Harvest New York Bolsters Yogurt Industry

Tristan Zuber, a dairy food processing and safety specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Harvest New York initiative, spent Feb. 26 in Albany promoting New York’s successful yogurt industry. Western New York Senators, led by former Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Cathy Young and current Chair Patty Ritchie, have supported the creation of this specialized extension team to meet specific opportunities in the region. Focusing on the growth in the dairy sector, the Harvest NY program has trained more than 250 new and current employees of the growing dairy food processing industry. This “boots on the ground” approach has helped new processors find the skilled, trained employees they need, creating new jobs in the community and leading to a steady supply meeting the continued demand for tasty New York milk.