Dr. Darwin Braund, the proud owner of a beautiful pair of Jersey oxen, created a fascinating demonstration at Ag Progress Days on why, after draft horses were imported to America, they quickly replaced oxen in use for heavy work. The oxen were no match for the speed and strength of a team of Percher...

by JAY GIRVIN, Esq., Girvin & Ferlazzo. P.C., Albany, NY Q. I co-own a piece of real property with my two siblings. I would like to sell the property and divide the proceeds, but my siblings are against any sale. What can I do? New York law recognizes three basic forms in which two or more people ca...

As early as the mid 1960s, Albany County, New York farmers were feeling the pressure of development. Up until 1966, George Ziehm and son, Frank, farmed a parcel of land purchased from George’s aunt Clara. The father/son operation grew vegetables and later milked 40 registered Ayrshire cattle. “Our f...

SYRACUSE, NY — Steve Palladino was as proud as any papa after the birth of four young ones, even if they happen to be dairy calves. The four calves, including just one bull, were born on the morning of Aug. 26 at the Cow Birthing Center, a “live” exhibit at the New York State Fair. Palladino brought...

“If you drop your monkey wrench, you could bend down to pick it up, and be in a dangerous place.” With that statement, Rob Meinen, senior extension associate at Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, essentially described the tone of the seminar this day at Pleasant View Dairy Farms LLC in Pine ...

Alpacas, sheep, cattle, goats and horses, oh my! It must be the annual Schaghticoke Fair, which ran Aug. 27 to Sept. 1. Featuring 4-H and open competitions youth and adult exhibitors alike hauled livestock of all breeds and types into the Fair. Exhibitors had their animals on display for both compet...

SYRACUSE, NY — Lizzy Luckman of Lucky Lane Farm in western New York knows what it takes to show beef cattle, but it doesn’t mean she is overconfident. “I didn’t expect to win this show,” Luckman commented after the judges at the New York State Fair bestowed the Supreme Champion Beef Female title on ...

If pricing were as simple as looking into a crystal ball farmers could rest easy knowing they were selling their crops at a price that is sustainable for the farm and what the market could bear. “Small and mid-size producers are often shooting from their hip (when setting prices),” said Bob Weybrigh...

I’ve succumb to the soil health bug. How do I know? Well, on a recent kayak adventure in the Adirondacks, I laid awake at night listening to the unencumbered, deafening raindrops hit our tent and envisioned the uncovered soil getting pounded as the chocolate water carried the next generation’s livel...

Dr. Barbara Christ, Ph.D., senior associate dean and professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, was recognized for her service as interim dean at the Government/Industry Day luncheon, hosted by Penn State at Ag Progress Days on Wednesday Aug. 13, 2014. Christ has served as interim dean for t...

At Ag Progress Days 2014, the Management Tactics for High-yielding Soybeans Tour offered practical tips for soybean producers who were looking for advice. Hosted by Penn State’s Dr. Greg Roth and Ohio State’s Dr. Randall Reeder, attendees for the fifth and final session on Thursday came away with se...

COOPERSTOWN, NY — For a pair of millennials, 20-year-old Alicia Hager and her 30-year-old brother, Louis Hager III, have a surprising grasp of their family’s history and how it relates to their own future. The Hagers hosted a group of hops growers, brewers, consultants and others interested in the b...

This year’s Ag Progress Days (APD), held Aug. 12-14 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center in Rock Springs, PA, proved to be just as interesting, exciting and educational as always. Despite steady rainfall on Tuesday and brief showers early on Wednesday, “Government Day,” many of the ...

The classy show stallion in the riding ring was moving its legs at a furious pace, but its steps were so small that the horse itself was hardly moving forward. This is the “fino” gait, performed by show horses of the gaited breed Paso Fino. The scene was Ag Progress Days in Pennsylvania, and the exp...

King’s Roaming Angus Farm, Cobleskill, NY, recently hosted the 2014 Eastern Region NY Beef Producers’ Summer Meeting, with farm owner/NYBPA Regional Director Andrew King, Eastern NY IPM Educator Ken Wise, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Resource Specialist Tom Gallagher speaking on industry issues...