National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW) is taking place this year Sept. 21 – 27. NFSHW is a time to increase awareness of the high risk of accidents and injuries in agriculture and to promote the adoption of life-saving health and safety practices. Despite a slight decrease in total fatal occup...

When a barnyard is partially in concrete and the pasture is little more than holes left by the hooves of beef cattle, what’s the answer? In Craig Alleman’s case, the best solution was more concrete. Alleman’s farm was a mess, with mud and pugging throughout the pastures. Pasture vegetation didn’t st...

Over the last 15 years, I have become a super believer in winter forages. Winter forages – small grains planted during late summer or early autumn – have been selectively bred to go dormant over winter, then spring to life as soon as prolonged cold weather loosens its icy grip in March or April. Wha...

DENTON, NC – “When you start with no knowledge, it’s an uphill climb,” said Mark Wilburn, reflecting on his journey as a cattleman. In 2007, as a 21-year-old with no farming experience, he purchased 30 acres with the intent to raise cattle. A few months later, he bought some commercial cows. It was ...

Dairy and beef farmers are aware of the cyclical nature of the cattle industry. They also know the two segments are closely related. Corey Geiger, economist for dairy production and processing, CoBank, recently discussed trends in dairy and beef. “Dairy is dynamic and growing,” said Geiger. “It’s th...

Hello, farm family! When did you last experience conflict in your farm life? Most of us experience some form of conflict every day, though we might not immediately recognize it. Types of Farm Conflict Some of us only equate “conflict” with yelling, screaming, throwing things and other forms of viole...

Despite many historians believing that clovers have truly changed the world, these crops are surprisingly modest creeping herbs, rarely reaching knee-height. According to my textbook “ Around the World in 80 Plants ” (Jonathan Drori, Lawrence King Publishing), there are two common cultivated species...

September 5 is the International Day of Charity, and while many of us are struggling to take care of our own, sometimes giving just a little can mean a lot. Think of the bell ringers around the holidays – all that pocket change that goes into those red buckets really adds up. So, if you are so incli...

Many farmers preserve forage as dry hay, but for some, baleage is a good alternative. Depending on storage conditions, losses in baled dry hay stored outdoors is between 10% and 30%, while properly wrapped baleage should have almost no quality loss. Storage for baleage is less costly than a chopped ...