by Sally Colby
Since glyphosate is a hot button issue for both consumers and producers, American Hort brought together several experts in the field to discuss the topic. American Hort represents the entire horticulture industry and has been following the glyphosate debate in the interest of dispersing the science behind the glyphosate issue. (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
Herbicide classification charts and weed identification guides may not be on your ‘Christmas wish-list,’ but if you’re reading this, maybe they should be. (more…)
by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Seventeen-year old Sophie Woodis of Country Ayre Farms, LLC, Dewittville, Chautauqua County, NY, has found her voice.
“I was a dairy ambassador for 5 years,” Woodis explained. “Then last year I was the Alternate Chautauqua County Dairy Princess, and now this year I am the Chautauqua County Dairy Princess, so it’s been about 7 years now that I have been in the program. At the beginning when I was an ambassador, I was pretty quiet — well, I am still pretty quiet — but, now I think it’s fun to talk to people and teach them about what we do.” (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
CANANDAIGUA, NY — For Blue Heaven Farm in Stanley, showing at regional livestock events is a family affair. Mom Brooke Smithling took her daughter Samantha, 5, son Emmett, 8, nieces Amy, 16 and Morgan 18, plus Megan Castano, 9, a 4-H friend, to the Ontario County Fair recently. Showing at events such as this provides a bonding experience for the family, as well as promotes the growing farm. (more…)
The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board has released the Dairy Producers’ Opinion Survey Report. The 47-page report, authored by Consumer Member Carol Hardbarger, Ph.D., analyzes and evaluates data collected by the board regarding Pennsylvania dairy producer knowledge of Pennsylvania’s milk pricing system, including the over-order premium. The report also categorizes producer opinions regarding Pennsylvania’s milk pricing system and relates suggestions for change related to those opinions. (more…)
by Sally Colby
Anyone who has worked cattle with a spouse or other family member knows the process can lead to tension and arguments. Cattle become stressed because they’re crowded and forced to move unnaturally, and noisy gates and tight spots are uncomfortable and unfamiliar. People become flustered, try to rush, and everything falls apart – including family relationships. (more…)
by Betsy Hicks, Area Dairy Management Specialist
Dairy farms today are faced with difficult decisions that impact their day-to-day operations in both short-term and long-term business viability. During this drawn-out low in milk prices, attention to these decisions can be the difference between a farm being able to cash-flow through the lows, or a farm losing thousands of dollars of equity that was earned during better times. To help our producers work through difficult financial decisions, the team has facilitated profitability conversations through two means: the Dairy Acceleration Program and Dairy Profit Teams. (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 Enrico Villamaino
According to the USDA, the ratio of older to younger farmers in the Empire State is five to one. A series of initiatives have been implemented in recent years to address this imbalance and assist younger farmers in establishing themselves. (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 Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Farms employing H-2A workers are required to provide housing for them; however, the Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs (DIPA), a part of the New York State Department of Labor (NYS-DOL), inspects and approves the housing. Caylin Gwise with the New York spoke on H-2A housing for a recent webinar hosted by the NY-DOL. (more…)
