It’s a topic that isn’t fun to think about, but one that everyone should act on: estate planning. Paul Goeringer, attorney and senior faculty and Extension specialist, University of Maryland, stated that in a survey published in 2023, 66% of Americans don’t have an estate plan – and 46% of people ag...

For farms, orchards and those who own wooded acreage, winter is the time for a variety of tasks: logging, land preparation, excavation, brush clearing and pruning. Many tasks require the use of heavy machinery, which predisposes workers to short- and long-term health issues. Abigail Kahrs, program c...

Raising pork – or any other consumer-intended livestock – can become more profitable by creating a value-added product from it. Laura Jensen, a self-described “pig nerd,” recently presented “Adding Value to Your Product Line” as a webinar hosted by Food Animal Concerns Trust. Jensen sells Meishan po...

For years, the idea of purchasing a farm has been to many prospective buyers a daunting prospect. It involved hunting for quality land that was for sale, driving there to see it in person, speaking with other farmers in the area and researching USDA records. An interested party then had to scrape to...

As my granddaughter Hadley and I stopped our kayaks on a tiny island on Lake Eaton in the Adirondacks for a morning rest, a majestic loon in the distance started its signature call. I grabbed my phone out of the life jacket and started recording. Not long after, a second loon responded in their sign...

Ag prices and trends, both in the U.S. and around the world, affect producers of sizes in all ag commodities. Economist Brett Stuart, founding partner of Global Agritrends , recently presented a review of 2023 and a look forward to 2024, beginning with inflation. Stuart said political leaders around...

Can canola meal offer sound nutrition to your newborn calves? To answer this question, Dr. Greg Penner with University of Saskatchewan recently prevented “Canola Meal in Starter Mixtures for Dairy Calves: Improving Utilization By Focusing on Gut Development,” hosted by AMTS and Canolamaz!ng. In his ...

Dr. Robert James, professor emeritus, Virginia Tech University, said the primary goal in managing dairy calves is to raise the highest quality heifers to maximize profit when they enter the milking herd. “Calves are an investment,” said James. “Some of the returns are long-term. It’s important to th...

There are a lot of things hunters need to worry about: firearm safety, weather conditions, private property boundaries, creatures other than deer in the woods. In addition, depending on where they’re hunting, they need to be concerned with a deadly deer disease. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a pr...

According to Brook Duer, staff attorney for the Penn State Law School’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, dairy farmers have a number of programs which can help them obtain the income and revenue protection they need. “For many, many decades,” he explained, “dairy did not have anything. It’s no...

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recently hosted a seminar to help farmers prepare their cattle herd for winter. This session was led by NCBA’s Director and Producer of Education Michaela Clowser and taught by Dr. Karla Wilke, a cow/calf stocker management specialist at the Universit...

Agriculture can be a risky business. Equipment, chemicals, livestock and infrastructure such as grain bins or manure pits are just a few of the dangers that farmers interact with on a daily basis. Other, perhaps less obvious dangers include slippery surfaces, ropes and cords that can cause trips and...

Part 2: Progress toward eradicating a fatal disease The eradication of scrapie is becoming closer to a reality, thanks to the efforts of numerous sheep and goat owners along with veterinary partners working with state and federal government. Dr. Linda Detweiler, Veterinary Medical Officer at USDA-AP...

After the time spent looking for a new (or first) horse, doing research, making phone calls, contacts and visits, the day will arrive when they will become a part of your family. But the preparations and work do not end with the horse’s arrival – there are a number of things you can do to make the t...

Brett Chedzoy, Cornell University senior resource educator in agriculture and natural resources, is a fan of silvopasture systems for livestock. At the annual meeting of the Grassfed Exchange , Chedzoy talked about his introduction to silvopasture and how the practice can benefit livestock farmers. ...