Farming a passion at VanDerwerken’s

by Elizabeth A. Tomlin

“I was fortunate to study agriculture at SUNY Cobleskill, and land a job in the agricultural sector at NYCAMH, but my family farm is one of — if not my biggest — passion,” declared fourth generation farmer John VanDerwerken, of Central Bridge Farms.

John and his dad Mark work together running the farm, with some supervision from Grandfather John. The farm, which is located in the heart of Schoharie County, is home to a herd of prime Aberdeen Black Angus cattle. [Read more…]

Hay production workshop

by Steve Wagner

“I tell folks, ‘Look, I’m human. I’m just like you. Some of us try to work and farm at the same time,’” says Dwane Miller, Penn State Education Extension Instructor. “The year 2015 was a challenging year for us to make hay. I tried to make people guess what date I finished making first-cutting hay on our farm. That was July 24. And I marketed that as mixed hay. Anybody know why?” [Read more…]

Hemlock woolly adelgid

by Laura Rodley

Think of long dense boughs of hemlocks straddling brooks. Then think of their needles falling off their branches. This is a long-term view of the damage of encroaching invasive insect hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), which are the size of a pepper grain. They are parthenogenetic — able to reproduce using unfertilized eggs — so a single individual can alone produce offspring. HWA need a live hemlock to survive. [Read more…]

Beginning succession planning

by Katie Navarra

Creating a transition plan to make sure a farm continues as a productive business can be challenging. Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted part one of a two-part workshop to offer farm owners a chance to learn about the process of succession planning. The Farm Succession Retreat provides tips for farmers for beginning the process if they haven’t already done so. [Read more…]

Quality mutton starts with the producer

by Paul Burdziakowski

In today’s age consumers are highly interested in the quality of the products they eat. This is especially true when it comes to meat such as mutton.

Quality meat is generally defined by its compositional quality and palatability. Signs of quality meat are good conformation, a bright red color and some marbling or fat. Poor quality meat will have indicators as well. [Read more…]

The 2017 Western New York Farm Show

The 7^th Annual Western New York Farm Show was held this year at The Fairgrounds in Hamburg, NY, from Feb. 2-4. The show featured seminars, demonstrations, competitions, and over 100 exhibitors representing many facets of the Agriculture industry. [Read more…]

Hops in Connecticut

by George Looby, DVM

The past several years have seen a rather remarkable resurgence in the brewing industry in the state with almost 50 breweries now operating. These operations are mostly characterized as craft breweries, small when compared to the giants of the industry, but each catering to customers who have come to enjoy the unique character of their brew. [Read more…]

Confined Space Manure Pit & Rescue Training Sessions Added

HAMBURG, NEW YORK – The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health has added additional sessions to its Confined Space Manure Pit Safety & Rescue training program currently taking place at the 7th Annual Western New York Farm Show at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg. These programs are open to the public and are geared towards farmers, Farm Bureau Members, local firefighters and emergency responders. [Read more…]

Country Folks

Highlighting Agriculture