Immigration law should be of interest to any farmer using H-2A workers. Attorney Michael Sciotti with law firm Barclay Damon, LLP in Syracuse presented the topic at the recent Labor Road Show hosted by Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY. Barclay Damon also operates offices in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Ne...

Up till a decade and a half ago I served as an advisor to the high school vocational ag program in Milford, NY, which was part of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). This ag program was physically centered in a barn which housed goats, sheep, layer hens, rabbits, pigs, dairy heife...

Calf illness often starts out invisible. By the time it’s noticed, the calf is significantly ill – requiring more man hours and medication – and it often dies. In a presentation by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association, Dr. Leonardo Bringhenti, DVM, Ph.D., AHV International, discussed the ongoing chal...

What do you do when a federal or state inspector comes to your farm regarding labor laws? At the recent Labor Roadshow hosted by Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (CAWD), Emma Swarthout of American Dairy Association North East and Lucas Smith and Richard Stup with CAWD presented two skits o...

‘Tis the season for winter’s cold and chill! Indoors, we’re able to throw another log on the fire, cozy up with some hot cocoa or tea and wear warm layers. When we go out and brave the frigid temperatures, we add a warm coat, hat, scarf, mittens and boots. But what about our horses? Many people use ...

A little over a week has passed since the 28th annual Keystone Farm Show wrapped in York, PA, and all involved walked away with smiles, sales – it was a “buying show” for equipment dealers and product vendors alike – leads for the year ahead and excitement for the 2027 show. The Keystone Farm Show h...

Manure management can be as tricky as managing livestock. Responsible producers pay close attention to manure storage and application throughout the year and avoid land application during winter. Chryseis Modderman, Extension educator, soil and manure management, University of Minnesota, explained s...

January 1 not only marks a new year but another season of real Christmas trees put to the curbs of suburbia for pickup by town and village maintenance crews. For an ol’ farmer, with granddaughter goats, there’s opportunity among the snowbanks like picking fruit off the vine. Yes, it’s a bit weird to...

Farmers need to handle their laborers unionizing in a way that’s both respectful and legal. Timothy Connick, chair of the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, led “Farm Laborers’ Fair Labor Practices Act Development,” a session at Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development’s recent Labo...

Awhile ago, my friend Tom Kilcer (a certified crop advisor, whose wisdom I seek frequently) was giving a lecture at a Midwest crop growers’ conference. He explained how corn populations can be reduced without hurting yields – in fact, possibly increasing yields, if plant crowding had been an issue. ...

Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, recalls learning as a 4-H’er that young heifers should be developed to as much as 80% of their mature body weight at breeding. The result was heifers that looked good, but the program was too aggressive and not financially worthwhile. “Research out of the U.S. and Canad...

Organic livestock production presents challenges, primarily in higher production costs, and pigs are no exception. Dr. Yuzhi Li, professor of animal science, West Central Research & Outreach Center in Morris, MN, reviewed research findings on the costs of organic pig production. Research was conduct...

An assortment of specialized tendons, ligaments and bones in the arms and hands allows humans to perform amazing work. Farmers’ daily tasks often lead to pain and weakness that can result in dangerous work conditions and accidents. Dr. Patricia Siegel, certified hand therapist and associate professo...

Human resources may seem like a department or set of duties for a business far different from your farm; however, it’s important to perform these tasks legally and consistently, both to protect your farm and to train new people correctly. Jess Skellie works for a small group of dairy farms. She rece...

Happy New Year, farm family! As I type these words, I find myself straddling the space-time continuum in a way that I don’t often do. The change from one year to another has heightened my awareness of both the nature and passage of time. What is the Nature of Time? In my writing present, it is still...