Target Programs

Skaneateles Lake Watershed Agricultural Progam (SLWAP)  
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Onondaga County is contracted through the SLWAP program to provide continuing education in environmental impacts of agriculture on water quality, help develop farming mission, vision, emergency plans, and provide economic impact analysis to farm cooperators while farms implements Best Management Practice within the geographical area of the program. Funding is provided through the City of Syracuse for this continued effort in water quality education.  For more information click here.

Got Feral Hogs?
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is looking for landowners to help with an effort to eradicate feral hogs. 

Crop and Livestock Damage - Feral hogs (sus scrofa) can become a major problem for farmers and landowners.  Feral hogs severely damage crops when foraging and can kill livestock directly by predation or indirectly by spreading disease.  Nationally, crop loss and damage from feral hogs was estimated to be greater than $800 million in the year 2000.

Environmental and Ecological Degradation - Feral hogs also have harmful environmental and ecological impacts associated with their behaviors.  Rooting, foraging, and wallowing activities destroy native plant and forest communities and expose the soil which increases storm water run off that can adversely affect water quality.

What can you do to help? - Look for signs of feral hogs and report them to the NYSDEC Region 7 Wildlife Office in Cortland at 1-800-388-8244 ext. 296.

Below are additional resources regarding the feral hog problem in Upstate New York:
Information notice of Feral Hogs
Feral Hog Fact Sheet
Feral Hogs and Water Quality Issues
NYSDEC Feral Swine Survey

Cover Crop Project
No-Till Roller Crimper Cover Crops for Corn, Soybeans, and Pumpkins: Final Project Report

Tactical Agriculture Program (TAg)
The TAg program provided by SLWAP offers a scouting service for up to 6 SLWAP cooperators per growing season with a series of meetings open to the general public. The meetings focus on Integrated Pest Management, Disease control and prevention, and variety selection.

In 2009 we have 4 farm participants with fields in forages, soy, corn, and wheat. Two TAg continuing education meetings were held in the summer of 2009.  For additional information please call the office: 315.424.9485.

Check out the Tactical Agriculture Seasonal Report 2009.

General Crop Pest Problems, please refer to the attached pamphlets:
Alfalfa Weevil
Barn Flies
Corn Diseases
Corn Rootworm
Early Season Insect Pests of Corn
Designing In-field Demonstrations
Potato Leafhopper on Alfalfa
Weed Identification in Corn

Alfalfa Weevil Scouting form
Barn & Barnyard Fly Survey
Corn Rootworm Scouting form
Stand Count Record form
Soybean Scouting form
Potato Leafhopper Scouting form
Weed & Disease Survey