The Cattaraugus County Soil & Water Conservation District has selected Durow Farms for the 2023 Conservation Farm of the Year Award. Durow Farms is a fifth-generation family owned and operated dairy farm located in the Town of Randolph. Mike and Dawn, along with their family, utilize every available acre in a productive and responsible manner. The farm includes the 200-cow dairy and heifer operation, as well as a maple syrup enterprise. Since the early 1990’s when Mike and Dawn took over management of the farm, it has implemented such practices as conservation field strips, reduced tillage, and rotational grazing.
The farm is particularly good with its forage production system of corn for silage and high-quality grass haylage. The high quality, high yielding forages results in high milk production and healthy cows while minimizing off-farm feed purchases. They follow a very tight rotation of corn followed by a seeding of clover/grass with a nurse crop of oats. This practice, along with the field strips, and conservation tillage, helps to minimize the erosion on highly erodible fields.
The nutrient value of manure is utilized to its maximum potential. With the help of funding procured by Cattaraugus County SWCD and NRCS they constructed a short-term waste storage and transfer system in 2019 that allows them to avoid spreading when there is inclement weather. They also installed a buffer and roof runoff structures to prevent runoff to nearby waterways. The farm was one of the founding members of the Western NY Crop Management, which helps the farm implement its nutrient management and integrated pest management plans (NMP and IPM).
The farm uses sound timber management practices to get the most out of their woods in lumber as well as sap for the maple operation.
Not only does the farm take good care of its resources, but it is also a Dairy of Distinction and has hosted Randolph FFA tours of the farm for elementary students.
