Young dairy leaders from 19 counties across New York State will graduate at Empire Farm Days on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at 1:30 pm in the Dairy Profit Seminar Center at Empire Farm Days at Rodman Lott & Son Farms, 2973 Route 414, Seneca Falls, NY.

The Cornell PRO-DAIRY Junior DAIRY LEADER is a statewide program for youth between the ages of 16 and 19 with an interest in learning more about career opportunities in the dairy industry and gaining hands-on experience in the field. The graduation ceremony at Empire Farm Days includes a welcome by Program Coordinator Deborah Grusenmeyer and student presentations highlight their year-long experiences learning about dairy education and career options.

The 2017 Junior DAIRY LEADER class members from New York State are:

• Broome County: Danielle Silvanic, Port Crane
• Cayuga County: Megan Bunnell, Aurora; Abigail Cox, Cato
• Chautauqua County: Madison Woodis, Dewittville
• Chenango County: Megan Peila, Bainbridge
• Cortland County: Brittany Burrows and Lydia Young of Cuyler, Daniel Ripley, Moravia
• Genesee County: Mary Sweeney, Bergen
• Herkimer County: Ellie Ainslie, Little Falls
• Livingston County: Emma Swyers, Dansville
• Madison County/Chenango County 4-H: Kylie Lehr, Canastota
• Oneida County: Nelson Cassidy, Stittville; Ashley Thornton, Boonville
• Onondaga County: Annie Weiss, Lafayette
• Ontario County: Austin Blair, Clifton Springs, Jaimee Frederick Clifton Springs
• Orange County: Julia Goldsmith, Middletown; Sydney Parkin, Warwick
• Otsego County: Alyssa Grocott, Edmeston
• Rensselaer County: Christian Lafferty, Schodack Landing; Jacob Lafferty, Schodack
  Landing; Patrick Michel, Valley Falls; Gabrielle Tarbox, Troy; Isabella Wiley,
  Johnsonville
• Saratoga County: Grace Hanehan, Saratoga Springs; Melanie Luke, Ballston Lake
• Tioga County: Noah Gwardyak, BerkshireWashington County: Winston Getty, Granville; Julia Houser, Greenwich; and
• Wyoming County: Tracy Rudgers, Attica.

The 2017 Junior DAIRY LEADER class sponsors are PRO-DAIRY, the Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation, Northeast Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Northeast Ag and Feed Alliance, DEHM Associates, Select Sire Power, Cornell University Department of Animal Science, and New York’s dairy producers.

The 300-acre Empire Farm Days is the largest outdoor agricultural trade in the Northeastern U.S. See www.empirefarmdays.com for hours, daily schedules and more details visit or call 877-697-7837.

More Info:

The Junior DAIRY LEADER Program begins in late September with a seven-day trip to Madison, WI, to tour dairies and agribusinesses, followed by attending the annual National 4-H Dairy Conference. Throughout the year, class members participate in eight workshops, focusing on team building, personality styles, resume development, change, and leadership skills development, as well as facets of dairy production, tours, and exposure to numerous career options in the dairy field.

Hands-on workshops offer learning opportunities on specific facets of the dairy industry, including veterinary science, dairy nutrition, production management, and on-farm production analysis, plus interaction with dairy producers, industry professionals, and other dairy-interested young people. Building communication and leadership skills enhanced by a team approach to problem solving, adds to the Junior DAIRY LEADERS’ personal and professional development.

Contacts:
. Junior DAIRY LEADERS Program Coordinator Deborah Grusenmeyer, 607-255-0656,
djc27@cornell.edu
. Empire Farm Days Manager Melanie Wickham, 877-697-7837,
mwickham@empirefarmdays.com
. EFD Publicist Kara Lynn Dunn, 315-465-7578, karalynn@gisco.net