After conducting the business of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) virtually last year, several hundred members met in person for the 71st annual meeting in Hershey, PA. One of the most important roles of all state Farm Bureaus is establishing policy on issues that affect agriculture and rural comm...

While much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic enjoyed a rather moderate autumn, winter – and all its frigidity and bluster – will be here soon. One of the many things farmers can do to prep now is check their fence lines. It’s much easier to be proactive in early December than it is to be reactive in...

Nearly everyone in the farming community is familiar with the story of three brothers, all in their 30s, who succumbed to manure gas while repairing a pump inside a manure storage pit on their Ohio farm. The story made international news and brought an outpouring of support for the family. Unfortuna...

It’s easy to forget – or just ignore – health, safety and PPE (personal protective equipment) during harvest. But Ellen Duysen, outreach specialist and coordinator, Agriculture Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said ignoring risk during this busy time can be deadly. Bef...

Penn State Extension’s Dairy Team has launched a podcast, “Bovine Banter,” where diverse dairy farmers and experts discuss a wide array of topics and provide an inside look at their farms, their experiences and lessons learned. These discussions have recently included interviews with two dairy farme...

If young people are the future of the ag industry, a new program will take full advantage of their energy and enthusiasm. The Northeast Beef Ambassador Program, initiated in 2020, provides an opportunity for youth ages 5 to 18 to learn how to advocate for the beef industry. Kaitlyn Swope, director o...

Data collected in 2015 by the USDA indicated that 7,398 farms in the U.S. sold products directly to consumers through a community supported agriculture (CSA) arrangement. In that year, CSAs accounted for $226 million (or 7%) of the $3 billion in direct-to-consumer sales by farms. Anecdotally, that n...

It’s easy to put off retirement planning, but Tracy Garofalo, an accountant with Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s MST business services, said retirement planning should not be ignored. Garofalo said the biggest issues for most are when to start, structuring a plan and determining the tax implications. “Th...

On Oct. 16, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County presented an interesting (although unusual) program: “Bring Your Own Carcass Composting Training.” Held at their Education Center & 4-H Park in Otisville, NY, the program was designed for Department of Public Works/Department of Transportati...