We are celebrating 25 Years of NODPA Field Days! For a quarter of a century, NODPA has been proud to host Field Days throughout the Northeast—bringing together organic dairy farmers, advocates, researchers, and industry partners in a spirit of collaboration and growth. This year marks our 25th Field Days and Annual Meeting anniversary, and we're taking the opportunity to reflect on the journey we've shared, where we stand today, and what the next 25 years may hold for organic dairy.
Join us for 2 days of educational workshops and two farm tours in central New York. We have an excellent lineup of speakers, a trade show of diverse vendors, delicious food, and plenty of opportunities to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Take advantage of the Early Bird Rates! Register by Saturday, September 12th and pay online, by mail or at Field Days registration. Just let us know you are attending in order to get the lower rates.
There is a room block at The Hampton Inn and Suites, 25 Lakers Lane, Cazenovia, NY 13035 with a room rates between $149 and $169, depending on your room choice. The room count is limited so CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY at 315-655-7666 and give them the code 'NOD', or visit their group reservation site to make your reservation. When the block is filled, or by September 6th, the rates will change.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
8:30 – 11:30 am
Farm Tour: Tre-G Farms, 8183 Route 20, Manlius, NY 13104, hosted by the Smith Family. Please go directly to the farm.
Noon – 1:00 pm
NODPA Field Days Registration and Lunch, The Pompey Rod and Gun Club, 2035 Swift Road, Pompey, NY 13138
1:00 – 2:30
Emerging Technology to Enhance Organic Dairy Production: a panel discussion on virtual fencing, robotics, pasture and herd management software, and more. Ryker Smith, Tre-G Farms, Bob Church, Lely Robotics, and Julio Giordano, Professor, Cornell CALS Department of Animal Science; Director, Cornell Agricultural Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) for the Farm of the Future; Associate Director, Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture; and Martin Perez, DVM, Ph.D., Program and Operations Manager for the Cornell Agricultural Systems Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) for the Farm of the Future.
2:30 – 4:00
Trends in Organic Dairy: Identify and analyze emerging trends and players that will be part of future markets available for organic dairy farmers. From A2A2 genetics, regenerative organic certification, organic certification to direct sales from the farm, how can producers take advantage of changing markets and opportunities? Nathan Weaver, Windhover Farm, Canastota, NY, Mike Davis, General Manager, Membership & Bulk Sales Divisions Upstate-Niagara, Inc. (UNC), Eric Sheffer, Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy, and Tom McGrath, Family Farmstead Dairy, Worcester, NY.
4:30 – 5:30
The Dairy x Beef Calf Market: An analysis of the current high returns and breeding decisions for the future. Robert Goodling, Horizon Farm Credit, presenter
5:30 – 6:00
Trade Show and Social Hour
6:00 – 7:00
7:00 – 8:30
Keynote Presentation: Enhancing production by breeding for the best cow characteristics for every production system. Michael McCaffery, AAA Weeks Analyzer
8:30 pm End of day
Friday, September 26, 2025
6:30 am – 9:00
Continental Breakfast
7:00 – 9:00
Producer-Only Meeting, Henry Perkins, past NODPA President, facilitator
9:00 – 10:30
Lessons from Successful Grass-Fed Dairy Farms: Explore how to evaluate whether a grass-fed system aligns with your land base, infrastructure, forage quality, cost of production, herd genetics, finances, and family goals. We will also discuss key points for a successful conversion to grass-fed dairy, and research from the multi-year Northeast Grass-Fed Dairy Project, Sarah Flack, presenter
10:30 – 11:30
Better Nutrition = Better Milk Production, Cow Health, and Profitability. Using good nutrition practices to increase production and herd health with all production methods. Bill Kipp, MS, LAS, Animal Nutritionist, Independent Dairy Consultants, Inc., Middlebury, VT
11:30 – noon:
Intro to Farm Tour at Pastureland Dairy, 8062 #2 Road W., Manlius, NY, 13104: Peter and Jeremy Mapstone, hosts
Noon – 1:00 pm
Lunch, door prize drawing
1:15 – 1:30
Travel to Pastureland Dairy
1:30
Farm tour Pastureland Dairy, 8062 #2 Road W., Manlius, NY, 13104 Manlius, NY hosted by the Mapstone family
Finger Lakes Dairy Service, Seneca Falls, NY, Lely Robotics representative
General Manager, Membership & Bulk Sales Divisions Upstate-Niagara, Inc. Upstate Niagara Cooperative (UNC), is a dairy farmer owned, full service, processing cooperative headquartered in Lancaster, NY. UNC members are interested in producing organic milk and processing organic dairy products.
Sarah is an author, consultant, and speaker specializing in grass-based livestock farming systems. She is passionate about helping farmers find ways to be financially viable while caring for both their land and livestock. She lives on the farm she grew up on in Northern Vermont where she is surrounded by pastures, wetlands, forests, livestock and wildlife.
Dr. Giordano is the director of the Dairy Cattle Biology and Management Laboratory at Cornell University, director of the Cornell Agricultural Systems Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) for the Farm of the Future, and an Associate Director of the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture (CIDA). The overarching goal of his research program is to integrate concepts of animal biology, farm management, engineering, and data-analytics for enhancing the reproductive performance, health, and profitability of dairy cattle.
Bill Kipp is a Dairy Nutritionist and Dairy Consultant with Independent Dairy Consultants, Inc., Middlebury, VT
Program and Operations Manager for the Cornell Agricultural Systems Testbed and Demonstration Site (CAST) for the Farm of the Future. His work focuses on advancing digital agriculture through the development and implementation of novel technologies for livestock monitoring and management. His role integrates practical farm operations with cutting-edge technology evaluation, contributing to the advancement of modern agricultural practices.
Eric Sheffer is the sixth generation to farm at Sheffer’s Grassland Dairy in Hoosick Falls, NY. After graduating Cornell in 2008, Eric returned to the farm and he and his father, Wally, began operating as a successful, conventional dairy farm, which included grazing as an important part of its herd management. While there have been many changes throughout the centuries, the latest has been their 2017 transition to organic certification. They began transitioning to organic in 2014, with full certification in 2017. The farm, which supplies milk for Stonyfield Organic, is certified by Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO). Today, the dairy employs four full-time people, and Wally continues to work alongside Eric. Eric and his wife, Jillian, are proud that their son Jackson who is the seventh generation of Sheffer's being raised on the farm.
Ryker Smith, Tre-G Farms, Manlius, NY manages the farm with his parents, Sue and Jim Smith, and his wife, Jenny. (For more information, please see the July NODPA News Featured Farm.)
Nathan and Kristine Weaver, along with the rest of their family still living at home, own and operate Windhover Farm, Canastota, NY, a 100% grass-fed organic dairy.
Michael McCaffrey of Homer, NY, is an approved analyzer for aAa Weeks, Inc. with 13 years of experience analyzing heifers, cows, and bulls of all breeds. McCaffrey analyzes herds in eight states from Maine to Tennessee and has been a part of bull committees with several A.I. organizations. With a passion for working with dairy farmers of all management systems, milk markets, and dairy breeds, McCaffrey has been helping farmers breed long-lived, profitable, easy-keeping cows that bring real profits to his customers.
aAa Weeks, headquartered in North Clarendon, VT, is in its 75th year of helping farmers. aAa Weeks is a dairy cattle breeding guide that identifies qualities a cow needs in a mating and qualities a bull brings to a mating. This information helps dairy breeders create a herd of consistently balanced, well-functioning daughters. With approved analyzers around the world, aAa has herds in the United States that have employed this tool for over 50 years and stand among the most successful breeding establishments in the country.
McCaffrey will be the keynote speaker on September 25. His address will focus on breeding the right cow with the right genetics for your management system. Built on the tenets of more milk for size, better feed efficiency, and greater longevity that leads to fewer replacements needed, McCaffrey will share his interest and experience in helping farmers see real results in breeding the balanced cow that will yield increased profits and genuine satisfaction to the dairy breeder.
This Century Farm has been a dairy since the 1940s. It is owned and operated by Jim and Sue, and their son and daughter-in-law, Ryker and Jenny. The Smith’s put time and effort into preparing the farm for the future, installing a robotic milking system in 2017 and focusing on improved breeding and genetics, and feeding and foraging management. Their recent move to Upstate Niagara Cooperative (UNC) has been a positive and significant change at the farm.
Father and son Peter and Jeremy Mapstone are partners on their dairy farm, Pastureland Dairy, which was established in 1944 by Peter’s father. Organic since 2007, this 1400 acre farm has a 650 cow herd, with 375 milking and dry cows and 275 youngstock. Pastureland Dairy’s goal of producing nutritious milk from healthy, grazing cows remains the backbone of all that they do.
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