Most dairy farmers are familiar with the FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) program, but may not be aware of upcoming changes. Emily Yeiser Stepp, senior director for the National Dairy FARM program, recently discussed changes in the program and said the 2020 version of FARM is now in ef...

HAMILTON, NY — With the catchphrases: “Collars are like Fitbits for cows”, “technology is monitoring and management” and “more brain-power than back-power,” dairy farmers are trying to connect with a tech savvy audience as they tell their stories about modern dairy farming. That’s engagement in the ...

Coping with stress Stress is a normal part of life, and there’s simply no way to eliminate every bit of stress. However, understanding the basis for stress and adopting coping mechanisms can greatly alleviate the way in which the human body responds when presented with stress. Dr. Michael Bailey, ph...

How stress affects human health One portion of this year’s Dairy Nutrition Workshop, held recently in Hershey, PA, addressed an important concern in the dairy industry: stress. A preconference symposium focused on human stress, the effect of the stress response on dairy cattle, social stress in dair...

MUNNSVILLE, NY — In adventuresome farming fashion, Greg and Nathan Peterson and their wives, Brooke Anna and Riley flew from Kansas into New York City, rented a car and navigated through the maze of congested traffic and city tunnels to bring their inspiring and entertaining story to the rural Stock...

During the year, diversified agricultural activities will eventually peak and equipment is needed the most. The mechanical heartbeat of the farm is the tractor. We all have our favorite color of tractors – one minute you’re “swearing by” and the next you’re “swearing at” because when you need it, it...

There’s more to feeding pregnant beef cows than adjusting the quantity and nutrients of a ration. Dr. Katie Wood, assistant professor of ruminant nutrition and physiology at University of Guelph, said feeding pregnant cows has a significant impact on both the offspring and the future performance of ...

For the past several decades, distillers’ byproducts, also known as co-products, have been a regular addition to the ration programs of beef cattle feedlots throughout Western and Midwestern corn producing regions. This is due largely in part to the increased ethanol in the past 20 years. With this ...

CAZENOVIA, NY – You can’t buy happiness but you can buy local food at a winter farmers market and that’s kind of the same thing. At the onset of winter, you need comfort food. What better place to find powerhouse ingredients than locally at a winter farmers market? As nature would have it, these win...

It was a dark, cold Sunday evening just a couple weeks ago and the horses were late coming home from their pasture to the barn for the night. I had their feed, water and hay all ready and was just getting a spare lead rope and flashlight to head out and see where they were when they appeared in the ...

Turkey may be the meat of Thanksgiving, but for some it’s the meat of Christmas and New Year’s Day, too. For others, a goose, duck, or Cornish game hen – or maybe something more “exotic” such as quail or partridge – might grace the holiday dinner table. Here’s a look at some of those birds which pro...

It’s clear a love of agriculture runs deeply in the Curtis Szalach family. Siblings Andrew and Erin Curtis Szalach enjoy promoting the Ayrshire breed at events like the New York State Fair and through their various memberships. “They’ve been very involved in the Ayrshire breed for a long time,” said...

Brent Zimmerman is no stranger to farming. He grew up on a family farm in Michigan that raised dairy, hogs, hay and wheat. After high school he pursued a career in banking until a two-week vacation took him to Tuscany, Italy, in 1991. Instead of boarding his return flight, he stayed for 25 years and...

In order for a farm to succeed, more than just farming acumen is needed. An ample understanding of agriculture is essential, but even the most knowledgeable farmer would find it difficult to prosper without a fundamental understanding of business practices. Emily Eder, co-owner and operator of Great...

OXFORD, NJ — The animals from Just One More Farm have made appearances on television shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Those may not be standard roles for farm animals in rural New Jersey, but Bonnie Terry’s farm isn’t typical in many ways. That starts with...