by Sally Colby

“The secret to good hay is knowing what you have, knowing how to market it and learning the art of making it.”

That’s what Mike Stefan, of North Collins, NY, says about the skills involved in making consistently good hay. Stefan started to learn how to make hay while growing up on the family dairy farm. After high school, he studied to be a teacher, but wanted to farm even after the dairy herd was sold. “I didn’t want to lose the farm, so we thought hay would be a good option,” he said. “I could work that in with a teaching job.”

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by Sally Colby

Savvy farmers in early civilizations managed cropland drainage for higher yields. Over the years, farmers experimented with a variety of drainage methods, including clay pipes that were widely used until the 1970s. But no matter what the year or design, the goal was the same: to keep excess water away from roots.

The terms “tile drain” and “tiling” are still widely used, but instead of cylindrical clay pipes, drainage systems are comprised of poly tubing. Although tiling improves yields on poorly drained acreage, the practice comes with a cost in the form of excess nitrate levels in water exiting the drainage system. Increased concern about water quality in sensitive watershed areas has led to the development of systems to reduce the amount of nitrate leaving farm fields via drainage systems.

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by Enrico Villamaino

For Jim Stefanik and Sharon Roulier, the Hampden County Beekeepers organization is very much a family affair.

A native of Agawam, MA, Jim has been keeping bees for over 25 years. His daughter, Sharon, grew up learning from Jim firsthand, and officially began beekeeping in her own right five years ago. The father-daughter team was on hand to represent the organization at the annual Eastern States Exposition (the Big E) in West Springfield, MA.

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by Pauline E. Burnes, PLA

Dark overcast skies did not dampen the spirits of the incredible spectator turnout for the 92nd running of the National Steeplechase Association (NSA)-sanctioned Genesee Valley Hunt Cup. This event, also known as the Genesee Valley Hunt (GVH) Races and Fall Festival, takes place at the Seven Nations Farm just north of Geneseo, NY. The venue attracted approximately 35,000 spectators from the region.

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by Emily Carey

World Dairy Expo is the premier place for all things dairy. The best of the best converge in Madison, WI, and this year, SUNY Cobleskill students were among the top in the Post-Secondary Dairy Judging Contest, placing third overall.

This year, the team of four students, coached by professor Carrie Edsall, practiced hard to compete successfully. The team was made up of Erin Curtis, Tesika Kilmer, Abigail Hatch and Emily Hatch.

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by Sally Colby

Children who show dairy heifers often lead to a life change for a family, and that’s how the Doody family started their own dairy farm.

Although Amy Augur-Doody grew up on a dairy farm in Connecticut, her husband Patrick Doody did not have a farm background. They kept some milk cows and show heifers primarily for their children, who were becoming old enough for 4-H. In the autumn of 2007, when they decided they wanted to have their own farm, they moved to Jordanville, NY and purchased additional cows to fill the barn.

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