It’s been a very cold start to 2025 so far, after a mild autumn and December. No doubt the animals are being challenged by the cold – for the first time ever we had to get an “outer layer” for our dog! She’s a 13-inch, 21-pound beagle and has been shivering and picking up her hind feet alternately w...

Many new and beginning farmers (as well as seasoned farmers) rely on USDA programs for technical guidance and funding. While it’s impossible to access most programs without assistance, trained technicians are eager to help farmers and rural landowners. Latoyia Elliott, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)...

It can feel impossible for one person to make a difference when it comes to a large problem, but every voice matters. Pasa Sustainable Ag recently hosted a webinar to help agricultural enthusiasts find their voice in ag policy. In this virtual training session, Noah Erwin, a policy specialist at Pas...

Two years ago, in Central New York, Ken, a “grass-fed” organic dairy farmer, asked me two cropping questions as he was planning his growing season. He was considering no-till seeding Japanese millet into land where he had planted rye cover crop the previous two autumns. He asked me how would millet ...

My cyber-sleuthing led me to a site for Sarah Bauder, Cooperative Extension forage field specialist with South Dakota State University. She wrote that winterkill and general stand loss of alfalfa caused great concern in many parts of South Dakota in recent years. She observed that alfalfa winterkill...

Although the milk check pays the bills on a dairy farm, many dairy farmers don’t fully understand fluid milk pricing. Brook Duer, attorney for the Penn State Center for Agricultural & Shale Law , agrees with farmers who say pricing is complicated. Federal milk pricing is conducted through the operat...

“Time flies when you’re having fun” is a saying attributed to Albert Einstein, but in Latin it’s read “Time flees, love remains.” It’s a fitting tribute for two gentlemen who have literally dedicated their lives, energies and leadership to building statewide, Northeast and national grazing programs ...

Organic livestock production comes with challenges, two of which are the high costs of organic feed and bedding. Dr. Yuzhi Li, professor of organic swine production, University of Minnesota, explained how the university raises organic pigs and reviews several research projects designed to explore fe...

Carl Majewski, a University of New Hampshire Extension field specialist, has been working to increase awareness of IPM practices for both farmers and non-farming stakeholders. He’s noticed that throughout the years, farmers are continuously leasing land from non-farming landowners. Majewski pointed ...