If you have a question or comment about dairy farming that did not get answered, you may submit it by Clicking Here. If your question is suitable for posting to our website, we will post it with your first name, and city or town if you provide the information. We will attempt to answer your questions as soon as possible. Please make sure it hasn’t been answered by an existing question. Questions that are deemed inappropriate, offensive, or have already been answered, may not receive an answer or be posted to the website. Thank you.
 

Nov. 3, 2009 - Jim from Ellisburg asked “How much do dairy farms pay in taxes for their property?”

Answer: Jim, according to the 2007 Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary for Northern NY Dairy Farms, dairy farms paid an average of $44 per cow in taxes. A 100 cow dairy farm paid an average of $4,400. A 500 cow dairy paid an average of $22,000.

November 12, 2009 - Monica from Syracuse, NY asks, “Are the little white pens you see on many dairy farms where they raise veal?”

Answer: Monica, thanks for your question, it is a good one we didn’t think of previously. No, the little white pens you frequently see on dairy farms, outside of the barns that somewhat look like plastic dog houses, are not where farmers raise veal. These pens are called calf hutches. When a calf is born on a dairy farm, frequently the farm will separate the calf from the mother shortly after birth. The calf will be fed the mother’s colostrum, which is produced by the mother’s body in her milk immediately after birth and contains important components to fight off infection and illness. Human mothers produced colostrum also. Then the calf is usually fed a milk replacer, just like baby formula. The calf is separated to keep it healthy and safe. In addition, the farmer can better care for the calf when it is away from the mother. The hutches provide shelter from wind and rain. The calf gets lots of fresh air which is important to their sensitive lungs. Remember that under natural conditions, the calf would be born in the open and subjected to weather conditions all the time. As the calf grows, the farmer will then put them in pens with other calves of the same age. This group of calves will then advance through the farm together as they reach maturity.

Other farms, Monica, will build a calf barn. These barns are specially designed to keep the calves dry but allow as much air flow through the barns as possible. Inside the barn, the calves are grouped in pens by age. Thank you for your question Monica, to learn more you may want to visit Old McDonald’s Farm in Sackets Harbor, NY and take the dairy tour. They take you right through the calf barn and explain the cycle of the cow very well. –Jay M. Matteson, Jefferson County Agricultural Coordinator

January 11, 2010 - Nancy P. from out of state, asks, “This may be an odd question for this site but, please help is you can. I lived in Theresa NY for a while and moved several states away. We use to buy the most amazing jams and jelly at a stand one of the farms had out by the road. I believe it may have been near LeRay but not sure. I would so love to know how I can purchase them through the mail. If you or if you know of any other farm that sells this amazing home made jams please send me an address I can contact. The cheese curds in the little store in Philladelphia were just wonderful. Thank you so much for taking time to read this and I would love a response if you can. Thank you.”

Answer: Nancy, thank you for your question which is not odd at all! Glad you liked the jams and jellies most likely produced by Sillman Jams and Jellies, and our cheese curd which probably was made by Great Lakes Cheese in Adams, NY. We encourage you to visit our sister website, www.comefarmwithus.com, and then click on the “ag products” menu option in the top right corner of the home page. There, you will be able to click on a number of options to learn where you may purchase ag products from Jefferson County. I expect the best place to order cheese curd or sillman jams and jellies from would be under the dairy products page. Look for either The Cheese Store owned by Jefferson Bulk Milk Coop, or Gold Cup Farms (River Rat Cheese). You may want to call them directly if they do not have jams and jellies listed on their website. I encourage you to visit all the choices on our ag products pages. Jefferson County is home to some of the finest locally grown or made products anywhere!