According to Steve Culman, Ph.D., soil scientist at Ohio State, cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a fundamental soil property used to predict plant nutrient availability and retention in the soil. It is the potential of available nutrient supply, not a direct measurement of available nutrients. Soil...

MILFORD, NY – Otsego County is known for its rich agricultural history and touted as a great place to work, live and explore, makes it the perfect location for a farm-to-table business. Formally known as Sunny Acres Swiss Farm Store , named after the farm, the business in Central New York has evolve...

When you sell your crop matters. Michael Howlett, representing Howlett Farms in Avon, NY, presented “Markets with Michael” as part of the recent Corn Congress, an annual event hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Program. Howlett shared that fro...

"I like spreadsheets a lot,” said Zach Mangione of Cross Farm . The farm is a certified organic, pasture-based livestock enterprise raising broilers, turkeys and pigs in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Cross Farm is certified by Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF), a third-party organic certifier. VOF Certif...

Punxsutawney Phil typically emerges to look for his shadow around 7:25 a.m. on Feb. 2 at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. If he sees his shadow, legend dictates six more weeks of winter; if he doesn’t, an early spring is predicted. My first woodchuck hunting experiences took place at our home farm in...

When it comes to youth operating farm equipment, many adults will say, “I did it when I was a kid and nothing happened to me.” But that isn’t the story for everyone. This past summer, in Lancaster County, PA, two boys, ages 14 and 6, were together in a skid steer cleaning a barn. As the 14-year-old ...

The New York Beef Council (NYBC) is proud to announce that Troy Bishopp of Deansboro, NY, has been named the 2025 Beef Promoter of the Year. This award recognizes producers who go above and beyond raising beef to actively educate consumers, engage communities and promote the industry across New York...

If you’ve ever made maple syrup you’re aware of the enormous amount of input necessary to make it. But you also know the sweet and sticky result is well worth it – especially on hot blueberry waffles. Some maple producers have upped their game by certifying their process as organic. One may think, “...

“Field research is a lot like fishing,” said Dr. Carl Heeder, DVM, at the 2025 Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium, a discussion on the direction of current research and a presentation on the state of the broiler industry. “You have to be willing to show up and be okay with disappointment. You have to...

Afew changes are in store for farmers who employ others. New York State Department of Labor Representative Mary Slattery, who directs the Division of Compliance & Education (DOCE), and Kristin Hibbit, a member of the field staff, presented at the recent Labor Road Show in Geneva, hosted by Cornell A...

Happy International Year of the Woman Farmer, farm family! If someone had told me a decade ago that there would be an International Year of the Woman Farmer, I likely would have said something to the effect of, “Well, that’s the most unnecessary, gender-discriminatory thing I’ve ever heard of.” Some...

My first contact with herbicide residue injuring field crops came in the 1970s, as an agronomy Extension agent. A farmer had me examine his alfalfa seeding that had a weird mortality pattern. He had planted corn two years earlier, fallowed the piece in question the next year, planting a legume seedi...

There’s more to building a farm than obtaining acreage, lumber, fencing and equipment. Some of the first steps for new and beginning farmers include gathering information and obtaining a loan. “First is your state’s land grant Extension service,” said Chris Laughton, director of knowledge exchange, ...

TRUXTON, NY – At its simplest form, bale grazing is a way to feed animals on the land. However, farmers are known to tinker with such practices and make them their own. Depending on a farm’s context, goals and the tools to implement, it’s rarely a “cookie/hay cutter” approach. A capacity crowd of fa...

When your grass-fed dairy dials in their foraging programs, the results can be surprising. Don Burkard, a cow forage expert with Cows Come First, discussed how feeding a few premium grasses, alfalfa and corn silage to Bessie the right way can make a world of difference for her and your farm. Top-Not...