Agricultural Environmental Management Award

2008 Winners – The Fessenden Dairy and the Cayuga County SWCD

The Fessenden Dairy and the Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District were the proud recipients of the 2008 AEM Award. This sixth generation farm strategically combines traditional conservation techniques with cutting-edge technology to maximize the farm’s benefits to the environment.

Governor Paterson said, “The Fessenden family exemplifies the vital role of New York farmers as integral to a strong economy, a healthy environment, and an affordable, local food supply for all New Yorkers.”

As neighbors to the village of King Ferry, the 650-cow dairy continually works to reduce manure odors. “The Fessendens care about the people around them and the environment,” said Sandy Huey, District Watershed Program Manager. Recently, the Fessendens implemented an innovative waste management system. Animal manure solids are recycled into heat-treated bedding for the cows, or composted and marketed by Ronda Fessenden as certified organic compost. A new concept is underway to manage the liquid nutrients, and through a grant from the USDA Conservation Innovation Program a system has been engineered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31 times. The Fessendens share the carbon credits generated with Ithaca-based Environmental Credit Corporation. Similar projects are underway on five other New York dairies.

The Fessendens are forging the way for other farmers by pioneering new conservation practices. With guidance from their District AEM program, they planted nearly 53 acres of grass waterways and buffer strips to protect Paines Creek. They also raise 1,200 acres of corn silage and alfalfa for feed on carefully designed contours, terraces and strips. “Farmers have always been stewards of the land, carefully conserving the natural resources that they rely on to earn a living,” said Dennis Hill, State Soil and Water Conservation Committee Chairman. “With new environmental technology, many farmers are becoming community-level ecologists – managing air, soil and water quality. The Fessenden Dairy is an exemplary model of this new generation of farms.”