Highlighting Agriculture

Category Archives: Western Edition

Marketing matter at Wallbridge Angus

Posted in Eastern Edition, Western Edition

CEW-MR-2-Wallbridge Farm37A family commitment to sound Angus genetics and farm marketing

by Steven E Smith
Deep in the heart of Angus seed stock country, the Wallbridge Angus herd is going strong today. Known as a respected Angus herd within breeder circles for many years, today the Wallbridge herd is owned and managed by a young family that has taken added steps of bringing their products and customers together.
Wallbridge Angus started when the farm was established by George Wallbridge Perkins in 1950. The Perkins family developed a presence in the Angus breed through careful matings that yielded a internationally recognized results. The Perkins Wallbridge bred the 1968 International Grand Champion Female with Wallbridge Barbara 12 and the 1967 Royal Highland Champion Bull, Great Northern. Wallbridge cattle were recognized in the show ring by the time the family dispersed their herd in the 1981, save a small group of cattle. Continue reading→

Are you an ag advocate?

Posted in Eastern Edition, Mid Atlantic, New England Farm Weekly, Western Edition

CEW-MR-1-Ag advocacy925One mother’s realization of how quickly families become removed from the farm
by Steven E Smith
“She is my inspiration,” stated Debbie Lyons-Blythe. Her “inspiration” is a young mother in the Midwest. Instead of being two or four generations removed from production agriculture, Shannon, who is actually an extended family member of Lyons-Blythe, is just a generation removed. “After discussing food purchases with her and realizing how torn she was when considering grocery purchases and whether or not to buy organic or other specialized food, I knew I needed to speak up for agriculture.”
Lyons-Blythe is a spunky, outgoing rancher from the Flint Hills of Kansas. As a speaker at the National Angus Conference, Lyons-Blythe explained to the audience how to become an agricultural advocate through social media. She is a blogger, a tweeter and a Facebooker. “Before you head for the exits, please realize that these technologies are not as intimidating as they may appear. The fastest growing demographic of users of Facebook today are women ages 55 to 60. This is just the beginning and it removes the challenges of time and costly expenses to reach out to people.” Continue reading→

OSHA compliance: What farm businesses need to know

Posted in Eastern Edition, Western Edition

by Katie Navarra
If an OSHA inspector arrived at your farm would you be ready for an inspection?
The number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections, particularly on dairy farms in New York, is expected to increase significantly in 2014.
During a webinar cosponsored by Farm Credit East, the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA), New York Farm Bureau and Pro-Dairy, experts Dave Schwoerer, a safety specialist and owner of Innovative Safety Systems, and Charles B. Palmer, an attorney with Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP, offered advice to New York farm businesses, especially dairies for preparing for an OSHA inspection. Continue reading→

County princesses and the public’s disconnect with dairy

Posted in Mid Atlantic, Western Edition

CWM-MR-3-County princesses 2by Steve Wagner
Sometimes writing up the Dairy Princess Coronation, which is a kind of milky nightcap to the All American Dairy Show that closes a week before, is like penning a theatrical review. There is much theater with princess contestants donning costumes and regaling speeches about the virtues of their chosen interest. There is pageantry with formal entrances and fewer formal exits. A keyboardist plays subtle milk cocktail segue music to ease the audience from one segment into another. The event closes with the inauguration of a state dairy princess and two alternates, a trio who will spend much of the remainder of this year and most of the next promoting dairy farming around the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And of course, there are a plethora of awards and recognitions for contributions above and beyond the call of duty. Continue reading→