With the introduction of 2019, thoughts about the title topic are inevitable, and questions about it even more so, and on many fronts. The answer to the question about what is the value of agriculture in Pennsylvania is “about 135 billion dollars,” according to PDA Deputy Secretary Greg Hostetter, w...

A business plan, the “where do we want to go and where are we going to go” is the essential beginning of any farm business according to Henry Grinbaum, vice president of Farm Credit East who spoke at the Urban Ag Workshop in December, at the Cook Campus of Rutgers University. “Urban agriculture is t...

SUNY DELHI, NY — Well at least the snow that disguised the muddy fields and blanketed the hills and valleys of Delaware County didn’t deter over 180 farmers from attending the 16th Annual Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference. “The weather is always on our minds but the learning must go on,” said...

DEANSBORO, NY — Robin Williams once said, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” Ideas come from getting together, sharing experiences and having discussions which can invariably lead to change. It’s what farmers do regularly, whether in the barn, shop or over coffee...

When Lely introduced the first robotic milking system in Holland in 1992, the focus was on proving the technology had potential for long-term solutions. As more farmers adopted the technology, the focus switched to refining the design and increasing reliability. Today, the main focus is on the cow. ...

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A.J. Both, professor and urban agriculture specialist for Rutgers University, talked about the challenges of farming close to urban areas at the Dec. 14 Rutgers and NOFA-NJ all day program on farming on the urban fringe. Both noted the necessity for urban farms was brought home i...

For those not involved in farming, January may seem like an off time of the year for farmers. But there’s plenty of work for farmers during winter, and their days are filled with tasks such as planning crops, ordering seed, repairing equipment and meeting the challenges of caring for livestock in co...

The demand for animal protein products derived from animals raised without antibiotics is on the rise in the United States, but there are concerns about the potential impact on animal welfare. “We know that ensuring the safety, health and overall well-being of animals raised for food is an ethical o...

For the second time in as many years, President Donald J. Trump addressed the annual gathering of the nation’s largest farm group, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). This year, the event took place in New Orleans, LA, from Jan. 11 – 16. It was fitting, Trump noted, for New Orleans to host t...

County fair queens are a familiar sight, moving with their courts through crowds of fair-goers, smiling, waving and representing their realms. Dairy princesses do the same, representing milk producers in their areas. But what about those who want to share their love of agriculture as a whole? That’s...

One of the five labs that I work with provides small plastic-lined paper bags for their customers to put their soil samples in. The person submitting the soil for analysis fills out the field’s and farm’s specifics on one side of the bag. On another side of the bag there’s a sales pitch: “Test — don...

When I was a child I had always heard stories from my father about my grandfather. I never knew him due to an agriculture accident. I only got to know my grandfather through funny stories and passing memories shared from my father. I have always known that my grandfather had passed away from a farm ...

A brand new location, along with a new name for the NYS Maple Conference highlighted the 24th annual event. Now known as the “Mid-Winter Maple Classic (MWMC)”, the event took place at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY, and was hosted by the New York Maple Producers Association, New York FFA Alumni...

All farmers must know their markets but it can be especially important for farmers in suburban or urban fringe areas because consumers may come from varied backgrounds with various food expectations. Rick VanVranken of the Atlantic County Cooperative Extension presented a talk on marketing plans at ...

Mycotoxin pressures have been high with this fall’s grain harvest, leading to concern across much of the Eastern Seaboard. Drought stress, followed by heavy rains, set the season up to be one in which molds, and therefore mycotoxins, became a serious concern. Random sampling of corn silage by Alltec...