With 23 years of experience working at the county, regional and state level, this program has emphasized development and implementation of marketing programs for small farms typical of the northeast. For the last eight years he has directed and led the New York Value Discovery Program, a feedlot and carcass evaluation program of cattle consigned from different farms. This program helps producers determine the profitability of their individual animals, learn the value of their cattle for the commercial market, and determine if the quality of the meat they produce meets consumer demands. Over 1550 head of cattle from five states have been evaluated through this program. Other work has focused on developing a production and management system that optimizes the value of NY feeder cattle. This program has generated $20-$40/head additional profit for participating producers. Certifying producers in Beef Quality Assurance is a high priority. Adopting the principles of BQA assures the consumer that beef is produced in a manner that results in high quality, nutritious beef free of defects and world renowned for safety. Establishing a value added market for finished cattle has also been a high priority. Use of locally available Holstein steers, byproduct feeds and niche markets is under evaluation. Most recently research has been initiated to evaluate the effect of different nutrition and production systems on the performance and meat quality of beef for the grass finished market.