Western Edition Archives - Page 103 of 119 - Country Folks

A society of Dorpers

Lee Newspapers2014-06-13T07:48:59-05:00June 13, 2014|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Steve Wagner
Where have Dorpers been all our lives? And now that they’re here, what can we do with them?
“Dorpers are a breed of sheep that have been in this country for about 20 years,” according to Doug Gillespie, executive secretary for the American Dorper Sheep Breeders’ Society, “and they are growing by leaps and bounds.” Dorpers are meat sheep originally bred in South Africa. Their most familiar trait is a totally black head on an otherwise white body. The Dorper breed is a successful crossing of Dorset and Persian sheep, using the first three letters of each to coin the name. “You’re seeing a huge Dorper influence in the lamb industry in this country today,” Gillespie continued. “They are extremely fast maturing sheep and they are easy keepers. They don’t have to be sheared because they are what we call a shedding breed. They do grow some fuzz, but they shed it off as the weather warms up, which saves the cost of shearing.” Parenthetically, Gillespie notes that wool is so depressed in the American market that it hardly covers the cost of shearing. And shearers are hard to find. Gillespie also says Dorpers are the future of the sheep business. (more…)

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Intelligent mastitis management, part two

Lee Newspapers2014-06-13T07:26:41-05:00June 13, 2014|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Bill and Mary Weaver
A previous edition of Country Folks provided information from a seminar given by Dr. Ernest Hovingh at the Penn State Mastitis and Milk Quality Conference on the importance of recognizing the different pathogens that cause mastitis in dairy cows so the appropriate treatment can be implemented. A continuation of that list and insight on how to prevent mastitis can be found below. (more…)

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Fitting and showmanship clinic for beef cattle

Lee Newspapers2014-06-06T08:11:03-05:00June 6, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by Katie Navarra
Youth ages 5 to 17 had the opportunity to learn fitting and showmanship tips to help them succeed in showing beef cattle at the county fair or at sanctioned beef shows.
A clinic sponsored by the Washington County Junior Beef Club provided youth ages 5 to 17 with fitting and showmanship tips for a successful trip into the show pen at the county fair or other sanctioned shows.
The clinic, held at the Washington County Fairgrounds took place on Saturday, May 31. Multiple 4-H clubs encouraged their members to attend. “We’re ecstatic with the turnout,” said Robert Bentley a co-organizer, “we’ve got 20 kids here today.” (more…)

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Intelligent mastitis management

Lee Newspapers2014-06-06T07:55:56-05:00June 6, 2014|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, Western Edition|

As dairy farmers, we need to learn to manage mastitis using a whole arsenal of information rather than routinely treating all our mastitis cases with antibiotics. One step in intelligently managing mastitis, according to Dr. Ernest Hovingh of Penn State, is to learn to culture the organisms causing mastitis on your farm. Which organisms are causing mastitis is one important piece of information you’ll need to figure out the best way to manage your mastitis cases. (more…)

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Collaborative effort helps CSA owners improve

Lee Newspapers2014-06-02T08:24:35-05:00June 2, 2014|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, Western Edition|

by Jon M. Casey
Approximately 50 CSA farm owners gathered to participate in a daylong program presented by Penn State Extension and Dickinson College covering important aspects of CSA Farming, including food safety, finances and finding shareholders. The notable Jean-Paul Courtens of Roxbury Farm of Kinderhook, NY began the day with a presentation reminding attendees of the importance of staying the course with the CSA business model while also allowing change to improve profitability and customer service. (more…)

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4-H teen leaders dream big in Wyoming County

Lee Newspapers2014-05-30T08:29:05-05:00May 30, 2014|Western Edition|

A group of Wyoming County 4-H Youth has taken major strides to increase the presence of 4-H in the Wyoming County community. On May 13, three youth representing the 4-H Teen Leaders Program presented a sign proposal before the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors. This proposal involves the installation of signs reading “WYOMING COUNTY 4-H WELCOMES YOU” at regular intervals throughout the county.

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On-farm safety concerns for biomass production

Lee Newspapers2014-05-30T07:49:47-05:00May 30, 2014|Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, Western Edition|

by Tamara Scully
The United States has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions and has almost reached its 2020 goal. There is still a long way to go to meet the goals set for 2050. The use of biomass products will play a large role in reaching this goal, and today’s farmers are gearing up production of alternative fuel sources such as switchgrass, willow and other plant-based crops to be harvested for fuel use. (more…)

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The poster child for marginal ground

Lee Newspapers2014-05-30T07:41:03-05:00May 30, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by Sally Colby
Most farmers in the northeast aren’t doing much baling in April, but because of the early winter and persistent snow cover in the winter of 2013/2014, it was impossible for Andy Bater to harvest his crop until just a month ago. Bater’s crop is switchgrass, a native, warm-season grass that is gaining recognition as a crop suitable for marginal ground. Switchgrass can be used as a ground cover for erodible soil, as cover for game or for mine reclamation, and is often harvested green for hay or after frost kill for livestock bedding. There is also considerable research into using switchgrass as a renewable energy source, or biofuel. (more…)

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Sane Energy Project Releases Findings of Stanford University Study Indicating New York State Could Be……

Lee Newspapers2014-05-27T13:16:11-05:00May 27, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

The Sane Energy Project, a non-profit organization that supports renewable infrastructure, has released details of a Stanford University study on renewable energy indicating the state of New York could be entirely renewable by the year 2030.
According to Sane Energy Project founder Clare Donahue, Stanford University’ Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi had already published a 2009 study, showing how the entire world could run on renewable energy by 2030. Now, Professor Jacobson has published — together with Robert Howarth, Mark Delucchi, Jannette Barth, and others — a new study that outlines how New York State can convert solely to wind, water and solar power by 2030. A video summary of the study can be viewed by visiting the following link: http://saneenergyproject.org . (more…)

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Say cheese!

Lee Newspapers2014-05-23T09:48:07-05:00May 23, 2014|Western Edition|

by Sally Colby
Lorin Hosteter’s family has been dairying for years — as far back as anyone in his family can remember. Although Lorin wanted to continue in the dairy business, he decided to take a different approach.
“In 2009, I was working on the dairy and had to decide what to do,” said Lorin. “I really liked working with my dad here, but at that point, milk prices were bad and the farm couldn’t support two families. My family has been interested in making and selling a product from the farm for quite a while, and producing cheese was a way we could add value to our product and support more people on the farm.” (more…)

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Ask the Lawyer

Lee Newspapers2014-05-23T08:31:50-05:00May 23, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by JAY GIRVIN, Esq., Girvin & Ferlazzo. P.C., Albany, NY
Q. If I’ve received an agricultural assessment exemption in the past, what are the consequences if I convert the property to a nonagricultural use going forward?
A. As local assessors are working to complete their final assessment rolls for the coming year, this is a good time to review agricultural assessment exemptions and to address what happens if land previously afforded an exemption is converted to a nonagricultural use. (more…)

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Nutrient boost can help prevent mastitis

Lee Newspapers2014-05-16T08:25:59-05:00May 16, 2014|Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition|

by Bill and Mary Weaver
Mastitis costs. On the basis of both his own experience and studies, and an extensive review of recent research, Penn State Professor and Extension Veterinarian Dr. Robert VanSaun stated that one way to significantly reduce mastitis cases is to bump up the levels of several key nutrients in the dairy cow’s diet. VanSaun spoke on “Nutrition and Udder Health” at the recent Mastitis and Milk Quality Conference.
These key nutrients “beef up” the cows’ immune systems, and are particularly important at two points: at drying off and during the period from just before calving through the first several weeks into milk, when cows are more vulnerable to mastitis infections. (more…)

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More in common than not

Lee Newspapers2014-05-16T07:53:14-05:00May 16, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by Sally Colby
In early 2013, Joy Hess, the herdsman for her family’s JoBo Holstein Farm, decided it would be a good idea to start a Facebook page for the farm. Nearly every evening, Joy posts photos and tidbits of information about the farm, including new calves, planting and harvest, cow management, general dairy farm life and the accomplishments of the youngest family members at shows and sales.
Joy is somewhat surprised that more than 1,000 followers are interested in what happens on the family farm, but not as surprised as when she was contacted by someone in the Czech Republic expressing interest in visiting the farm as part of a farm tour. (more…)

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NYS Police host clinic for farm equipment usage on New York State roads

Lee Newspapers2014-05-16T07:43:18-05:00May 16, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Farmers from around New York attended an informative meeting addressing farm equipment and New York State updated traffic safety laws, during a clinic held at Al and Linda LaRue’s Farm Shop Facility in Charlton, Saratoga County.
Trooper Christine Bornmann of the New York State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit informed attendees about the use of farm tractors and implements and towing of farm wagons on New York State roads. Large farm truck information was also discussed. (more…)

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NYS Dairy Princess offers heartfelt encouragement to “get involved”

Lee Newspapers2014-05-16T07:36:29-05:00May 16, 2014|Eastern Edition, Western Edition|

by Kara Lynn Dunn
An invited guest at the 2014 Belleville Henderson FFA Annual Awards Banquet in Belleville, NY, New York State Dairy Princess Casey Porter offered a moving presentation that spoke about the impact of the Christian, agricultural and local communities on her life following the July 30, 2013 accident in which her dad was run over by a cattle truck.
“I was getting ready to leave for the St. Lawrence County Fair to practice my dairy judging skills when my mom phoned to say my father had been in a terrible accident,” Casey told the FFA students, their parents and families, and community members in the southern Jefferson County farming community. (more…)

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