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…)

by Elizabeth A. Tomlin

Understanding components driving soybean and corn yields and best practices for field management were among topics of interest presented during the 2019 NY Corn and Soybean Growers Association (NYCSGA) Summer Crop Tour recently hosted by Merrimac Farms, Inc., Mount Morris, NY. (more…)

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

SENECA FALLS, NY – Cattle handling for vet appointments and routine procedures is “an extremely important part of raising cattle and it’s part of the Beef Quality Assurance program,” said Mike Baker, Ph.D., beef cattle Extension specialist with Cornell University. Baker led a presentation on beef cattle chutes at the recent Empire Farm Days. The presentation highlighted several features of various chutes in a live cattle demonstration. Presenters showed how beef producers can effectively use them to improve handling cattle to reduce stress in cattle and make cattlemen’s tasks easier. (more…)

by Elizabeth A. Tomlin

South Central NY Dairy and Field Crops Team member, Mary Kate Wheeler, Farm Business Management, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), led a team effort, along with custom grazing farm owner/operator Tim Virgil, Fabius, NY, and Fay Benson, Grazing Educator, CCE, South Central NY, Dairy and Field Crops Team, in a pasture walk at Virgil’s 40 to 50 heifer, custom grazing operation. (more…)

by Tamara Scully

According to 2016 USDA data, only 20 percent of beef herds are actively using rectal palpitation or ultrasound to detect pregnancy. While 70 percent of producers with herds of 200 head or more do use one of these methods, a mere 11 percent of those with 49 head or less do so to detect pregnancy. According to Dr. Ky Pohler, Texas A&M University, the beef industry is leaving a lot of income on the table because these accurate pregnancy detection methods are better utilized. (more…)

by Elizabeth A. Tomlin

Calling all dairies! Large or small, conventional or organic! An opportunity to lower your risk is at your fingertips with the recently implemented, 2019 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program. (more…)