by Tamara Scully
Farmers who confine the milking herd and those who graze their herds often have differing perspectives on which environment provides the optimal level of cow comfort, has positive impacts on herd health and results in the best financial results for the dairy. (more…)
by Rebecca Jackson
Jerry Gustin lives more than 2,000 miles distant from his Oakland, CA, birthplace on a 30-plus acre swath of land just across the York River from two of America’s most historic landmarks – Yorktown and Jamestown. (more…)
by Enrico Villamaino
A recent webinar hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County aimed to help both landowners and farmers protect themselves when entering lease agreements.
“Learn How to Put Together a Lease That Makes Sense” was the latest in the “Accessing Farmland” series of interactive online workshops. The presentation was led by Myron Thurston, an agriculture economic development specialist for CCE Madison County. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
Reliable, high-speed internet in rural regions has been an issue for decades. City centers and villages can download movies in minutes; meanwhile, those traveling some country roads need to let others know their approximate locations in advance because there is no service available in case of an accident. Work and school from home situations that have been ongoing since March have only highlighted the need for better internet for all – but especially farmers, as even that profession requires more connectivity. (more…)
by Mikaela Schneider
Along with my friends and my cows, we recently had the privilege to participate in the 2020 Northeast All Breeds Fall Show in West Springfield, MA. It was different than normal. We had to be masked at all times and there were no spectators – only those working and showing. There was no sleeping or food preparation in the barns, and liability forms had to be signed upon entering. Regardless of this, the atmosphere was incredible. (more…)
by Laura Rodley
The Robinson Farm has been a continuous family farm since 1892. It was awarded the Massachusuetts Century Farm status in 1992. Fourth generation farmers Pam and Ray Robinson Jr. have made homestead cheeses from raw milk from their Normande, Jersey and Holstein crossed cows since 2010. They’ve won American Cheese Society and the Eastern States Gold Cheese Competition awards for their Prescott and A Barndance. Their Hardwick Stone, Arpeggio and the Robinson Family Swiss also won medals at past Eastern States Gold Cheese Competitions. (more…)
by Judy Van Put
Autumn is a favorite time of the year, with its abundance of garden fruits and vegetables, cool nights, warm sunny days and crisp blue skies against the backdrop of colorful fall foliage. The garden is producing like crazy and we are busy harvesting its bounty, canning and storing in the cool basement for the long winter to come. Added to our enjoyment of autumn is the tradition of pressing apples for cider, and we worked diligently to pick and fill bushel bags and baskets of the red and yellow fruits to bring to the cider mill with the anticipation of the gallons of sweet cider we’ll return home with. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Josh Ramsburg has plenty of experience with cattle. He worked on his family’s dairy farm until his father retired from dairying in 2018, and he had already started farming on his own. After his father retired, Josh sold the cows and transitioned to a cow-calf beef operation. (more…)
by Judy Van Put
The fall foliage has been spectacular in our part of the country this year – brilliant reds and oranges, glowing gold, yellow and bronze with just enough evergreens to fill out the color palette, along the bright blue October skies and bright white clouds. But did you know that some of those leaves, beautiful as they are, can be toxic? Horses, ponies, donkeys and mules who eat fallen, wilted or dried leaves of some species of maple can be fatally poisoned. An article covering this topic by the editors of Equus Magazine and revisited by Helena Ragone, Ph.D., was brought to my attention and seemed important to mention. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Dairy cows are ruminants, evolved to eat grass, which is composed primarily of carbohydrates. Microbes present in the rumen ferment carbs and break them down into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the main source of energy for cows. These microbes also break down rumen-degradable proteins and non-protein nitrogen into amino acids and ammonia, which are used to build additional microbial proteins. The microbes themselves are digested and utilized in the abomasum as a source of protein for the cow, along with protein from the diet. Fats are primarily digested in the small intestine; the small intestine and abomasum handle proteins not digested in the rumen as well. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
As the last cutting of hay is baled and stored, the question of whether or not it will be enough to support the beef herd through the winter can be a tricky one. For those raising grass-fed beef, particularly in extreme cold weather areas, the amount of hay available to supplement the herd during the winter is particularly important. (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to expand your farm’s maple production, going with tubing rather than collection buckets can make the entire system work more smoothly. It’s vital to set up your sugarbush’s tubing properly so that it works well. Adam Wild, director of the Cornell Uihlein Maple Research Forest, and Aaron Wightman, Extension associate who oversees operations at the Arnot Research Sugarbush, recently presented the “Setting Up a Maple Tubing System” webinar, hosted by the Cornell Maple Program. (more…)
