If the benefits of Kentucky 31 tall fescue don’t outweigh the risk of toxicity, or its propensity to out-compete other forages, it is possible to renovate and remove this controversial forage from your pastures. Before renovating, though, a cost-benefit analysis is needed. The benefits can include i...

As winter settles in, reviewing your winter livestock management strategy can help you improve the productivity and profitability of your operation. Recently, NRCS hosted a webinar with three of its agronomy and grazing experts to discuss approaches to handling livestock during what can be a challen...

For a number of years, we’ve enjoyed receiving weekly emails from Image Equine Photography, featuring a “Photo of the Week.” Carien Schippers, originator of the site, chooses stunning images of equines she has photographed to share. She adds inspirational quotes and interesting facts on the breed, d...

Tall fescue has earned a bad reputation. For some, it’s the grass that never dies, being an aggressive grower and having earned notoriety as difficult to eradicate. Others are concerned about its toxic effects: the ergot alkaloids which are found throughout the plant – in the highest concentrations ...

The coronavirus pandemic created a perfect storm for an economic, political and health crisis all at the same time, according to David McWilliams, an economist and professor at Trinity College Dublin. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, a strong recovery from the financial crisis of 2008 was likely to b...

NYFarmNet Personal Consultant Brenda O’Brien cited a common occurrence among women involved in agriculture today: “Sometimes you don’t realize you’re actually drowning when you’re trying to be everyone else’s anchor.” The recognition and managing of myriad daily stressors was the focus of a virtual ...

Deciding when to cull a dairy cow from the herd is often based on production, reproduction or health issues. The primary job of the dairy cow is to produce milk. Its secondary job is to join the beef supply chain. When and how dairy cows leave the farm and journey to the packing plant often involves...

Now that heifers are no longer relegated to an old shed on the edge of the property and fed whatever the milking herd refuses, they’re performing up to their genetic potential starting with their first lactation. But managing heifers for optimum milk production still requires careful attention to gr...

For some dairy families, the day before or after Thanksgiving brought an unpleasant surprise. Hundreds of dairy farmers and milk haulers in states across the nation received a letter written in legalese, but the bottom line was clear: “You owe us a large sum of money, and if you pay a percentage of ...