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...

September 5 is the International Day of Charity, and while many of us are struggling to take care of our own, sometimes giving just a little can mean a lot. Think of the bell ringers around the holidays – all that pocket change that goes into those red buckets really adds up. So, if you are so incli...

Many farmers preserve forage as dry hay, but for some, baleage is a good alternative. Depending on storage conditions, losses in baled dry hay stored outdoors is between 10% and 30%, while properly wrapped baleage should have almost no quality loss. Storage for baleage is less costly than a chopped ...

The Pennsylvania No-Till Alliance recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Jim Hershey farm in Elizabethtown, PA. One of the featured demonstrations was a soil pit, which was dug directly under recently planted sorghum-sudangrass. Lisa Blazure, soil health coordinator, Stroud Water Research C...

Once hailed as a green guardian of soil health, annual ryegrass has now gone rogue in New York State. A cover crop champion turned chemical-defying challenger, this fast-growing plant has morphed into a resistant renegade, surviving glyphosate sprays and turning heads in the worst way. Research titl...