On Sept. 18, Jim, an organic dairy farmer, called me to discuss possible corn silage toxicity issues that worried him. He milks about 70 cows in Genesee County (NY), and his farm is “regular” organic (not grass-fed). I’ve been advising him on his crop program for several years. He grows corn for sil...

"We’re seeing the collision of the beef and dairy markets in a way we wouldn’t have dreamed of a few years ago.” That’s how Derrell Peel, Ph.D., Extension and livestock marketing specialist, Oklahoma State University, began a late summer update on the cattle market. He said no one could have anticip...

According to Tim Terry, farm strategic planning specialist with Cornell University’s PRO-DAIRY , the calf hutch is still the gold standard for raising calves because it maximizes calf health and performance while minimizing morbidity and mortality. However, in regions like the Northeast and Great La...

On the evening of March 15, 2025, a fairly serious electric storm hit central New York and much of the Northeast. The flash-to-bang time for the first clap of thunder was seven or eight seconds. With the speed of sound at approximately 1,000 feet/second, this meant that the first lightning bolt stru...

This was a great year for Ovaltop Holsteins at the New York State Fair . The Richfield Springs, NY, farm took 11 cows from their herd to the fair and “did pretty good,” said Justin Wolfe, son of co-owner Mike Wolfe. The farm won Premier Breeder in the open show; Premier Breeder and Exhibitor of the ...

Hyperbole is often found in literature when an author wants to heighten the effect of their words or add vibrancy and magnitude to catch the reader’s attention. Singer John Legend said, “I think writers are prone to hyperbole sometimes.” I’m guilty, but I hope the bait caught the fish. Anyone in agr...

As farmers throughout the Northeast have been waiting less than patiently for rain, some areas have finally gotten some long-overdue moisture. But is late-season rain enough to salvage a corn silage crop? Dr. John Goeser, adjunct professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison Animal & Dairy Science, rec...

Even lifelong hunters get sloppy. Comfort turns to complacency and a few small slip-ups can tank your entire season. The truth? Skill isn’t just about what you do, it’s also about what you avoid. Here are four common mistakes even seasoned hunters still make – and what to do instead – to stay at the...

In mid-August, Pecos Bill (aka Wild Bill), a fellow Cornell ag graduate, sought my advice for a particular cropping situation on his Chenango County dairy farm. He said they usually harvest two cuttings of sorghum, in mid-July and late August. But this year, starting wet, then turning dry most of su...