Navigating the rules for selling freezer beef
by Stephen Wagner
At the turn of the 20th century, Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle,” the first book to take on the meat industry and the slaughter of animals. (more…)
Bid wet spots adieu with blind inlets
by Courtney Llewellyn
Spring rains are coming. Generally, that is seen as a good occurrence in farming, but what happens if there’s too much water?
Draining wet spots can make portions of fields – or entire plots – more arable, and that’s what Dr. Ehsan Ghane, assistant professor and Extension specialist with Michigan State University, discussed during the recent MI Ag Ideas to Grow With. (more…)
Dealing with hairy heel wart in beef cattle
by Sally Colby
Veterinarian and researcher Dr. Doerte Doepfer has seen a lot of foot problems in cattle, but said the two standouts are foot rot and hairy heel wart.
Hairy heel wart (also known as strawberry foot, raspberry heel, interdigital papillomatosis or digital dermatitis) has been an ongoing problem for dairy farmers. More recently, the issue has been showing up in beef herds. (more…)
Good genetics, easy handling
by Sally Colby
Not everyone has a clear plan for post-college pursuits, but while Austin Kolb was studying for a degree in animal science at West Virginia University, his future became clear: he’d continue farming on the Garrett County, MD, farm that has been in his family for generations. (more…)
Growing 140-bushel wheat
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Want to grow more wheat per acre? So did Dwight Bartle, a wheat producer in Brown City, MI. He achieved 140-bushel wheat and presented his findings at the Soybean & Small Grains Congress hosted by Cornell University Extension Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team earlier this year. (more…)
Advanced nitrogen management
by Stephen Wagner
“I would argue that over the next five years what you’ll end up seeing is a convergence of precision ag platforms where you’re going to have platforms like Truterra which are going to do nitrogen management and carbon marketing at the same time.” So said Eric Rosenbaum, CCA, PA4R Alliance, senior agronomist, with Rosetree Consulting. “As time goes by you’re also going to see an overlap of those programs and I want you to get familiar with them now so that five years from now it’s not surprising you, and that you can go along every step of the way and understand what’s happening.” (more…)
Back on her feet again
by Sally Colby
It can happen at any time. A cow slips as she leaves the parlor, or perhaps she’s weak after calving or has milk fever. She’s down, and the goal is to get her on her feet as quickly and safely as possible. (more…)
Equine Nutrition Webinar – Choosing the Right Feed
Recently, the New York State Horse Council presented the second of its four equine nutrition webinars. Presenter Meghan Crout works as an equine sales specialist for Land O’Lakes. She graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with a degree in agribusiness and is a horse owner herself. (more…)
Duvall discusses the future essential ag workforce
by Courtney Llewellyn
“Without labor nothing prospers,” said ancient Greek scribe Sophocles. The ongoing pandemic has brought attention to the role the agricultural workforce plays in ensuring Americans (and the world) are fed. But there are still major labor issues to be decided – H-2A reform, COVID-19 workforce safety and nurturing the next generations of ag leaders. These were the topics covered by American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall during his “Shaping the Future of Our Essential Agricultural Workforce” presentation during the virtual NASDA Winter Policy Conference. (more…)
Contract grazing tips
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Grazing one’s own land can provide an economic way to raise beef cattle; however, not every cattleman possesses enough land to effectively graze his herd. Whether he grazes his cattle on his own land or on someone else’s, it costs money. Father and son team Jon and Jared Luhman operate Dry Creek Red Angus. The family-owned direct market, grass-fed beef and organic cash crop farm is in Goodhue, MN. Their herd contract grazes on cover crops and crop residue, including their neighbor’s fields and at sites as remote as Nebraska. They shared their findings at “Contract Grazing Cover Crops for Winter Feed,” a recent webinar hosted by Practical Farmers of Iowa. (more…)
Bisson’s marks 100 years of tradition
by Edith Tucker
BERLIN, NH – “The process of taking sap from a tree and making it into pure maple syrup has always intrigued young and old alike,” conclude Lucien and Muriel Blais in their recently self-published book “The Sugar House on the Hill: 100 Years of Tradition and Change at Bisson’s Sugar House.” (more…)
Growing to serve customers
by Sally Colby
David Dickert grew up on a western Pennsylvania farm, and like most farm kids, started to learn his way around agriculture as a young man. “They raised potatoes and hogs,” said David’s son Ben, describing the early days on his parents’ farm in Mineral Point, PA. “My parents David and Joanna have raised beef cattle on this farm since 1997.” (more…)
