Every farm, regardless of size, that handles animal waste must be prepared to manage a manure-handling emergency. While prevention is the best strategy to reduce the risk of this type of emergency, not all manure spills can be prevented; therefore, a written emergency action plan should be developed for every farm. This article highlights the components in an emergency action plan and their importance.

Two competitive state grants are available to fund start-up, improvement, or expansion of farm operations; support for marketing, training, construction, and more! Applications open October 25th and December 30th, closing January 24th, 2025 and December 30, 2024, respectively.

Starting November 5, 2024, RFID "840" tags will be required for cattle that need official identification. There is no change to the cattle classes that require official ID, just a change to the tag requirements.

While no cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza have been reported in NYS cattle, the state is sharing federal recommendations for testing and interstate movement of cattle to fairs and shows this summer. Included in this article are links to remain abreast of the most current findings, testing requirements, and biosecurity recommendations for HPAI in cattle.

Calf-rearing programs on farms have undergone significant changes in recent years. Traditionally, these programs aimed to reduce raising costs of replacement heifers by promoting early starter feed intake, providing calves with an average of 1.2 lb./d of milk solids (~ 4 quarts of whole milk daily), and weaning them at 4-6 weeks of age. However, research has shown that higher nutrition plans during the pre-weaning phase benefit animal health and welfare and can potentially boost future milk production (Soberon et al., 2012). Consequently, the industry has increased milk/milk replacer allowances to an average of at least 1.7 lb./d (~ 6 quarts of whole milk daily) and extended the pre-weaning phase to at least eight weeks of age. While this is a better practice regarding calf health and welfare, it presents a new challenge: preparing calves to transition from liquid to solid diets. This task requires careful planning and execution.

After almost four months of "stabbing" calf necks to collect blood samples to evaluate the transfer of passive immunity in 10 farms across SWNY, it is time to reflect on the lessons learned. First, I would like to thank all the farms that accepted participation in the project. I appreciate the time we spent together, during which I had the opportunity to meet you for the first time and to get to know you and your farm better. 

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center is now accepting applications for their Goat and Sheep Dairy Development Grants, which can be used for both individual business projects and sector enhancement projects. The deadline to apply is June 6.

Once, I heard that the cow has three main jobs: get milked, eat and drink, and lie down to chew her cud, and that a farmer's job is to guarantee her the conditions to do these things well. In scientific terms,  "cow comfort" is to provide cows with physical and emotional wellness, including the ability to walk and exercise freely without risk of injury, gain access to sufficient food and water to satiate their hunger and thirst, seek shelter from weather and climate extremes, and, perhaps most importantly, achieve adequate rest (Cook, 2020).

As one of my New Year's resolutions, I am trying to learn more about finances. I am fascinated by human behavior, and because of that, a friend of mine suggested I read the Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. 

The book explores the behavioral aspects of personal finance and emphasizes the impact of individual history on financial decisions. The author explores different historical facts, like war and recessions, and how they impact the mindset of each generation. Moreover, it elaborates on how hard it is to forecast the future to know how our present decisions will impact our lives and businesses. Despite being challenging, the author believes certain behaviors can put us in the best position possible while making long-term decisions. 

While reading the book, I couldn't help but draw a parallel between the lessons from an investing perspective and the farming world. I believe the book's insights offer valuable perspectives and recommend it to someone looking for a new book. 

Winter's here, and with that comes high winds, heavy snow loads, power outages, and damages that negatively impact your farm business. Katelyn Walley shares the importance of documenting damages and reporting them here, along with key contact information.

Giving injections of vitamins, vaccinations, dewormers, and antibiotics is a scientific process. Following label instructions, giving injections in the "injection triangle", and opting for sub-cutaneous (sub Q) injections reduces the risk of muscle lesions and trim loss.

Cornell Cow Convos

This monthly podcast series led by PRO-DAIRY and CCE Dairy Specialists features current, new and emerging topics of interest to the dairy industry right now. New episodes are released on the last Thursday of the month. Our first few episodes include discussions on preventative healthcare for cows, the trend of beef on dairy, what to look forward to in the new year for dairy, and socially grouping or pair-housing calves. This series also features specially selected interviews with dairy farmers and industry experts and invites suggestions from our listeners for future topics.

• Submit a topic suggestion here