More ammo in the FMD vaccine bank

2020-10-16T09:37:40-05:00October 9, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Sally Colby

Between thinking about crop yields, weather and commodity prices, farmers sometimes ponder the unthinkable: the possibility of a foreign disease reaching the U.S.

One such disease is foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which was in the news in the early 2000s when it hit Great Britain. Throughout that outbreak and to this day, the USDA works tirelessly to ensure that FMD and other disastrous diseases don’t enter America. (more…)

Toss a disc, measure your pasture

2020-10-09T08:17:11-05:00October 2, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, Western Edition|

by Sonja Heyck-Merlin

In a September webinar titled “Fall Pasture Management,” Susan Truehart Garey discussed a basic method that can be used to monitor and assess pastures in autumn. Garey is an animal science agent with University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. The tool, called the Equine Pasture Evaluation Disc (EPED), was developed by the University of Pennsylvania. While the acronym refers to equine species, the method can be applied to any pasture. (more…)

Factors affecting lamb markets

2020-12-11T00:20:08-05:00September 25, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Sally Colby

The factors that affect lamb markets and prices extend beyond what lambs are bringing at local auctions. Jim Robb, senior agricultural economist, Livestock Marketing Information Center, explained that weather conditions, forage availability, the national corn crop and the number of ewes across the nation all contribute to prices. (more…)

Environmental concerns to health in agricultural areas

2020-12-11T00:29:01-05:00September 25, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Tamara Scully

The University of Nebraska Medical Center recently held its 10th Annual Agricultural Health and Safety Course virtually. Aimed at medical and safety professionals, registrants participated over several days, gaining a solid understanding of myriad health and safety issues which impact those working in agriculture. (more…)

Farm succession requires planning

2020-10-16T09:33:39-05:00September 18, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Many farmers want to pass on their land to a family member or a young farmer when they’re ready to retire. Since the cost of land, equipment and buildings is often higher than beginning farmers can afford, farmers anticipating succession should plan ahead to ensure their land goes where they want it to go. Practical Farmers of Iowa presented “Making the Land Affordable for the Next Generation of Farmers” as a recent webinar, hosted by Dale Nimrod, a farmer who has completed two succession plans, along with his attorney, Karl Knudson, and Matt Roberts, a certified financial planner in Des Moines. Sally Worley, representing Practical Farmers, emceed. (more…)

Raising and selling bison

2020-09-11T10:56:30-05:00September 11, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Raising bison may sound like an easy way to raise meat animals, as bison don’t require shelter, even in northern climates; however, Martha McFarland, in a recent Practical Farmers of Iowa presentation, said that anyone interested in raising bison needs to fully understand the animals first. (more…)

Sold on sand

2020-09-04T10:22:59-05:00September 4, 2020|Mid Atlantic|

by Sally Colby

When the children of John and Bonnie Hess wanted to remain on the family’s JoBo Holstein Farm in Gettysburg, PA, part of the plan included the addition of a new 500-cow freestall barn. Today, several generations of the Hess family are working on the farm, milking more than 900 cows, raising crops and caring for young stock. (more…)

Ag Progress Days: Advice from the woods

2020-09-25T13:20:10-05:00September 4, 2020|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Stephen Wagner

Scott Weikert on Penn State Extension began his webinar during Pennsylvania’s Ag Progress Days by introducing his panel: Sarah Wurzbacher, forestry Extension educator; Allyson Muth, Department of Ecosystems and Management at Penn State University Park; Art Gover, Extension specialist based at University Park dealing primarily with invasive species and ventilation management; Margaret Brittingham, wildlife specialist at University Park; Calvin Norman, forest and wildlife Extension educator in Blair County; and others with forestry expertise. (more…)

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