Part 2: Focused stress reduction strategies Farmers are professionals when it comes to getting things done under stress, but often at the expense of their health. Because stress can be a major contributing factor in many complicated health issues, it’s worth pursuing stress-reduction strategies to a...

The Glassmaker of Donbridge by R D Vincent, author of the Donbridge Series My grandmother bustled about her kitchen cooking away for the annual New Year’s Eve party which was held at my parent’s house each year. Knocking on the pine door, which was halfway open, I noticed my grandmother was startled...

Newborn calves begin life without a fully functional immune system – their only hope for immediate protection against disease is passive immunity acquired through maternal antibodies in colostrum. However, even calves that receive maternal antibodies from their dams’ colostrum are subject to disease...

If your farm isn’t promoting itself and the dairy industry on social media, perhaps it should. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like can become additional tools in marketing dairy in general and your farm specifically. Unlike other forms of media, using these sites costs nothing. More importantl...

HAMILTON, NY — “Saying thank you is more than good manners, it is good spirituality.” ~ Alfred Painter. In the spirit of gratitude for Mother Earth, the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District held its 9th annual customer appreciation luncheon at the White Eagle Conference Center in Hami...

There’s nothing like a furlough to jump-start the satire for the New Year. As we welcome in 2019 the U.S. government and the USDA are shut down or have been. It’s starting to become a yearly habit. It got me to thinking, what if all the farmers in the USA decided to shut down, take an un-paid leave ...

The 2018 North Jersey Resource Conservation and Development winter conference focused on no-till planting and the need for cover crops. Presenter Eric Rosenbaum of Rosetree Consulting LLC, asked the questions he always asks farmers: what three things are they going to try in order to have a more suc...

Dairymen realize that cutting feed usually means milk production slacks off. That’s why Bill Weiss with Ohio State University’s Animal Sciences presented “Cutting Feed Costs Without Cutting Milk” as part of Hoard’s Dairyman’s webinar series recently, sponsored by Quality Liquid Feeds. When producers...

A considerable amount has been written about the production of methane gas by the cattle population and its impact on global warming. Another gas studied that is a natural part of a cow’s metabolism is ammonia. While this naturally-occurring gas does not affect global warming directly, it may have a...

Producers raising meat for sale can maximize sales by planning their processing. Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) recently hosted “Direct Marketing Meat: The Logistics of Meat Processing” as a webinar with Rebecca Thistlethwaite, representing the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network. Directed by...

Like many horse maladies, navicular disease has more than one name, including navicular syndrome and podotrochlosis. Dr. Kyla Ortved, assistant professor of large animal surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, said many bones and structures comprise the equine foot, and there’...

HUBBARDSVILLE, NY — If you look at DeWitt Head’s body of work, you’ll find a hard-fought, life-long career as a dairy farmer along with his wife of 54 years, Diane, and recognition as the 2013 New York Holstein’s Retired Master Breeders for their work creating generations of excellent prize-winning ...

Consumer Reports conducts evaluations on the whole range of merchandise and products used by the average citizen in their daily life. These evaluations are designed to give the consumer the best possible buy for each dollar spent. Almost every conceivable consumable is tested in the laboratories own...

Need help in getting your horse over obstacles? You are not alone. The bleachers by the Demo Ring were full during the 2018 Equine Affaire while internationally known presenter Mark Bolender showed attendees how to help their horse overcome their fear and resistance to stepping over obstacles. In th...

Timing is everything. Cathy and Robert Brown began their Three B Tree Farm in Norfolk, NY in the 1980s with the idea that they could use the profits to help their children through college. “We were very green at it; we didn’t realize at the time how long it took to grow them,” Cathy Brown admitted. ...