Sisters Shelby and Lacey Pombrio are regulars at livestock shows and neither will miss an opportunity to tell others what they love about their favorite cattle breed. But the predominantly white cattle with characteristic black or red points were not the first breed of cattle for Corbeau Creek Cattl...

The rumors are true. As of June 11, 2023, farmers will no longer be able to purchase antibiotics over the counter or through mail order without a veterinarian’s prescription. Dr. Hayley Springer, Extension veterinarian and assistant clinical professor, Penn State, explained the reason for the change...

ALBANY, NY – There was a big sigh of relief among rural communities that Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed S.4162/A.6652, known by many as the Class C Stream Bill. If passed, the legislation would have added over 40,000 miles of streams to the state’s regulatory system under NYS DEC jurisdiction. Clearer hea...

In the 1990s, Sweden began to see the establishment of equipment sharing groups or “machine rings.” Today there are 20 local associations with about 5,000 members – approximately 6% of all Swedish farmers. Germany has about five times that amount of equipment sharing. Canadian farmers have formed a ...

Agritourism operators are in a unique position to add regenerative practices to their enterprises, according to Nicole Vaugeois, associate vice president of research at Vancouver Island University in British Columbia. She spoke about regenerative tourism and its opportunities for agritourism operati...

Last Saturday my friend Brian called me with a feeding management question. He manages a small biodynamic dairy in Columbia Co., NY. He had just gotten the milk tank sample results back from the lab; from those he learned that milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was running mg/dl. MUN is a useful tool when loo...

Dan McFarland, Penn State ag engineer, said time-lapse photography is valuable for troubleshooting barn issues and improving facility management, but to get the best use from this technology, farm managers should be familiar with typical cow behavior. “Cows spend about 10 to 14 hours a day resting, ...

As farmers reflect on a demanding 2022 season they simultaneously start planning for the challenges the 2023 season will present. Careful planning can greatly increase a producer’s chances of success while minimizing exposure to potential hazards. “This time of year is also a really good time for op...

Alison Lane, business advisor with the Maine Small Business Development Center (MSBDC), has a confession: “Up until a year ago, we only had a couple reviews on the MSBDC Bangor Office Google page because you forget about it.” Fortunately for Lane and small business owners, recruiting online reviews ...

When you think of U.S. animal agriculture, I bet “cultured” livestock cells didn’t pop into your mind, but it may be getting closer to a grocer near you. With all the clamoring about climate change and agendas to limit animal agriculture, the FDA, which is “responsible for the safety and security of...

At dawn this Dec. 13, the remote-sensing thermometer showed an outdoor reading of 8.5º F. I think that this is the coldest it’s been in downtown Hartwick in nine months. When the temperature drops this low (or just drops to or below 14º), a meteorological phenomenon takes place that scientists call ...

Although some farms have websites, many do not optimize them to attract more customers and clients, according to Jo Cook, founder of Sun & Soil Website Design and a small farm in Michigan. (She’s been designing websites eight years and farming for three.) Cook recently presented a webinar for FACT, ...

Australian veterinary parasitologist Dr. Matthew Playford is sharing with U.S. cattle producers what his country has done to raise awareness of potential, serious infection transmitted by the Asian longhorned tick (ALT). In endemic areas of Australia where ticks are commonly found, almost all cattle...

Logically, any discussion of fertilizer costs should be relegated to the back burner this time of year, even at most Northeast locations. As I write, our region in general really hasn’t experienced much seasonal cold weather with normal snowfall. The Buffalo vicinity serves as the exception to that ...

The 72nd Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau took place in Hershey, PA, with hundreds of attendees and delegates who were seated for the delegate session. The state meeting is the culmination of Pennsylvania county Farm Bureau efforts to develop policy that will guide the state in address...