In time for National Ag Day on March 24, the nonprofit Rural Minds announces the launch of the new Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program in support of mental wellness for farmers and farm families. This critical new initiative aims to support the ag community by providing farmers and the individua...

Stepping out of the dairy business doesn’t mean your barn has to sit idle. In the “From Dairy to Pork: Barn Conversion in Action” video series on YouTube, the New York Pork Producers teamed up with Strategic Planning Specialist Tim Terry of Cornell University’s Pro‑Dairy program to show how former d...

A recent shift toward more restrictive weed control measures along with new, mandatory pesticide application rules has been mandated by the EPA. Wesley Everman, Ph.D., Iowa State Extension weed specialist, began an explanation of the rule changes with a brief history of what brought the EPA to devel...

There are several primary goals for a profitable beef cow/calf herd – the majority of herd females should achieve viable pregnancies and calves are born alive and healthy. The newborn calf's primary requirement is colostrum. While there isn't a lot of information on colostrum for beef cows, theres s...

Improving both profits and animal welfare was the theme of “Farm 5.0 and the Future of Dairy Care,” a webinar recently presented by Beverly Hampton Phifer, senior director with National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program and hosted by the Dairy Cattle Welfare Council. FARM ...

It’s no secret that sugar maples are the preferred variety of trees for sugarmakers. But in the interest of making the most of what’s already growing on your property and diversifying your agricultural portfolio, should you consider tapping other trees? That was the question posed and studied by Dav...

“I wasn’t really a poultry guy,” Jacob Horst shared – but that’s all behind him now. He and his family, of St. Johnsville, NY, became a family farm partner with New Hampshire-based Pete & Gerry’s Organic Pasture Raised Eggs. Their impressive new facility, shown to the public during an early November...

After being in practice for more than 40 years, Dr. Pam Ruegg, DVM, Michigan State University, has seen many changes not only in how mastitis is detected, but how it’s treated. “What I’m seeing around the U.S. is a lapse in people using DHIA individual cow data, fewer people doing foremilking and re...

As water grows scarcer and feed costs climb higher, dairy producers are turning their attention to an old crop with new potential. Sorghum, once seen as a secondary silage source, is moving to the forefront of forage innovation. In “Profit‑Focused Feeding: Sorghum’s Value in Dairy Nutrition,” a rece...

A paper published in May 2025 in “Microbiology Spectrum” examined the practice of applying beneficial biofilms to calf hutches. To the authors’ knowledge, it was the first study to evaluate the use of beneficial biofilms in individual pre-weaned calf housing. One of the authors, Sarah Morrison, a re...

In a recent presentation, Brook Duer, staff attorney, Penn State Center for Agricultural & Shale Law , shared information on H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). The legislation enacted on July 4, 2025 created a reconciliation bill that made appropriations to select agencies and programs. Title ...

We are now seeing the end of autumn’s beautiful foliage, with the chill of winter winds reminding us of the cold weather to come. And we’re all getting ready to mark off that checklist of “to-dos” before winter sets in. Safety – Here in the Catskill Mountains of New York, we are at the end of the ea...

The inaugural American Dairy XPO (ADX) delivered all that it promised – the latest in cutting-edge technology, global innovation and education as well as plenty of opportunities for socializing and networking. The premier dairy trade show, which took place Nov. 5 and 6 at the Champlain Valley Exposi...

BERKSHIRE, NY – Pardon the tree pun, but it’s brilliant marketing that helps the Pennsylvania-based Trees for Graziers Company “branch out” to help farmers and conservation professionals add trees to perennial pastures, hayland, riparian areas and crop ground. Founder and CEO Austin Unruh is on a qu...

Many farmers rely on a variety of farm safety net programs to ensure protection for the investments they’ve made in crops and livestock. Jeremy Forrett, retail financial services leader, Farm Credit East, discussed changes in FSA programs and federal crop insurance resulting from the passage of One ...