Any person who has worked with animals knows coronaviruses are not new to livestock and poultry. In humans and birds, the viruses can cause respiratory tract infections; in cows and pigs, they can cause diarrhea. Does the current COVID-19 global pandemic affecting humans give dairy or beef farmers a...

Maple season is just the start of the farming and fun found at the 220-acre Massey Ranch, located 17.5 miles west of the city limits at 20605 Combs Rd., Watertown, NY. Farmers/owners Shawn and Meghan Massey love to welcome visitors to the farm. They are currently preparing for the 2020 Maple Weekend...

The sight of triplet lambs is a thrill for some, but most seasoned shepherds aren’t impressed when one ewe gives birth to more than two lambs. Although some ewes successfully raise more than two, most can’t do it efficiently and lose significant body condition by the time lambs are weaned. While the...

Whether you’re grazing animals on perennial pastures or baling your alfalfa for hay, keeping your stands healthy and high-yielding takes management. Some factors can be controlled, while others, such as damage from winter kill, are contributed to Mother Nature. While farmers can’t control the weathe...

LATHAM, NY – The 12th Annual Winter Green-Up Grazing Conference stirred the minds of farmers with talk of expanding Northeast ruminant meat production, learning marketing skills and seeing the opportunities of solar array grass maintenance with “sheep-mowers.” But perhaps the most thought-provoking ...

MADISON, NY – Once a month, if everything else goes to plan, a dedicated group gathers for a Women in Agriculture discussion group hosted by Madison County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Unfortunately, the March meeting didn’t get together as scheduled on March 4, but it’s all good. They’ll keep wor...

WATERLOO, NY – Could you increase your wheat yield? Dennis Pennington, Michigan State University Extension Wheat Specialist, thinks so. Pennington presented “Managing Wheat for High Yield Potential” at the recent Soybean and Small Grains Congress, hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension Northwest Ne...

VERNON CENTER, NY – If you’re like many in the rural landscape that remember the frothy, thick cream fresh from the cow, you can appreciate the passion of the dairy-forward Stoltzfus families of Vernon Center and Deansboro, NY, in producing and selling their “Cream-line” dairy products. On Feb. 1, t...

WATERLOO, NY — Has bindweed affected your farm? Dr. Lynn M. Sosnoskie recently spoke on “The Biology, Ecology and Management of Bindweed” at the New York Certified Organic meeting hosted by the Martin Auction Barn. Sosnoskie is an assistant professor of weed ecology and weed management for specialty...

Farmers and manure haulers are committed to following nutrient management standards, and make every effort to keep up with requirements. To meet the need for ongoing nutrient management education, the inaugural edition of the Mid-Atlantic Manure Summit was held in conjunction with the annual PennAg ...

It’s almost spring, and tractors will soon be in the fields – and instruction for anyone operating a tractor is a key factor in preventing accidents and fatalities. Dr. Aaron Yoder, associate professor in Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center...

Dr. Henry Zerbe is vice president of protein procurement and innovation for Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op Inc. When he spoke at the 51st annual Lancaster, PA, Cattle Feeders Day, he mentioned he had lived in Ecuador for a year – “one of the best things in my life in terms of gaining an apprecia...

As hemp production ramps up nationwide, it’s vital to understand the laws managing its cultivation and the latest on cultivation practices. Dr. James DeDecker, director of the Michigan State University Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, recently spoke on hemp regulation and production. “...

The Dairy Voice podcast, from the NDHIA’s media partner, Dairybusiness.com, recently hosted a discussion on a relatively new and emerging concern for the dairy industry: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These manmade chemicals are known as “forever” chemicals, and have caused undo hardshi...

Farmers in some areas are reporting the presence of robins, the quintessential harbinger of spring. Others have heard red winged blackbirds, another sign of warmer days. But where’s the line between beneficial birds and those that cause crop damage, and are birds in decline? A recent study evaluated...