Have you ever wondered if more fertilizer could have given you higher corn yields? Most dairy farmers would reply with a solid yes, as it is a given that corn needs nitrogen (N) to grow and yield can vary quite a bit from field to field and year to year. However, how do you follow the rules and regulations of a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permit while managing the risk of making sure you have enough without applying too much and wasting money? And, how can we become more confident with making management changes? The Adaptive Nitrogen Management process, now in place in New York, addresses such challenging situations. The process allows N application with manure or fertilizer to exceed the foundational land-grant university (Cornell) guidelines on a field-by-field basis, if combined with yield data collection and the implementation of an end-of-season evaluation. Appropriate adjustments need to be made in the following year(s) if it turns out that the higher rates did not result in higher yields. In other words, the freedom to experiment with the responsibility to evaluate if the higher rate was warranted.