SYRACUSE, N.Y. — At the New York Farm Viability Institute, we believe that farmers know the problems they need solved and can determine if a potential solution could be adopted on their farm. That’s why our competitive grant program relies on New York farmers to read and score the research proposals we receive. NYFVI is led by a 10-person board of directors, and each of our board members is an active member of the farming community. Allow us to introduce Aaron Allen.

Nominated by the NYFVI Dairy Committee, Aaron Allen joined the board this past August. He is a 7th generation farmer at Allenwaite Farm in Washington County. Milk from Allenwaite Farm is sold to Dairy Farmers of America and supplies the New York City market.

The farm utilizes a carousel milking parlor and a computerized milking system that keeps track of each animal’s daily production. The system also monitors milk temperatures to alert handlers of potential health issues with cows. More than 3,000 acres of land are dedicated to field crops, and the operation has around 40 employees.

Allen has been serving on the NYFVI dairy review panel since 2018, “I thought it was a good time to step up at NYFVI,” he said. “I’ve found the review process for the proposals to be very informative. With so many new technologies being developed it is critical that farmers participate in the dialogue and ground truth these ideas.”

For more information about the New York Farm Viability Institute please visit www.nyfvi.org.

–New York Farm Viability Institute