Nearly everyone who grows a crop outdoors has encountered problems with deer damage. When populations of large natural predators (wolves and big cats) were high, deer populations were kept in check. With the loss of such predators and less natural habitat, deer have become bold as they seek habitat ...

Farmers who grow cash crops begin each season with a combination of experience, careful planning and optimism. Nathan Crooke, who owns and operates Windybush Hay Farms in Bucks County, PA, with his mother Gail, is one such farmer. Crooke grows soybeans, mulch hay for mushroom growers and hay for liv...

The benefits of extending the grazing season don’t stop with the immediate monetary and labor-saving benefits of not having to harvest, purchase and feed stored forages to the livestock herd. There are also animal health and soil health benefits. For those wishing to extend their small ruminant graz...

When the weather turns cold and humans add more layers of clothing to stay warm, consider what it takes to keep young calves warm. Like humans, calves have a thermoneutral zone – the range of temperatures in which the calf can regulate its body temperature to remain comfortable in the environment wi...

Carbon credits and markets in Pennsylvania are often misunderstood. If the bulk of your knowledge about carbon comes from “Star Trek” and their search for carbon-based life forms, the following should be a refreshing primer. Dr. Siobhan Fathel, professor of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at P...

Although statistics regarding dairy consumption are collected nationally, the results are relevant to small producers. As she explained the concept of how small-scale dairy processors can use such statistics, Sarah Cornelisse, Penn State senior Extension associate in agricultural entrepreneurship an...

“It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags – of grass seed, that is,” said the Grinch who stole moisture from the seed-producing areas of the Pacific Northwest. This was the warning from Everett Thomas, retired agronomist from the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute ...

From twinkling lights to the smell of pine and peppermint, it is evident that the holiday season is now upon us. While we anticipate this season to be joyous and magical, unfortunately the reality of electrical and fire incidents, slips and falls and kitchen mishaps can quickly ruin plans. Therefore...

Farm Bureau members from across Virginia got a better sense of the financial, physical, familial and emotional stressors that can contribute to a higher risk of suicide among farming and rural communities at VA Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention. Mental health experts discussed exacerbating ...