Submitted by Katie Navarra
Beekeeping is a challenging vocation; recognizing and diagnosing honeybee disease is important to maintaining healthy bee hives and beekeepers have a responsibility to understand basic bee biology as well as have the ability to recognize the diseases that can afflict honey bees.
For the second consecutive year, the NY Bee Wellness Workshops offered in conjunction with the Empire State Honey Producers Association (ESHPA.org) have offered intensive, two-day workshops covering basic beekeeping skills and hands-on demonstrations.
Led by a team of nine bee experts with the workshops are designed to explain how to identify and treat the diseases that most commonly afflict honey bees. Diseases such as varroa mites, a parasite; nosema — an intestinal fungal type disease and the American Foul Brood, which is a highly contagious spore forming disease, this is a reportable disease with no true cure, all threaten the wellbeing of honey bees.
The workshops are designed, “to teach beekeepers techniques in diagnosing, treating, and preventing honey bee diseases,” Pat Bono, Project Director, NY Bee Wellness Workshops.
The workshops are funded in part by USDA NIFA Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program grant with matching funds from the Empire State Honey Producers Association. The wellness workshops are part of a three year train-the-trainer project. Continue reading
Category Archives: Western Edition
Presidential perspectives
Words of advice for national crowd of Angus breeders visiting Trowbridge Angus during the the breeds National Conference and Tour
by Steven E Smith
“Genomics provided valuable information but I stress the need to still look at cattle. Let’s focus on our strengths as the largest beef breed and always listen to the concerns of our commercial customers so we can continue the progress and success of the Angus Breed,” said Phil Trowbridge of Ghent, NY, who is the current national president of the American Angus Association.
While addressing the visitors to Trowbridge Angus during the National Angus Tour, Trowbridge emphasized his philosophy on breeding and marketing Angus cattle. Trowbridge highlighted the importance of sound working cattle that have high market performance with desirable foot and leg confirmation. Trowbridge recognizes genomics as a tool especially to assist with the detection and management of genetic progress in this endeavor. Continue reading
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Green Heron’s green pastures
by Tamara Scully
SHERMAN, NY — The cattle grazing the pastures of Green Heron Growers, in western New York state, are 100 percent grass-fed, certified organic by NOFA-NY, and being bred back to pure Ruby Red Devon genetics. That’s reason enough to hold a pasture walk there. Add in some laying hens and meat chickens, shiitake mushrooms and value-added products, plus camping facilities, and it’s the perfect spot.
NOFA-NY has held several walks at Green Heron Growers. The latest attracted many beginning farmers, who wanted to learn about the grazing system on this diversified farm enterprise. Attendees at the event were interested in the methods of moving the cows, the mobile chicken coop for the hens and the broilers’ chicken tractors, the cow genetics, and forage management and improvement. One attendee, from California, wanted to see how cows were raised on pasture out East, in comparison to methods used on the west coast.
“Because we are 100 percent grass-fed, we process July-December,” Steven Rockcastle, who farms with his wife, Julie, said. The farm is currently processing about 12 steers per year, and the demand for their meat is growing faster than the supply. Continue reading
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Soil health: Appreciating a new agenda
by Troy Bishopp
SKANEATELES, NY — President Barack Obama arrived in the Syracuse area and spoke about a new agenda for higher education which is more affordable, encourages and embraces innovation and becomes a good investment because it pays off over time.
At the same time, just south of Orangeman country adjacent to the Owasco Lake Watershed, there was a different kind of meeting. Gathered in the middle of a wheat field were over 80 farmers, extension educators, agri-business service providers and conservation professionals learning about a new agenda and demonstrations to improve soil health which also embraced innovation and was a good investment over time. As Cayuga County farmer, Steve Nemec said, “We need to do the right thing by our soils.”
The theme of the gathering was to inspire the ‘biologicals’, according to farmer hosts, Steve and Jason Cuddeback, who’s lineage goes back three generations on their 800 acres of land. After practicing with diverse rotations, conservation tillage and no-till cropping with cover crops for years and seeing the production increase while expenses decrease, they have become true advocates. “Being that we are in a sensitive watershed and with the high prices for nitrogen and fuel, we must do everything we can to enhance our biology in the soil. Give them the right environment and they do all the work. It just makes good economic and environmental sense,” said Steve. Continue reading