Those who feed their cows on pasture want to do right by their animals. They want to make sure they’re eating a healthy mix of greens and getting all the proper nutrition to grow big and become profitable. But sometimes finding the right combination of forages and supplements is like trying to solve...

One of the most exciting occurrences in keeping horses is the arrival of a new foal, especially after waiting almost a full year! The average gestation is 335 to 342 days, but mares can vary; a foal that is delivered before 320 days is considered premature, and a pregnancy that lasts more than 360 d...

The first wild plant in the Northeast welcoming winter’s demise is marsh marigold, also called cowslip. Part of the buttercup family, this plant isn’t related to garden variety marigolds. Marsh marigolds are commonly found in very damp soils – even upland marshes – hence their name. They grow up to ...

Often on farms, we get so busy in the day-to-day management we don’t get the time to step back and evaluate our operations from a 30,000-foot view. As the calendar turns the page on spring, I encouraged many of my farmer clients to prioritize the time to zoom out and look at their big picture. Fundi...

At the annual CattleCon event earlier this year in San Antonio, one of the more well-attended sessions was the Checkoff Highlights. Representatives from different organizations talk about where the $1/head fee producers pay is utilized. U.S. Meat Export Federation A nonprofit organization that’s bee...

Managing an efficient meat animal operation involves not only running a farm but also selling each part of the animal. Tanya Cauthen, owner of Belmont Butchery in Richmond, VA, presented “Selling Lesser-Known Cuts: Tips & Techniques from Belmont Butchery” as a FACT webinar recently. Cauthen worked a...

Manure isn’t always just manure. It’s often loaded with pathogens that can cause serious illness in livestock and people. Al Dam, a poultry specialist, said there’s a real risk of spreading disease through manure. Livestock often harbor mycobacteria, Listeria , E. coli , Salmonella and Campylobacter...

Agrivoltaics – overlaying solar arrays with agriculture – is a newer method of farming being tested for such operations as animal farms, crops, greenhouses and parks. Research gaps exist, according to Crops in Solar Agrivoltaics Project Manager Caroline Marschner, and large-scale agrivoltaics need f...

Take heed, farmers and ag workers: May marks National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month . Farmers are among the most sun-exposed professionals, often working outdoors during peak sunlight hours. According to Dr. Vinh Chung , a dermatologist specializing in the diagnosis and treatment...