HAMILTON, NY – The post-COVID tree sale is a family reunion of sorts, as would-be tree planters gather to collect their stock and converse with each other on “How have you been?”, “How are the children?” and “What’s new?” The annual April sale has that friendly spring vibe, and more than 225 residen...

Everywhere in the news today experts are talking about climate change, what is contributing to it and how we can lower it. You’ve probably read some articles advocating that to reduce your carbon footprint you could turn the heat down when you are away, or that you bike to work instead of drive. Som...

As the years go by, agricultural systems advance, making day-to-day chores easier for farmers, making the system faster and therefore increasing the number of end products. There have been many advancements in technology, most of which are used in smart farms. Smart farming in general terms is manag...

There is a saying in Upstate New York that our weather goes right from winter to summer. Some residents have said something to the effect of “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 15 minutes!” which seems to describe this particular spring. We experienced temperatures in the low 20s with snow sho...

Cows aren’t profitable – business models are. That was the point Jordan Thomas, Ph.D., with the University of Missouri drove home with his “Profitability Isn’t Random” presentation at CattleCon ‘23 . “You can make a profit with poor animals and lose money with good ones,” he added. While producers d...

Ideal business models create profit from a problem. Vanguard Renewables of Weston, MA, is one such example. The company’s vice president of sales Ray Duerr recently presented at the 191st New York State Agricultural Society Forum about the next step in anaerobic digestion: incorporating food product...

It’s tempting to plant corn – even soybeans – as soon as soil temperature reaches the 50º F threshold for a couple days, but pluses may not outweigh minuses, risk-wise, according to Illinois-based cropping consultant Ken Ferrie. “While the gain from early planting can be five to 10 bushels per acre,...

When evaluating an old free-stall or bank barn to use for raising beef cattle, considerations for usefulness should include obvious defects such as roof condition, broken beams, missing supports, bulging or missing walls, inadequate water or electricity, drainage and condition of concrete both insid...

In early April, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau members spent a productive morning meeting with legislators, then gathered to hear the commonwealth’s top political figures discuss the future of agriculture. Ag Secretary Russell Redding opened the session with a reminder that highly pathogenic avian influen...

Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Central New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops team hosted this year’s Dairy Day event on April 11 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, NY. The meeting was led by dairy management specialist Dave Balbian, in coordination with colleagues Nicole Tommell (farm bu...

If you’ve ever considered owning farmland, there’s a lot you need to do before signing on the dotted line. Often that involves working with an attorney to make sure you’re getting the best deal, but attorneys don’t come cheap. Enter the Agriculture Law Education Initiative (ALEI). Margaret Todd is l...

Although not commonly used in the Northeast, steroidal implant use in beef cattle is still utilized on many operations nationwide. Addressing some potential changes coming from the FDA at CattleCon ’23 was Brad Johnson, Ph.D., of Texas Tech University. Johnson delved into the impact of Guidance for ...

I am so honored to be asked to serve again for the 16th year and for the fifth Congress member for the 22nd Congressional District’s Agricultural Advisory Committee. I serve as a dairy, livestock and smaller dairy cooperative representative. I have served in this capacity since 2007 to present. I fi...

In the April 2023 issue of his monthly Crop Soil News ( advancedagsys.com ), Certified Crop Advisor Tom Kilcer tallied field research conducted on New York dairy farms in 2020 and 2022. The purpose of this study was to determine how well brown-midrib (BMR) forage sorghum could substitute for corn si...

In a roundtable format at the annual Northeast Grazing and Livestock Conference, producers discussed shade strategies for grazing livestock. “I think the context for this conversation comes most directly from any livestock graziers’ experience where if there is a tree, and it’s a hot day, livestock ...