New York and the Northeast are great places to be a dairy producer. Not only do cows thrive in the region’s climate, but so do the crops that are grown to feed them. Despite intensifying weather that can make field work challenging, the region’s soils, rainfall, and growing degree days are advantages when growing high-quality forage crops.

Kirsten Workman
Senior Extension Associate / PRO-DAIRY

Another strength is the dairy sector has maintained environmental sustainability as a key factor in production. While this has always been important, it is becoming (and in some cases already is) a key factor in market competitiveness. Soil test phosphorus levels have been kept in manageable ranges through sound nutrient management, a good balance between land base and herd size, and N.Y. dairy producers have shown continued progress with assessments like Nutrient Mass Balances and carbon footprinting.

As farms consider growth, it is wise to assess the farm’s current and projected animal density. This is the number of animals per acre of land available for crop production, and thus also manure application. At Cornell University’s Nutrient Management Spear Program, this is calculated as Animal Unit Equivalents (AUEs), or 1,000 pounds of animal, per acre of cropland. A comfortable place to be, where it is straightforward to grow enough high-quality crops to feed the herd and utilize the manure produced by them, is in the range 1.0 to 1.2 AUEs per acre. Once farms get above that density, it becomes more challenging to meet the feasible balances set for New York as more feed is imported, and more pressure is on manure application timing and rates. Some farms can achieve this balance at higher densities, but only through careful management, a solid plan for manure export1, and strong connections with local forage and field crop producers to get it done.

As animal numbers increase, having adequate space in the barn should not be the only consideration, but also adequate storage capacity for manure nutrients, and adequate land base to balance the feed needs of the herd and manure nutrient cycling on the land. Another priority is to use all management strategies possible to maximize the nutrient utilization of the manure applied to cropland using a 4R approach to manure management to reduce additional fertilizer imports. A key partner in this decision-making process is the farm’s nutrient management planner, who can help quantify manure storage needs, assess and maximize crop yields and nutrient utilization potential, and ensure compliance with environmental regulations and sustainability incentives.

It can, however, be easier to add cows than it is to add acres. Depending on your region, competition for good cropland may be stiff, making rental or purchase prohibitively expensive or simply not available. A good strategy is to connect with crop-producing neighbors and forge formal arrangements that allow the dairy to import feed (forage and/or grain crops) while ensuring a home for the manure nutrients produced by the dairy herd. Varying examples of these arrangements are available across the region, but the strongest ones include clear expectations and quantify the value of the crop and the manure applications. This exchange of crops and manure can essentially reduce the dairy farm’s animal density, while benefiting both operations and reducing fertilizer imports locally. It is no secret that manure is packed with benefits that improve cropland with all the essential macronutrients plants require, slow-release nitrogen, and soil-building organic matter, especially on fields with little or no manure history. Despite these benefits, however, there are logistical considerations, from matching the nutrient profile to the crop needs, to hauling, to the impact of application equipment on soils that a crop producer will consider when deciding to receive manure from a dairy.

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If cropland is not available nearby, manure nutrients may need to be exported further away than is ideal for moving liquid (or solid) manure feasibly. In these cases, looking at options for “value-added” or advanced manure treatment can make sense. Basic solid-liquid separation may not be enough, and many advanced technologies are available for further processing. These include biological, chemical, thermal and physical strategies to partition not only liquids and solids, but also individual nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. The resulting products may be easier to transport, denser in nutrient content and have less of the drawbacks of spreading liquid manure that some non-dairy crop producers say they would rather avoid (compaction, runoff, odor). An ever-increasing number of options are becoming available. But with limited commercial adoption, it is important to ask lots of questions and to look for data from independent sources before investing heavily in this option.

Water quality, air quality, climate resilience, and neighbor relations are extremely important to both the dairy industry as a whole and individual producers. It is already challenging to communicate the benefits of the circular and sustainable nature of a dairy farm’s integrated livestock and cropping system. So, it will be even more imperative that farms maintain this social license to farm in their local communities through keen attention to maintaining environmental balance and dedication to continuous improvement, along with the expanded partnership of professional advisers and neighboring farmers. This is a challenge that the region’s dairy producers and agricultural community are well-suited to embrace and can meet with success.

Want to calculate your animal density? Check out the NMSP Animal Density fact sheet:

1A note on exporting manure. Any farm operating under a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit should be sure to understand the definition of a manure export. New York’s definition is included here, but every state’s permit will have their own definition. They key is that if you are in control of the rate, timing, or location of a manure application, it likely will not meet this definition. In these cases, it is best to include these acres in your own comprehensive nutrient management plan to use sound agronomic strategies, ensure permit compliance and manage environmental risk.

Manure Export – defined: New York state’s CAFO permit outlines the following, “Export means the transfer of manure, litter, food processing waste, digestate, or process wastewater to other persons who, except for the benefits associated with the sale or transfer of the manure, litter, digestate, or process wastewater itself, are not affiliated with the owner/operator for profit, consideration, or any other beneficial interest derived from agricultural land management. To qualify as an export, the receiving person(s) must also be in direct control of a) the application acreage; and b) the application rate; and c) the application times; and d) the transfer rate and time.

This article appeared in PRO-DAIRY's The Manager in November 2025. To learn more about Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY, visit PRO-DAIRY.