As an undergraduate at Cornell during the mid-1960s, I took a course titled “Marketing of Agricultural Products.” The textbook for the course bore the same name, co-authored by Max Brunk and Lawrence Darrah. When I took the course, Darrah was the instructing professor, and I paid $4.50 for a used co...

Summer and autumn bring livestock shows and fairs, a higher risk of disease transmission and more need for solid biosecurity. “Biosecurity is the set of steps to take to prevent or reduce the spread of disease,” said Abby Schuft, Ph.D., poultry Extension educator, University of Minnesota. “With fair...

Once upon a time, the phrase “shameless self-promotion” was seen only in a negative light. These days, talking about yourself – through the lens of your farming operation – may be the best way to promote your business and your way of life. Speaking candidly about their advocacy in action at the most...

A recent call among veterinarians and entomologists regarding the New World screwworm (NWS) delved deep into this potential agricultural threat. After a May shutdown of cattle movement, USDA announced a risk-based port reopening plan for July. It was short-lived when authorities discovered NWS was m...

The record wildfires of 2023 (compliments of our neighbor to the North) started gaining momentum in March of that year. Their intensity increased, starting in June, but Canada had been affected by an ongoing, record-setting series of wildfires. As the worst wildfire season in recorded Canadian and N...