by Troy Bishopp

Have you ever had a dream so vivid it woke you from a sound sleep? Two weeks ago, it seems I fell prey to dreaming of green pastures, fence moves and frolicking cows. This joyful trance was rudely interrupted by a loud “MOO”. It was the kind of sound that suggests it’s a bit too real. This was not a dream, but what we affectionately call, “A class one farm emergency.”

As I bolted from the confines of a comfortable bed in unison with the “The cows are out” declaration, I saw several heifers munching on my wife’s shrubs under our window. Confusion, panic and anger swept over my demeanor as my wife, daughter and I tried to find some appropriate cow-catching attire at 4 a.m. My mind and heart raced as I propelled my sock-less feet into the cold rubber boots not thinking I was about to commit a fatal mistake. [Read more…]

by Pat Malin

EAST SYRACUSE, NY — As a sought-after professional speaker and radio commentator, Steve Gilliland logs thousands of miles on the road each day. It would be easy for him to lose direction and a sense of purpose.

It doesn’t happen, however, because he remembers the dark days that forced him to examine his life and take control.

Gilliland was the keynote speaker at the New York Farm Bureau’s Fusion Forum: “Fusing Purpose, Passion & Pride to Ignite Your Potential” at the DoubleTree hotel in East Syracuse in March. It was the first of two days of lectures and workshops aimed primarily at young farmers and ranchers. [Read more…]

by Tamara Scully

Are you hearing that rumble? If some of the top grazing specialists in the Northeast have their way, you will be. They’ve organized together to develop a potential new source of agricultural income, a innovative means of utilizing non-prime farmland, a means of keeping lands in agriculture, and a way to promote the actual grazing of livestock as a reliable feed source.

About 100 people attended the inaugural 2015 Northeast Contract Grazing Summit, held in late March in Morrisville, NY. Hosted by the Weaver Family Farm, and organized by Troy Bishopp, Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District Grazing Specialist, aka “The Grass Whisperer.” The event brought together a diverse group of farmers, grazing experts, butchers, and legal and insurance industry representatives, all of whom offered advice, shared successes and learning experiences, and underscored the real opportunities which contract grazing can bring to the region’s agricultural community.

“We think this is good for New York. We keep trying to get someone to listen, now we’re just doing it,” Bishopp said, indicating a team that includes Brett Chedzoy, Mike Baker, Steven Lorraine and many other of the workshops speakers. [Read more…]

by Pat Malin

EAST SYRACUSE, NY — The New York Farm Bureau’s Fusion Forum on March 20-21 allowed plenty of time for networking and discussions with other farmers and ranchers.

Whether they operate a dairy farm or a cattle ranch or a farm that grows vegetables, the farmers shared a unanimous opinion (or more precisely, gripes) that the New York State Legislature does not give enough weight to the concerns of agriculture. [Read more…]