State Representative Martin Causer is visibly upset, the result of Governor Tom Wolf vetoing the Cameron/McKean/Potter County Republican’s bill, House Bill 915. The chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee sponsored the bill to exempt milk trucks from weather-related commercial tra...

Although every cow on the farm is special, certain groups of animals require extra care and attention at various times throughout the year. Special cows, whether they’re transition cows or part of a group separated for pregnancy checks or hoof health, will have to be moved at least once. Dr. Adrian ...

Farmers are adopting a new twist on no-till – they’re planting green. The concept involves planting a cash crop into a cover crop prior to spraying or rolling the cover crop down, resulting in an overlap of the life cycles of two crops. The system begins in autumn with a carefully planned cover crop...

Soil and too much water is a bad combination for horses. Mud can result in slips and falls of both people and horses, and can quickly turn more hazardous if the temperature drops and hoof prints turn into frozen holes. Mud harbors fungus and bacteria, leaving horses prone to issues such as rain rot ...

Fill a Glass with Hope gets nutrient-rich milk to Central PA Food Bank – Williamsport TROY, PA — Families utilizing food banks in the Bradford County area will have access to fresh milk thanks to the Bradford County Dairy Promotion Board and Dairy Princess Team and the Fill a Glass with Hope® campai...

Every cow on the dairy farm is special, and each has special needs at least twice during the year. Dairy managers and employees can work together to identify and manage these cows in the most timely and appropriate manner. Dan McFarland, ag engineer educator at Penn State, said cows during the trans...

Since April of 2018, lawmakers have aimed new legislation at combatting sexual harassment in the New York’s workplaces. More of its tenets go into effect in just a few months. Michael Paglialonga, deputy counsel with the New York State Department of Labor, addressed what this means for employers in ...

“Sometimes to get where you need to go, it’s best to take the road less traveled,” remarked third generation dairyman Paul Fouts. Fouts should know. As a dairy advocate he has traveled roads far and wide representing the dairy industry in New York and lobbying with NY Farm Bureau to benefit dairy fa...

On Aug. 28, 2011, David and Denise Lloyd’s Maple Downs Dairy of Distinction, Middleburgh, NY, was devastated by Hurricane Irene. With more than 7-feet of water in their barn and torrents of rushing water suddenly sweeping their livestock away, the Lloyd family was left defenseless. Cows, crops, thei...

Visits from the New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Immigration Policies and Affairs (DIPA) happen on farms using immigrant workers. A recent Department of Labor (DOL) webinar sought to answer why the visits happen and how producers can prepare for the visits. Melissa Buckley, represent...

One of the oft-cited impediments to growing a local red meat food supply is the need for USDA inspection for both slaughter and butchering of direct-market retail cuts of meat. Livestock producers often lament long wait times for harvest dates, as well as the distance to USDA certified plants. There...

Animal welfare isn’t only about physical health. Biologically healthy dairy cows can be mentally or emotionally stressed, and unable to express their natural tendencies or preferences. Dr. Katy Proudfoot, Ph.D., of the Ohio State University has been researching cow behaviors in the maternity pen sin...

At one point in Cliff Hawbaker’s dairy career, his goal was top production – squeezing every bit of milk from his cows. In 1998, a fellow dairyman who had switched to grazing convinced Hawbaker to give grazing a try. Today, Hawbaker is an advocate for grazing, although he’s quick to point out that e...

Many people are familiar with the concept of a dairy princess – the poised young woman in the sash strolling around the county fair or visiting local schools to talk up the benefits of the dairy industry. Emily Shaw was never a dairy princess, but she is a different kind of royalty: an Instagram inf...

While only two percent of the population is involved in farming, injury and fatality statistics indicate it is the most dangerous industry. Dan Neenan, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, discussed the hazards of working in grain bins, which are considered a confined space, and how fa...