by Enrico Villamaino
Years ago, a nine-year-old girl went on a family trip to Ireland. Little did she know the profound effect it would have on her life.
“It was on that trip, in the heart of Ireland, that I first saw a cow being milked,” said Maryrose Livingston. “The only word I can use to describe how that made me feel was enchanted.” (more…)
by Rachael Takacs
This August, Cornell Cooperative Extension hosted its seventh annual Family Farm Day, an agritourism event consisting of a series of open houses at working farms within Schoharie, Otsego and Delaware counties. The farms provided a wide array of products and local foods for visitors to purchase and enjoy. Guests also had the opportunity to learn how these items were made or harvested and part of what being a farmer is like. (more…)
BALLSTON SPA, NY – Dairy farming is the leading agricultural industry in Saratoga County. Saratoga County 4-H offers a variety of clubs, events, and programs that support youth who want to be involved in the dairy community. This year has been especially fruitful for Saratoga County 4-H youth; we are proud to announce that two of our own will be competing at national and international levels for Dairy Cattle Judging Contests. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Why not use those fallen fruits from your orchard crops to provide feed for pastured pigs? And why not let those pastured pigs do the labor of “harvesting” their own meal, direct from the orchard? (more…)
by Sally Colby
A Little Falls, NY, dairy farm in is typical of many, with hard-working families passing the farm from one generation to the next. Monica Aney said her husband Donald has been operating the farm started by his grandfather and continued by his father for 50 years, and Monica joined him on the farm 30 years ago. (more…)
Next year is 2020 – and if you haven’t heard a pun about a “perfect vision” for the new year, we’re reiterating it here. At Lee Newspapers, we are making changes now to present a new vision for our loyal readers. (more…)
by Enrico Villamaino
Tucked away in Central New York, the fourth, fifth and sixth generations of a farming family are working to live up to their brood’s mission statement: “To live lives of significance that we can share with our family and friends. Our aim is to produce quality products using sustainable methods that allows us to move responsibly into the future while protecting that part of God’s creation entrusted to us.” (more…)
by Sally Colby
Given some acreage and a bit of time, nearly anyone can put weaned beef calves on good pasture and watch them grow. Sounds simple enough, but pasture management and grazing requires skill and attention to what’s happening in pastures – not just when pasture is growing, but throughout the season. (more…)
by Sally Colby
At the first Lamb Summit held recently in Fort Collins, CO, 200 sheep producers and industry leaders from across the nation gathered for a variety of educational sessions designed to showcase the latest in sheep production. (more…)
by Troy Bishopp
New York’s NRCS Resource Conservationist, Ed Henry, set the stage of Grasstravaganza 2019 by quoting Thomas Jefferson’s understanding of a strong agronomic economy as the backbone of a nation: “Agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.” Henry believes the adoption of properly managed grazing is one of the most efficient ways to produce food for New York consumers and inspired the capacity crowd to grasp the possibilities. (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Invasive insect species can cause havoc on a farm because in many instances the pests have no natural predators. That’s why Patricia Wakefield-Brown, invasive species outreach for Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva and volunteer coordinator with Finger Lakes Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management, presented on invasive species at the recent Empire Farm Days. (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
SENECA FALLS, NY — A standing-room only crowd gathered at Empire Farm Days to hear Larry Smart, professor, plant geneticist and breeder for Cornell’s School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture Section. The size of the group demonstrated their apparent interest in getting in on the ground floor of the growing and profitable hemp industry in New York. But before operators rush to sow their acres in hemp, Smart offered a few caveats. (more…)
