This title is the opinion of my friend, Certified Crop Advisor Tom Kilcer. I’ll explain the logic behind his statement. He said with the current geopolitical situation, the supply of available fertilizer has been squeezed. Consequently, the price of fertilizer ingredients has increased, threatening ...

In the past, many dairy and beef producers had nothing nice to say about dairy progeny, which were usually purebred Holsteins, entering the beef supply chain. Dr. Tara Felix, associate professor and beef Extension specialist at Penn State, said that thinking has changed. “That’s a significant portio...

A good bull can make a cow/calf operation more profitable for years. A poor one can deliver a costly collection of calving complications, disappointing calves and missed opportunities. For beef producers preparing to buy their next herd sire, the difference between those outcomes starts long before ...

HGTV recently reported that Shelburne Farms, 20 minutes south of its home city, is Vermont’s top free attraction. An “About the Farm” sign, posted at the Shelburne Farms entrance, explains it’s “an education nonprofit offering transformative learning experiences to help build a sustainable future. “...

Protein is having a moment – high-protein diets, protein-fortified foods and even protein-fortified coffee. But it’s leaving dairy farmers and processors wondering why it’s not as easy to bump up protein in the bulk tank as it is to increase butterfat. According to Mike Van Amburgh, a professor of d...

Macy’s first Thanksgiving Day Parade occurred in 1924. It was created to celebrate the expansion of Macy’s flagship store and kick off the Christmas holiday shopping season. It featured floats, bands and live animals borrowed from the nearby Central Park Zoo. More recently, the commercial thrust for...

A manure pit full of liquid slurry is worth a lot. If it’s properly agitated, transferred to a tanker and applied correctly, it’s top dollar. Between agitation and manure leaving in a tanker for field application, Harry Inthout, GEA sales specialist, recommends manure sampling. “Manure can decrease ...

Does my dog need electrolytes on a hot humid day? Is my puppy growing properly? What about carbohydrates vs. proteins? These are common questions Dr. Rene Paschall, DVM, gets asked by owners of farm dogs. Paschall, a small animal internal medicine specialist and small animal veterinary nutrition res...

While some forms of renewable energy are quietly accepted by the public, the mere mention of industrial-scale solar construction on farm acreage is frequently met with protests. In some cases, integrating solar with an agricultural enterprise such as vegetable crops, hay, pollinator habitat or lives...