by Bill and Mary Weaver
If you are having difficulty finding enough help for summer and fall farm work for this year, the H2A program is definitely an avenue to consider. Despite the paperwork, which an agent can assist you with, most farmers tend to be happy with the quality of the workers they receive through H2A. These workers are hoping to return next year so they are generally productive and looking to please their employer. [Read more…]
by Tamara Scully
Adequate ventilation can increase the health of dairy cows, no matter their life stage. Providing ventilation, via natural measures or enhanced with fans or tube systems, allows producers to mitigate negative environmental factors.
Ventilation enhances air quality by moving stagnant air — carrying disease-causing germs, gases, or unhealthy particles — away from animals. Circulating air can keep cows cool. [Read more…]
by Karl H. Kazaks
Recently the NRCS hosted a webinar discussing the benefits and risks of unconventional grazing systems. Leading the discussion was Jess Jackson, a longtime conservationist with NRCS who has an expertise in grazing.
An unconventional grazing system typically involves some combination of unusual management strategies, unusual types of livestock, or multi-species grazing. [Read more…]
by Katie Navarra
Grass-fed producers gathered in Latham, NY for the 8th Annual Winter Green-Up Grass-Fed Grazing Conference. Co-sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County and Black Queen Angus, the two-day event was held Feb. 12-13. The event attracted more than 100 grass-fed producers. [Read more…]
by Troy Bishopp
LATHAM, NY – To the casual observer, The Century House on Route 9 in the heart of the Capital District resembled a Hollywood movie set, complete with cowboys, rock-star chefs, writers, directors and a packed house of spectators. Here in farm country, we are used to this spectacle as the handiwork of nationally acclaimed leaders of the 8th Annual Winter Green-Up Grass-Fed Conference, Morgan Hartman and Tom Gallagher. [Read more…]
by Troy Bishopp
Andre Voisin developed the theory of rational grazing. Darrell Emmick gave us prescribed grazing. Jim Gerrish coined the phenomenon of management intensive grazing. Greg Judy sparked the practice of mob grazing and Allan Savory fathered the worldwide application of holistic planned grazing. So what will the Grass Whisperer’s legacy grazing system be in Wikipedia? I’ve come up with a term that is long overdue: It’s called “Linger Grazing” or perhaps “Linger Farming Systems”.
by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Two days of panel discussions and presentations focusing on the future of agriculture’s workforce took place at the Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance’s 2016 annual meeting in Albany on Feb. 2 and 3.
One topic explored was the problem with immigration reform and how it concerns the Ag industry. Reports of dairy herd managers and other farm employees being suddenly removed from farms by local authorities has been an ongoing issue for farms across the country, and New York farmer Jeff True of Perry, Wyoming County, NY, spoke to the large audience about “what goes on behind the scenes” on his farm. [Read more…]
by Bill and Mary Weaver
“It would certainly be ideal if growers could put an ad in the newspaper, accept applications, and hire American workers,” stated Kerry Scott of MAS Labor. Unfortunately, that approach isn’t working. For example, a grower/packer near Reno, NV needs 1725 seasonal laborers. Some of the work offered is in an air-conditioned packing shed, and even the fieldwork doesn’t involve actual “stoop labor.” Harvesting is done mechanically, with workers at the back of the harvesting machines. The grower also pays very well.
“The area around Reno, Nevada has the highest unemployment in Nevada, and most of the time, Nevada has the highest unemployment in the country,” Scott continued, speaking at the Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Growers Convention recently. “The grower ran ‘Help Wanted’ ads in the local papers. They had zero applicants for these well-paying jobs!” [Read more…]