Not your grandfather’s silvopasture
Brett Chedzoy, Cornell University senior resource educator in agriculture and natural resources, is a fan of silvopasture systems for livestock. At the annual meeting of the Grassfed Exchange, (more…)
Making a farm LLC
Many farms begin as a family operation; however, more farms should consider establishing a more formal business entity – the limited liability company, or LLC. (more…)
New York plans for solar
The Tug Hill Commission (THC) in the Finger Lakes region recently hosted a webinar in which presenters discussed how the area is handling the influx of solar installations. (more…)
Mental health: Reach out for help
A farmer’s strength is measured not just by the callouses on their hands but by the resilience in their hearts and minds, weathering storms both seen and unseen. (more…)
What the law & consumers say about animal confinement
Over the past 20 years, a number of states have enacted legislation regulating confinement standards for farm animals, with particular attention given to laying hens, pigs and veal calves. (more…)
Crop Comments: Spread the farthest fields first
As most subscribers are reading this column, it’s about 2.5 weeks until days start to lengthen in the northern hemisphere. Recently, most of the Northeast has been gathering just a few occasional (more…)
Tradition – and a little bit of everything else – at Jarmoc Farm
At the Jarmoc farm, the key to success is balancing what’s worked for generations with exploring unhackneyed methods and new revenue streams. (more…)
PA Farm Bureau hosts 73rd annual meeting
Hershey, PA, was the destination for hundreds of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) members who met for the organization’s 73rd annual meeting. One of the most important (more…)
Crafting a winning strategy for YouTube
“I’m a stay-at-home mom raising our three boys, homeschooling and helping my husband run the farm – if it were a complicated process, it wouldn’t be possible for us.” (more…)
Close to eradication, part 1
Part 1: The early days
Sheep and goat owners are familiar with the unique identification tags that go in animals’ ears before they’re moved from one property to another. (more…)
Crop Comments: Crop expert seriously pushes soil testing
Happy four days after Thanksgiving (which is when most subscribers are reading my column). Let’s mentally return to the first Thanksgiving Day – celebrated, according (more…)
Dairy profit: A new model for family farms
“Ideally, business decisions are made on profitability, not on cash flow,” Jon Winsten, an agricultural economist, said, addressing dairy farmers via a University of Vermont (more…)
Vaccination is not immunization
Cattle producers often ask Penn State extension veterinarian Dr. Hayley Springer what to include in a vaccination protocol. Since farms have a variety of management challenges (more…)
Seeking out specialty food grants
Branching out, wearing different hats, having a finger in every pie, putting a lot of irons in the fire – whatever euphemism you use, farmers these days are almost required (more…)
Three questions to ask about retirement
Most farmers want their land to stay in agriculture, but very few have plans in place that dictate how the land, business and other assets will be divided among their heirs. (more…)
