When a barnyard is partially in concrete and the pasture is little more than holes left by the hooves of beef cattle, what’s the answer? In Craig Alleman’s case, the best solution was more concrete. Alleman’s farm was a mess, with mud and pugging throughout the pastures. Pasture vegetation didn’t st...

Improving soil health starts with analyzing the soil, according to Aaron Breimer, owner of Moose Ag, a private consulting firm in Chatham, Ontario, who works with farmers on increasing profitability through soil health initiatives. Breimer, whose background is in cash crops, has worked in sales, agr...

Summertime is county fair time! All across the region, local folks and youngsters have been hard at work preparing their animals, crops, agricultural goods, baked goods and arts and crafts for the big weekend. The Little World’s Fair takes place the third weekend of August each year in Grahamsville,...

There’s been a lot of discussion around biosecurity, especially around the ever-changing situation with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) around the world. Lisa Pederson, livestock specialist at the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center in Streeter, ND, describes biosecurity as the combination of ...

Over the last 15 years, I have become a super believer in winter forages. Winter forages – small grains planted during late summer or early autumn – have been selectively bred to go dormant over winter, then spring to life as soon as prolonged cold weather loosens its icy grip in March or April. Wha...

Dairy and beef farmers are aware of the cyclical nature of the cattle industry. They also know the two segments are closely related. Corey Geiger, economist for dairy production and processing, CoBank, recently discussed trends in dairy and beef. “Dairy is dynamic and growing,” said Geiger. “It’s th...

SENECA FALLS, NY – Farmers always have an eye on the sky, as weather impacts so much of what they do. But paying attention to long-term weather patterns can help farmers plan their long-term strategies, according to Matt Reardon, senior atmospheric scientist with Nutrien. He presented “Chasing Water...

Hello, farm family! When did you last experience conflict in your farm life? Most of us experience some form of conflict every day, though we might not immediately recognize it. Types of Farm Conflict Some of us only equate “conflict” with yelling, screaming, throwing things and other forms of viole...

Despite many historians believing that clovers have truly changed the world, these crops are surprisingly modest creeping herbs, rarely reaching knee-height. According to my textbook “ Around the World in 80 Plants ” (Jonathan Drori, Lawrence King Publishing), there are two common cultivated species...