Cornell Cooperative Extension Hosts 37th Annual Agriculture Show in Otisville

The math for Orange County's dairy operators is straightforward and brutal: forage quality determines feed costs, and feed costs determine whether a farm survives the year. That calculus drew farmers, agribusiness vendors, and extension specialists to the CCE Education Center and 4-H Park in Otisville for Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County's 37th Annual Dairy, Equine, and Livestock Day & Trade Show.

The day's most consequential session came from Joe Lawrence, Cornell's Dairy Forage Crop Production System Specialist with PRO-DAIRY, who presented on forage crop management and dairy production systems. Lawrence's program focuses on improving forage quality and land use to strengthen economic outcomes on New York farms, a subject with real weight after the 2025 drought devastated regional pasture and hay production and forced some operations to truck in emergency feed at sharply higher costs.

A Field Crop and Vegetable Insect Education session offered recertification credits for producers and farm professionals keeping their credentials current, a practical component that helps operations stay compliant with state requirements.

Agribusiness exhibits ran throughout the day, connecting farmers with vendors offering products and services tailored to livestock and crop producers. A sponsored buffet lunch and door prizes gave the gathering its social texture.

Organizers say the 37-year-old show serves as a connector between producers, extension resources, and conservation programs, with the value of those relationships compounding across seasons. That network may prove essential as climate volatility and rising input costs continue to pressure the margins that keep Orange County's farm operations viable.