SYRACUSE, NY — “They say I’m old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast,” said the Lorax, Dr. Seuss’s fabled environmentalist. At the March, NOFA-NY Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference, organic grain farmer and respected thinker, Klaas Martens of Lake...

LIVERPOOL, NY — Do you ever find your farm “running out” of pasture? Sarah Flack, a consultant specializing in grass based and organic livestock farming, spoke on “Matching Cows & Land Base to Increase Farm Income” at the recent 7th Annual Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference, hosted by Northeast...

The Pennsylvania Forage and Grassland Council (PFGC) was formed in 1960 and includes individuals and organizations interested in forage and grassland based agriculture. Each year, PFGC recognizes outstanding members for their achievements. Individuals were recognized at the 2018 Pennsylvania Forage ...

Jim Wiesemeyer returned to Lancaster in mid-February to talk about Washington to a group of pork and poultry producers, a program hosted by Penn-Ag Industries. Wiesemeyer also contributes articles to various farm publications and participates in agri-broadcasts as his time permits. He spends much of...

Go to the hills of Berne, NY and you may just catch a whiff of maple sap cooking away at Mountain Winds Farm. The Grippin family there has been producing maple products since 2005. That’s when Randy Grippin set out his first 50 pails and made the syrup production a yearly practice on the farm. Gripp...

Rob Meinen, senior extension associate, Penn State University, has been spreading the word about manure for a long time, but he says there’s still a lot to learn when it comes to manure safety. “Manure incidences often go unreported,” said Meinen. “Loss of consciousness occurs without a report. I kn...

Dr. Doug Beegle, retired professor of agronomy, Penn State University, wants producers to view forage fertility as a long term investment, different from an annual crop that’s planted and harvested once. “When we think about forage fertility management, we have to start long before we even put any f...

Central New York’s Cornell Cooperative Extension presented their 2018 Corn Day with CNY CCE Field Crop Specialist Kevin Ganoe, and speakers Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Agronomy, Penn State University, Dr. Douglas Beegle; Field Crops Specialist, CCE North Country Regional Ag Team, Mike Hunter...

GENEVA, NY — Multi-species farm managers could be onto something. Ross Duffield, farm manager at Rodale Institute, spoke on the topic recently at the last of the series of NYCO Winter Meetings. While many modern commercial livestock operations feature just one species, pasturing them all can lead to...

Among the routine management procedures that must be done in a sheep flock or a herd of goats is to develop a sound program for parasite control. This may sound like a very simple process but there are many roadblocks that stand in the way of achieving a good, easily managed program. Many years ago,...

When Ariel Staffin was a youngster her sister really wanted a dog. “My parents said they didn’t want any pets in the house, but that she could join a 4-H club to work with animals. She chose dairy cows,” said Ariel, currently a senior at Bridgewater Raritan High School. “Her logic was that they were...

MORRISVILLE, NY — Filmmaker George Lucas once said, “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” The reality in Madison County, New York is that the equine industry is an important asset to the area and to out-of-state residents. With this topic in mind, 30 people came together to collabor...

Grazing is environmentally beneficial. It has been shown to increase water infiltration and decrease soil erosion; to enhance the water-holding capacity of the soil; to support the sequestration of nutrients; and to promote soil health and biodiversity. However, grazing has been seen as a contributo...

Challenging times demand vision, determination, and sometimes joint-ventures, emphasized speakers at the 2018 Northeast Dairy Producers (NEDPA) Conference. The 2-day event, held in Liverpool, NY, addressed tough industry questions and featured a large roster of respected industry speakers, with a se...

LIVERPOOL, NY — Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY, www.nofany.org ) is on the grow. Organized as a LLC, the Binghamton, NY-based organization is accredited by the USDA to certify organic farmers and processors in the U.S. The association also holds the position as the state’...