

"I guess the best thing about being a DRSS (Dairy Records Service Specialist or DHI technician) is that my territory is where I grew up and have roots. Rekindling old relationships and starting new ones. It gives me a sense of pride to be able to help farmers, especially in today's world, define their direction with timely and accurate data. From my smallest farm of 40 cows to my largest of over 2300, everyone gets the best of me as a DRSS.

We are currently hiring for a number of different positions across the organization. From lab and field technicians to support specialists and sales professionals, there's a place for people at all levels of experience and expertise across the Northeast. Check out the link below for a full list of available positions and descriptions.

Looking for more Dairy One content? Subscribe to our blog to have articles delivered straight to your inbox. Our blog covers a variety of topics from leveraging herd management software on the farm to the best way to get samples to the lab.

For more information on new services and current events, check out the spring edition of our member newsletter. This newsletter is sent to all of our DHI customers but is also posted on our website along with the monthly Improver Page articles we publish in Country Folks.

Dairy One is discontinuing Finger Lakes Wine Laboratory operations in Ithaca New York, effective June 7, 2021.

The Finger Lakes Wine Laboratory, launched in 2008 has provided a variety of analytical services to area vineyards. However, a recent change in the in-house expertise prompted an evaluation of this service and the decision to discontinue this segment of our business.

The Cornell Craft Beverage Lab in Geneva, New York is an excellent alternative. Cornell Craft Beverage provides a full range of analytical services for the industry, detailed on their website:

We are confident their service and analytical expertise is unparalleled in the region.

Additionally, the lab is underwritten by the New York State Wine and Grape Foundation and can offer subsidies based on membership status.

We urge Finger Lakes Wine Lab customers to begin reaching out to Cornell Craft Beverage Lab prior to the demanding fall crush season.

We have appreciated the opportunity to provide services to this segment of the agricultural industry and wish you all the best moving forward.

Please send questions, comments or general feedback to [email protected]

Dairy One | 800.344.2697 | dairyone.com | 

Agricultural Consulting Services  | 800.344.2697 | acscrops.com |   

Equi-Analytical Laboratory Services | 877-819-4110 | equi-analytical.com |  

Zooquarius Laboratory Services | 607-257-1289 | zooquarius.com |