Matt LeRoux, an agriculture marketing specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ithaca, NY, is creating a win-win opportunity for livestock producers and their customers....
When poor milk prices threatened the livelihood of the families operating Kingdom Creamery, they turned to the Farm Viability Program to help them create a new plan for success. Ice cream was the answer, and they were able to switch from bulk milk sales to their new product line with the help of Rose Wilson and a successful business plan.
Greg Judy is known for innovative farming and for sharing how he used leased land and mob grazing to go from barely making it to being able to retire early from his in-town job and be a successful, full-time farmer. He sent us these videos of what's happening in one of his Eastern Gramma grass pastures, why he and Jan choose South Poll Cattle, and then gives us a quick look at his pastured pigs.
Rain is always an issue when it's hay making time. Though this was written with farmers in the Northeast in mind, we're sure that there are a lot of you out there who can take advantage of these hay-making tips!
Sometimes cows eat rabbits too! Here's a look at some unusual animal eating behavior and why they choose to eat things we wouldn't have imagined for them. If your livestock are eating strange things, you'll learn why here.
In response to reader requests for information on raising pasture pigs, here is an interview with Karma Glos of Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, NY. These four, beautifully done videos on pastured pigs were created as part of the Cornell Small Farms Video Mentor series as a resource to small and beginning farmers. We love how Karma takes us from farrowing to processing highlighting the things that make life better for the pigs, and easier and more profitable for the farmer.
“Graziers need to get beyond the paralyzing paradigm of wasting grass if we want to be truly sustainable.”
Those are the words of Ian Mitchell-Innes,...
Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus can cause early embryonic death, congential defects and abortion in pregnant cattle, and fever, diarrhea, mouth blisters, and weight loss in infected herd members. APHIS has estimated that it can cost producers $400 per cow if it infects a herd. Here's one farmer's story about surviving its impact.
By using 112 years of data from weather stations across the US, combined with an understanding of what makes a plant begin to grow, scientists are figuring out how to measure changes in growing seasons.
