Many farmers want to pass on their land to a family member or a young farmer when they’re ready to retire. Since the cost of land, equipment and buildings is often higher than beginning farmers can afford, farmers anticipating succession should plan ahead to ensure their land goes where they want it...

Lameness in dairy cows is a serious issue. Cows that can’t walk properly cost money in one way or another, and also present a serious welfare issue. Lame animals can easily become bullying targets of more aggressive cows, and will reduce their lying time simply because it’s difficult to recline and ...

When producers consider minerals and other supplements for beef cattle, there are numerous options – all of which should be based on reading and understanding the tag. Nutritionist Steve Stafford said the tag is the key to knowing what’s in the bag, and urged producers to determine whether they’re s...

Compost enriches soil, helps retain moisture and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers. It also supports the growth of beneficial fungi and bacteria that break down organic matter. On-farm composting can provide a ready-to-use source of organic matter to enrich soil and feed crops. Chryseis Mod...

Raising bison may sound like an easy way to raise meat animals, as bison don’t require shelter, even in northern climates; however, Martha McFarland, in a recent Practical Farmers of Iowa presentation, said that anyone interested in raising bison needs to fully understand the animals first. She said...

Scott Weikert on Penn State Extension began his webinar during Pennsylvania’s Ag Progress Days by introducing his panel: Sarah Wurzbacher, forestry Extension educator; Allyson Muth, Department of Ecosystems and Management at Penn State University Park; Art Gover, Extension specialist based at Univer...

Nearly 2,000 busy farmers across the U.S. took the time to answer survey questions about cover cropping trends, such as “planting green” into living cover crops, using cover crops for weed control and the impact of cover crops on cash crop planting dates during the very wet spring of 2019. American ...

State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta) recently called for the Farm Laborers Wage Board to put the brakes on any changes to the 60-hour overtime threshold for farmworkers. Senator Seward joined with the Senate Republican Conference and members of the farming community in calling for freezin...

Thirty years can seem like a long time. On the other hand, for a farm that has been operating since 1853, it can seem like just the blink of an eye. The Empire State Milk Quality Council (ESMQC) has been bestowing its Supermilk award for 30 years. In that time, thousands of dairy farms have been rec...

When Mike Albanese was just five years old, his grandfather reminisced about oxen with horns so large the animals had to turn their head to fit through the barn door. Mike’s grandfather was a shepherd on a small northern Italian village in the Alps before emigrating to the U.S. In 1940, his grandfat...

After a long day of working, I now have layers of red clay under my fingernails instead of the dark brown New York soil. That was one of the first things I noticed when I moved to Georgia: the dirt (technically, clay). It’s burnt orange color makes me question how anything grows in it. I moved to Ge...

In the past, Caleb Vander Groef’s stature may have been working against him, especially when he was showing calves instead of fully grown heifers. Caleb raised his cow Liberty from a calf and has been showing her for two years. But at the start, he suspects he may have made Liberty seem a bit smalle...

Summer might be winding down, but there’s still plenty of hot weather ahead. Alycia Drwencke, Southwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops program, said that for four months of the year, the average temperature in New York State is 70º or higher, and that spells heat stress for dairy cattle. ...

Respiratory disease is a significant issue cattle producers must deal with on a daily basis. It’s been estimated it has cost the industry nearly $900 million with death and production losses, with the result of survival of a BRD, according to Christopher Schneider, technical services with Merck Anim...

A dairy farm near Lake Champlain has seen a lot of changes over the years, most of which were the result of fluctuating markets and family members returning to the farm. Fifth-generation dairy farmer Tony LaPierre currently oversees operations at the family’s Rusty Creek Dairy in Chazy, NY. Tony sai...