Pricing rental farmland
by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Renting farmland is fairly common in the agricultural community, but landowners and renters are frequently confused about prices to charge — or to pay.
(more…)2019 Forage Quality Conference
by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Forage has a huge impact on dairy herd productivity and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Central NY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops team presented a forage quality program to advise crop producers on updated trial results in producing forage.
(more…)What about that Coggins test?
by Sally Colby
Horse owners who board, compete in shows, participate in group trail rides or moved a horse from one state to another are familiar with an important piece of paper known as the Coggins test — proof that the horse has tested negative for equine infectious anemia, or EIA.
(more…)Congressman Brindisi works on NY agriculture priorities
by Troy Bishopp
UTICA, NY — Back on the campaign trail, Democratic Candidate, Anthony Brindisi, vowed to work for agriculture throughout the 22nd congressional district. After winning a contentious mid-term election against incumbent Republican Congresswoman, Claudia Tenney, the freshman New York Congressman is moving forward with his commitment to listen, understand and act on behalf of farmers.
(more…)Spring maintenance to-do list
by Marilyn Munzert
As days lengthen, pastures thaw and horses’ coats shed, it is easy to get swept up in the excitement of riding. However, spring is an optimal time to complete equipment and facility maintenance projects, which can have a positive impact on operations throughout the year.
(more…)OHM Holstein Club Farm Tour
by Katie Navarra
Members of the Otsego-Herkimer-Montgomery O-H-M Holstein Club of Central New York enjoyed a sunny day for their annual open barn/open house tour on March 9. This year’s event was hosted by Kings-Ransom Farm, LLC in Schuylerville, NY, a fifth-generation dairy operation run by brothers Jeff and Jan King and their families.
(more…)Bovine Health
Displaced Abomasum: Making the Right Decision
by Gabe Middleton DVM
Transition cow programs have improved to increase cow health in early lactation, thus causing a reduction in transition cow diseases on many herds. There are several management reasons why transition cows might experience disease, and all of those factors should be evaluated on the dairy to maximize welfare and profitability. One of the most expensive transition cow diseases from both a direct (cost of fixing the disease) and indirect (cost of lost milk) is displaced abomasum (DA).
(more…)NNY Dairy Research
Save time, increase cow comfort, reduce risk of mastitis
CANTON, NY – How does a reduction of 27 seconds add up to a gain of an important 15 minutes and more comfortable dairy cows?
(more…)Crop Comments: Sustainable Soil Seminar, in Syracuse
On March 6, approximately 175 people attended the all-day 2019 NOFA-NY Dairy and Field Crops Conference. This Conference, held at the Holiday Inn of Syracuse/Liverpool, also served as the annual membership meeting of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY). In addition to attendees absorbing the lectures presented by the keynote speakers, the guests were able to visit with any of the 24 vendors sponsoring this program.
(more…)West Branch Farm
by Laura Rodley
Inside the 24-stanchion milking barn at West Branch Farm, the smell of warm milk was intoxicating in the middle of a late winter snowstorm. The vacuum pump infused the air with a continuous heartbeat of pumping milk that was deeply soothing. It was evening milking time.
(more…)Fine-tuning colostrum for long-term benefits – Part 1: Numbers matter
by Sally Colby
Dr. Billy Smith of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine tells dairy farmers what they already know – colostrum is important. Well-managed dairy farms ensure newborns receive a gallon (or four liters) of colostrum shortly after birth.
(more…)Dairy operation management: Cultivating culture
by Tamara Scully
The recent Cornell Pro-Dairy and Northeast Dairy Producers Association Operations Managers Conference featured a full agenda, with a focus on developing the dairy farm workplace culture on three levels: people, crops and cows.
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