New York State (NYS) is the third largest producer of dairy in the US. We examined what sustainable agricultural practices (SAP) NYS dairy farmers are adopting, and their motivations. NYS dairy farmers are currently struggling due to low milk prices, and thus look for SAPs that contribute to the economic sustainability of an operation over environmental sustainability. If dairy farmers are expected to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations, they need more financial and technical support from state and federal agencies to help implement more expensive SAPs.
