Josh Putnam

Cornell Cooperative Extension is excited to welcome Josh Putnam as the Field Crops and Forage Specialist with the newly formed Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program with Cornell Cooperative Extension. He will be working on programming related integrated pest management, soil health, fertility, forage production and precision agronomy in row crop production in Southwest New York. You can reach him by emailing jap473@cornell.edu or by calling 716-490-5572.

Putnam grew up on a family owned dairy farm in Marion that is still in operation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy with a specialization in Spanish language from Wilmington College of Ohio. While attending Wilmington, he served as a bilingual translator on a large dairy operation and later worked at a swine facility as an assistant breeder and farrowing barn manager.

He then earned his master’s degree from Kansas State University, where he worked with herbicide-resistant weeds in row crop production systems. He specialized in corn, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa and soybean production identifying various populations of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and tall waterhemp throughout the state.

He and his wife, Jodi, currently reside in Geneseo, where they assist with a dry hay production business, which they hope to fully manage and operate in the near future. They also enjoy their horses, dogs and hunting together.

The Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program is the newest Cornell Cooperative Extension regional program and covers Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Steuben counties. The Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops regional specialists work with Cornell faculty and Extension educators to address the issues that impact the agricultural industry in New York by offering educational programming and research-based information to agricultural producers, growers, and agribusinesses in the Southwestern New York Region.

Putnam joins Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Business Management Specialist. The team is searching for qualified candidates to fill two additional specialist positions covering Dairy and Livestock Management. For more information contact Josh Putman at 716-490-5572 or jap473@cornell.edu, visit https://swnydlfc.cce.cornell.edu, or contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.

The SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension. Cornell Cooperative Extension is a community-based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, local county governments, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.