Just as summer 2026 was getting started, I stumbled into three situations where cattlemen reported incidence of foot rot in their livestock. Two of the individuals I work with in an advisory capacity – one a dairyman, the other a beef (mostly Angus) farmer. A discussion of foot rot should logically ...

Farmers have a love/hate relationship with phosphorus (P). It’s a dietary requirement for livestock but significant P is excreted in manure and urine. Depending on on-farm conservation practices, P accumulates in runoff and soil erosion and is carried to important watersheds, resulting in eutrophica...

Using winter rye in his crop rotation has freed farmer Sandy Syburg from a chore he never much enjoyed: spreading poultry litter. His biologically active soil now generates enough nitrogen that he no longer needs to import additional fertility onto his farm. Syburg, whose farm has been certified org...

Small ruminants come up with a variety of reasons to have diarrhea. A change in feed, weather, stress or disease can result in a miserable animal with a messy hind end. One cause of diarrhea in young lambs and kids is coccidiosis, but by the time diarrhea is evident, the animal is likely already exp...

Recently I learned a friend named Wendy had purchased her very first horse, and with it came a surprise that I needed to see. Her story was interesting, and we decided to meet this past weekend at the farm to talk while Wendy was doing the morning chores. She had first visited this farm in April 202...

The American Milking Shorthorn Society brought its 2026 national breed convention to Cortland, NY. Four days of livestock showing, networking, recognition and a little bit of fun concluded with the National Sale at the Cortland County Fairgrounds on June 25. The National Junior Heifer Show took plac...

Nearly everyone has heard of a Rhode Island Red chicken, but what about the Rhode Island White? While some non-ag people are familiar with the Araucana, or Easter egg chicken, do they know about the Spitzhauben? Delaware, Dominique and Dorking chickens may share the first letter of their names, but ...

Will farmers, nonprofits, ag service providers and other rural organizations across America be kissing their federal funding goodbye before 2027? The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) published a new rule in the Federal Register on May 29 to allow them to change the terms of a loan agreement after...

Many communities and individuals are concerned about data center development, but Jenna Ruddock, instructor at Washington College of Law, says there’s positive momentum in organizing to fight data centers. “Individual moratoriums have bought time when time was at a premium,” Ruddock said. “Moratoriu...

“Enough is enough!” When I was young, those three little words – usually bellowed by one of the Dame patriarchs – always made me freeze. Nothing else needed to be said. The message came through loud and clear: No more talking. No more jumping. No more running. Close your mouth. Sit still. Stop. Who ...

Most who own forested land have never dealt with trespassers who willingly go onto private property and cut trees, but it happens often enough that states have strict laws to handle the problem. Ross Pifer, professor of law and director of Penn State’s Center for Ag & Shale Law , recently presented ...

“’There’s money in the account’ is not an effective business strategy,” Penn State Extension’s Carla Snyder joked during a recent “Lunch & Learn.” As a farm business owner, it’s important to know the status of every cent of cold, hard cash, not just your assets or investments. Effective planning can...

Although it has not made its way to the Northeast, New World screwworm (NWS) has made inroads in the U.S. with 15 confirmed cases as of June 24. The Northeast Dairy Producers Association and New York Farm Bureau recently presented a webinar on the parasite to help keep producers vigilant. Panelists ...

My favorite local honey is buckwheat-based. Honey consumers typically believe that the human health benefits of this food are greater if the beehives are situated near where that consumer lives. Bears appear to share this mindset. Honeybees are critical for the pollination of this plant species, whi...

Small ruminants have some challenging health issues. One problem occurs almost exclusively in males and can be deadly. In a recent presentation, Dr. Heather Glennon, North Carolina small ruminant Extension specialist, discussed urinary calculi. This is a serious issue in wethers and is also referred...