by Julie Cushine-Rigg
A few years ago, you would have seen Jay Lavery of The Permaculture Inn in a very different setting than Sharon Springs, NY where he currently lives. He was almost as far from being a farmer both in locale and profession as you can get: living in New York City and studying for a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Columbia University. [Read more…]
by George Looby, DVM
In keeping with the Trump administration’s goal of reducing and eliminating as many existing rules and regulations as possible, the USDA has announced that it plans to withdraw certain rules that pertain to organically raised livestock. The USDA plans to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) rule establishing animal welfare standards for organic agriculture. [Read more…]
by Paul Burdziakowski
With the cold weather and snow firmly in place many horse owners are finding that they are now tasked with additional responsibilities when it comes to caring for their animals. Most horse owners would agree that adequate shelter, proper nutrition, access to clean water and medical attention are among the most pressing areas to focus on. [Read more…]
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
EAST SYRACUSE, NY — Salmonella Dublin can devastate dairy herds, which is why the disease dominated entire sessions at the recent Calf & Heifer Congress hosted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team and PRO-DAIRY. [Read more…]
DEANSBORO, NY — American essayist and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau waxed poetic about life by saying, “Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”
Area farmer Troy Bishopp, aka “The Grass Whisperer” has been following Thoreau’s reverent path, but it happens to be lined with fencerows, cattle, wildlife, healthy soil, clean streams and a carpet of green pastures. [Read more…]
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Creating an agritourism destination isn’t all fun and games — though it’s certainly helpful to provide a huge variety of fun and games. Developing Long Acre Farms from a produce and crop farm to an agritourism site that draws visitors from hundreds of miles around has taken 25 years. These days, the agritourism has outstripped the crop and vegetable farming as its claim to fame. [Read more…]
by Tamara Scully
The next big thing in alternative energy may be pretty small. Algae, which are aquatic, single-celled organisms, produce oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide. Nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients which can degrade our waterways, plus sunlight and carbon dioxide, provide algae with a steady diet. From that diet, they rapidly produce biomass in the form of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. [Read more…]
by Ty Mason
Many centuries have passed since horses began to be used as a necessary means for man to build and sustain their society. Barely a century has gone by since the importance of the horse has dwindled with the adoption of automobiles and heavy equipment. [Read more…]