PRO-DAIRY has hired Karl; Czymmek for a newly created Dairy Climate Leadership specialist position. Czymmek will have statewide responsibilities in climate leadership and greenhouse gas reduction strategies for the dairy industry, contributing to New York state’s overall goals for greenhouse gas reduction.

“I am delighted that Karl is coming onboard in this new role,” said PRO-DAIRY Director Dr. Thomas Overton. “He brings extensive expertise and experience with the New York dairy industry and is returning to NYS after working on carbon and climate related issues at the national level.”

Czymmek has a strong background in production agriculture and training in agronomy and law. He served the NY dairy industry for over 20 years as a PRO-DAIRY nutrient management specialist, where he focused on on nutrient management, environmental, and other regulatory issues of importance to the NY dairy industry.  

In 2021 Czymmek left PRO-DAIRY to work on the Environmental Research team at Dairy Management Inc., and then with Land O’Lakes subsidiary Truterra, on the Dairy and Livestock Services team. Both positions worked with the dairy industry in support of environmental stewardship goals established by the Innovation Center for US dairy, including greenhouse gas emissions.

Effort as a Dairy Climate Leadership specialist for PRO-DAIRY will focus on interactions, communication, and training for dairy producers and industry advisors, scientists, governmental and regulatory agencies to improve sustainability by helping the dairy industry find economical ways to improve practices while protecting the environment.

Key areas of focus include soil management and carbon sequestration, enteric methane reduction strategies, and manure management strategies, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing economically favorable solutions for dairy producers. PRO-DAIRY is a nationally recognized extension and research leader serving dairy farms for more than 30 years.

This article appeared in PRO-DAIRY's The Manager in March 2024. To learn more about Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, visit PRO-DAIRY.