Of the three main fertilizer nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – P is doing the poorest job of returning to lower pre-pandemic price levels. A number of global factors influences P price (which I’ll evaluate in a later column). P is also the most limiting crop nutrient in Northeast soil...

Manure management can be as tricky as managing livestock. Responsible producers pay close attention to manure storage and application throughout the year and avoid land application during winter. Chryseis Modderman, Extension educator, soil and manure management, University of Minnesota, explained s...

January 1 not only marks a new year but another season of real Christmas trees put to the curbs of suburbia for pickup by town and village maintenance crews. For an ol’ farmer, with granddaughter goats, there’s opportunity among the snowbanks like picking fruit off the vine. Yes, it’s a bit weird to...

Awhile ago, my friend Tom Kilcer (a certified crop advisor, whose wisdom I seek frequently) was giving a lecture at a Midwest crop growers’ conference. He explained how corn populations can be reduced without hurting yields – in fact, possibly increasing yields, if plant crowding had been an issue. ...

Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, recalls learning as a 4-H’er that young heifers should be developed to as much as 80% of their mature body weight at breeding. The result was heifers that looked good, but the program was too aggressive and not financially worthwhile. “Research out of the U.S. and Canad...

Stephen McCray of McCray’s Farm in South Hadley, MA, has been ahead of the curve when it comes to agritourism. This was the fourth year that the farm featured the Holiday Light Stroll. There are over 700,000 hand-strung lights illuminating farm machinery (including two International Farmall tractors...

Organic livestock production presents challenges, primarily in higher production costs, and pigs are no exception. Dr. Yuzhi Li, professor of animal science, West Central Research & Outreach Center in Morris, MN, reviewed research findings on the costs of organic pig production. Research was conduct...

An assortment of specialized tendons, ligaments and bones in the arms and hands allows humans to perform amazing work. Farmers’ daily tasks often lead to pain and weakness that can result in dangerous work conditions and accidents. Dr. Patricia Siegel, certified hand therapist and associate professo...

Human resources may seem like a department or set of duties for a business far different from your farm; however, it’s important to perform these tasks legally and consistently, both to protect your farm and to train new people correctly. Jess Skellie works for a small group of dairy farms. She rece...