People have occasionally looked at Elise and Jeff Koning in astonishment when they talk about grazing sheep in Christmas trees. Sheep are notorious for eating trees and shrubs. In Europe, however, grazing trees, orchards and vineyards with sheep is a standard management practice. What these astounde...

Northeast corn silage growers are currently about three-quarters done with chopping. Corn grain growers are about one-quarter done with combining. This is a good time to conduct a small experiment while the person doing the chopping or combining waits for an empty forage wagon or gravity wagon to be...

If you own land, you could receive a tax deduction of $1,700/acre for soil nutrient reduction. Tyler Bruch, founder of Boa Safra Ag , presented on the topic at the recent 2025 New York Corn & Soybean Summer Crop Tour hosted by Rodman Lott & Son Farms. “Boa Safra” means “good harvest” in Portuguese, ...

Autumn is in the air, and that means: fall foliage, crisp weather and pumpkin spice everything until winter sets in. For those cultivating the land, autumn is harvest season, and wonderful though the bounty may be, that adds up to a whole lot of farm work. Visitors dream of getting out into the coun...

On Sept. 8, much of Central New York received light frosts. Fearing that such might take place, I had covered my frost-sensitive crops with tarps. Doing so proved to be a wise idea, since, come dawn, the hood of our car showed a very thin layer of ice crystals. When those melted away, I removed the ...

Farmers are always eager to learn about new farm technology, especially if it helps achieve production goals. One technology that’s garnering more interest is drones. Ephraim Riehl, Matthew Riehl and David Stolzfus, of RiehlWay Ag in New Holland, PA, discussed the use of drones at the annual Penn St...

A strong farm lease isn’t just a formality, it’s the foundation of a flourishing farming partnership. Whether you’re an experienced operator or a first-time farmer, a well-crafted lease prevents confusion and helps both parties stay on track. Here’s how to create a crystal-clear, ironclad lease that...

The last few days of September, I saw early plantings of winter rye sprouting nicely in some Central New York counties. Happily, I see more corn growers planting autumn cover crops. The more productive title for these late season plantings is “winter forage,” a mindset which acknowledges that someth...

Raising livestock takes some serious doing. Feeding, watering and minding troublesome animals makes for a long day’s work. When it’s over, who has the energy to sit down and sort through charts, graphs and economic trends to figure out how best to get your meat to market? Consider calling in the exp...