by Laura Rodley
There’s a new buzz word in the health food market and that is MapleMama. MapleMama Craft Maple Spritzers are easy to hold in your hand, are only 70 calories, and contain their signature bite that stimulates the wow factor.
“I like it best when people make ‘the face’; their eyes open wide and they say ‘wow’. I love that,” said founder Joe Laur of Wendell, MA. [Read more…]
by Katie Navarra
Each year Cucurbit Downy Mildew (CDM) causes severe yield loss in northeast pumpkin, squash, melon and cucumber crops. Understanding the origin of the pathogen and the conditions that encourage its spread can help farmers better prepare for and contain the spread of CDM in their fields.
The webinar, Managing Cucurbit Downy Mildew in Organic Systems in the Northeast, featured Christine Smart from Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science. During the hour-long webinar, Smart offers methods for controlling CDM. [Read more…]
by Sally Colby
Whether or not the Farmer’s Almanac is accurate, we can count on at least several stretches of extreme cold on the east coast this winter. Those who work outside are usually prepared for cold, but it’s easy to go outside for what seems to be a simple chore and become caught in severe weather for an extended period of time. [Read more…]
Part 2: compliance, combination drugs, pulse dosing and specific cases
by Sally Colby
The final rule for the veterinary feed directive (VFD) became effective on Jan. 1, 2017, and many producers are still unsure of how it works, which drugs are affected and how to obtain drugs that now fall under the directive. [Read more…]
by Kristen M. Castrataro
The Rhode Island Farm Bureau’s Annual Dinner Meeting featured something extra special this year: a visit from American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Vincent “Zippy” Duvall. The meeting was held at the Alpine Country Club in Cranston, RI in November. Also present were Rhode Island state senators and representatives, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, educators from Cooperative Extension, local agricultural leaders, and farmer members. [Read more…]
by Tamara Scully
At Recombinetics, a company which specializes in genetic modifications, including that of livestock, naturally hornless — or polled — Holsteins are one of the selected traits which they’ve been able to produce via gene editing techniques.
Dehorning cattle is going to become one of the primary issues facing the dairy and beef industry in the near future, Dr. Jen Burton, veterinarian for Organic Valley CROPP Cooperative, predicted last year. [Read more…]
by Sally Colby
Dairy farmers who have good calf care protocol are likely to raise more heifer calves to maturity that go on to become productive herd members. But raising calves can be tricky, and they often become ill without warning.
Dr. Michael Ballou, nutritional biologist at Texas Tech University, states a fact that every dairy farmer knows: calves are the future of the herd. “What you do for calves will have a long-term impact on that animal’s productivity later in life.” [Read more…]
by Sally Colby
Winter is here, and snow and ice become an inevitable part of farming. Since the most significant snowstorms occur in January, February and early March, there’s still time to prepare for the season. [Read more…]