In the past five years, the term “adaptive management” (defined as a process of developing improved management practices for efficient production and resource conservation by use of participatory learning through continuous systematic assessment) has become increasingly integrated into governmental programs in agriculture and resource conservation in the United States. The inclusion of adaptive management language in the new 590 Nutrient Management standard of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conversion Service (USDA-NRCS) illustrates a recognition by government agencies of the need for an approach that allows for continuous improvement in management of agricultural systems to enhance resource allocation and protect the environment at farm, state, watershed, and federal levels. It also illustrates the effectiveness of an adaptive management approach that includes continuous systematic assessment and outcome-based evaluations in achieving development and implementation of better management practices over time. We present and discuss lessons learned from three different New York based adaptive management approaches for dairy farms, implemented at field, whole farm, and regional/state levels over the past 5-10 years, that contributed to improvements in field, farm and regional/state balances for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) statewide. Based on results to date, we conclude that a combination of governmental regulations and an outcome-focused adaptive management approach that combines a people-based approach to research and extension will be most effective in obtaining greater agricultural sustainability in future years.