In July, I began working as an agriculture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County. Cornell Cooperative Extension is an educational system that connects the research knowledge of Cornell University to individuals, communities and families in New York to enhance their economic well-being and quality of life. Prior to coming to Cayuga County, I worked for three years in the Cornell Manure Management Program. Before that I spent eight years doing nutrient management planning with farmers in New Jersey. I have a deep love of farming, the people who work so hard to produce the food we eat, and the land that sustains us all.

Central New York is blessed with some of the most prosperous agriculture in the state, due to our soils, climate, and generations of industrious farmers. Our strong agricultural sector is a key part of the economic health of our region. Nonetheless, making a living farming has never been easy, and that is as true today as it was when the first settlers set their eyes upon the sparkling Finger Lakes. Today#'s farmers are asked to produce in an ever more complex world, as markets, technology, and regulations continue to evolve. In the last 10 years, environmental regulations in particular have increased, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stepped up enforcement of the Clean Water Act.

Fortunately, we are also blessed in New York to have many agencies and institutions that are working side by side with our farmers to protect our natural resources. Things are happening! It is a large undertaking, a work in progress, and it will take time to take effect. Farm plans can take months to develop and years to implement. In this column, I hope to feature programs and farms that are leading the way in agricultural and environmental management. The flagship program in New York is the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) Program, a collaborative effort of many agencies that operate under the umbrella of the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee. In Cayuga and Onondaga counties alone, more than 400 farm families are involved in the AEM Program.

According to State Agriculture Commissioner, Patrick H. Brennan, #“The State's AEM program is viewed as a national model for proactively addressing on-farm environmental issues, and the 10,000 New York farm families participating in AEM are leading the nation in conservation.#”

#“Farming is a preferred land use for protecting natural resources, providing open space and enhancing critical wildlife habitat in New York State,” says Commissioner Brennan. #“AEM brings together the technical, educational and financial resources for farms of all types and sizes to continue in their commitment to conservation, which benefits all New Yorkers.#”

Barbara Silvestri, AEM outreach coordinator, provided me the following overview of the AEM framework. AEM programs and services are delivered to farmers by local AEM teams that include County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Farm Bureau and private consultants. The AEM process begins with an assessment of the farming operation to document current environmental stewardship and identify potential environmental concerns. Farm-specific plans are then developed and implemented to address concerns and protect water quality.

The Cayuga and Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation Districts are actively helping farmers install conservation practices that protect water quality, such as barnyard runoff management systems, waste management systems, soil erosion control, and fencing that prevents livestock access to streams. Ongoing reviews and plan updates are another important component of AEM in order to assure that the farm#,s environmental objectives are being met.

Environmental regulations are also in place to help ensure that New York#,s larger livestock farms, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), continue to do their part to protect the state#,s water resources. These livestock operations are required to develop and implement a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) for their farm, which prescribes the amount and timing for manure applications to crops and fields. They are also required to maintain records documenting this process, make annual plan updates, and are routinely inspected by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Farm CNMPs are developed and updated annually by trained and certified AEM Planners. The AEM Planner Certification Program is an extensive training and certification process that assures farmers, environmental regulators and the public of quality AEM planning to address environmental concerns on farms.

“Farmers know that in order to remain economically viable they need to be vigilant about protecting the environment,#8 commented Silvestri, #&and AEM provides them with the resources to help accomplish both. It is in everyone#,s best interest to keep farming viable in New York to protect our supply of fresh, healthy food, preserve our scenic landscapes, maintain our rural quality of life, support our economy and safeguard our natural resources.#8

For more information on the AEM program in Cayuga County, contact Jim Hotaling at the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District, 315-252-4171; ext.3, or Brian Aldrich at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, 255-1183. In Onondaga County contact Jeff Carmichael at the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District, 677-3851, or Chuck Kyle at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County, 424-9485, ext.229. To learn more about Cornell Cooperative Extension, visit www.cce.cornell.edu . Visit the AEM website at www.nys-soilandwater.org .

Brian Aldrich is agriculture educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County