North Country farmers who raise beef have some new information to guide their plans.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted the results of a regional survey of cow-calf farmers in St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson and Lewis counties designed to assess the current state of the beef industry in Northern New York.

The results of the survey, funded by the NYADP, will help guide regional beef industry educational programming and NNYADP-funded research projects for the next five years.

The information is now posted in the Livestock section at www.nnyagdev.org.

A snapshot of survey results shows:

• 96 percent of Northern New York beef producers surveyed plan to expand or maintain their current size

• the predominant breed of beef cattle raised in Northern New York is Angus

• 52 percent of those surveyed sell direct to consumers by freezer trade

• 48 percent of those surveyed sell direct to a cattle buyer

• 8 percent of those surveyed sell breeding stock

• increasing numbers of beef farmers are developing relationships with a veterinarian to help maintain herd health and quality beef production.

Cow and calf farmers in the region maintain the permanent breeding herds that are the foundation of the beef industry. Cow-calf operations supply 500- to 800-pound calves to feedlots that grow them out for beef processors, sell breeding stock to other producers, and package beef for direct sale to local consumers and food buyers.

Beef producers in Northern New York are increasingly interested in research and educational opportunities to help them improve herd management, farm efficiency, and profitability, the press release from the NYADP.

Northern New York Regional Livestock Team Leader Betsy Hodge, a livestock specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, says that agricultural educators locally and at Cornell University are using the survey input to guide their extension and outreach efforts.

Funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has provided regional farmers with access to the expertise of Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Mike Baker. His recent efforts have helped NNY producers develop better consistency in the cattle they raise and secured USDA funding to help regional beef producers pool cattle to better meet buyer demand for supply and quality.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a farmer-driven research and technical assistance program serving St. Lawrence, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, and Lewis.

NNYADP is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.