Dr. Alex White, Department of Dairy Science at Virginia Tech, has tip for ruining a family dinner: start bringing up topics that many families avoid, and ask questions like “Hey Mom and Dad – what am I getting from your will?” or “When are you going to retire so I can take over?” or “We should inves...

Animal welfare isn’t only about physical health. Biologically healthy dairy cows can be mentally or emotionally stressed, and unable to express their natural tendencies or preferences. Dr. Katy Proudfoot, Ph.D., of the Ohio State University has been researching cow behaviors in the maternity pen sin...

At one point in Cliff Hawbaker’s dairy career, his goal was top production – squeezing every bit of milk from his cows. In 1998, a fellow dairyman who had switched to grazing convinced Hawbaker to give grazing a try. Today, Hawbaker is an advocate for grazing, although he’s quick to point out that e...

Many people are familiar with the concept of a dairy princess – the poised young woman in the sash strolling around the county fair or visiting local schools to talk up the benefits of the dairy industry. Emily Shaw was never a dairy princess, but she is a different kind of royalty: an Instagram inf...

While only two percent of the population is involved in farming, injury and fatality statistics indicate it is the most dangerous industry. Dan Neenan, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, discussed the hazards of working in grain bins, which are considered a confined space, and how fa...

On a sunny day in late May, longtime Ohio crop farmer Jay Butterfield was going about his regular farm duties, including working in one of the farm’s grain bins. When Butterfield found that the auger in the bin was clogged, he used a plastic rod to dislodge it. Butterfield was successful in his effo...

Love ag research? The 2018 Farm Bill offers a new opportunity for qualifying farmers to partner with NRCS to get part of $25 million in grant money to use on-farm conservation measure and study their effectiveness. Kari Cohen, projects branch chief with USDA NRCS in Washington D.C., presented a webi...

The fleece sheared off your sheep has to go through a lot of processing before it becomes a pair of socks, a baby blanket, a coat or a carpet. But getting that wool from sheep to sale isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Understanding the various wool marketing channels, how to access them and wha...

During a drought, farmers hope for rain. When there’s too much rain, farmers wish they could just turn off the spigot. “In drier conditions, people can get on the fields,” said David Balbian, Cornell Cooperative Extension regional dairy management specialist. “The fiber digestibility is typically be...