Amy Barkley is heading a project that explores the development of whole farm internal parasite IPM programs across the region. We're looking for farmers to participate from Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Steuben counties. Participants receive one-on-one support to develop a whole farm IPM program as well as free fecal egg count tests, multiple FAMACHA exams, and 5-Point Checks on all animals on their farm. 

It takes a whole lot to produce a dozen eggs! Now's a great time to evaluate your costs so that you can charge a fair price that still enables you to make a profit.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Eligible producers must report 2024 crop year planted and prevented planted acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form. Contact your local FSA office for more information.

Unfortunately, euthanasia is a decision every farmer has to make. This article stresses the need for clear euthanasia protocols, proper staff training, and emotional support for farmers making these difficult decisions.

For those who are calving, lambing, and kidding this time of year, frost bite on the youngsters is a real concern. The good news is that while we can't control Mother Nature, we can manage around the worst weather to help reduce the risk of frostbite and assist animals that are affected.

As the daylight hours fade and start to increase again over the next month, we're going to start seeing the first lambs and kids of the season born. Now's the time to check your lambing or kidding kit inventory to restock, replace out-of-date supplements and antibiotics, and mentally prepare for the upcoming season! 

Ticks dying during a harsh winter is a widely held belief, but observations and research indicate that they can survive extended periods of cold and snow. Instead, the winter conditions just slow the spread of populations to new areas and put a damper on the expansion of existing populations.

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.

Garbage feeding is the term for the practice of feeding food scraps, food waste, or food industry byproducts to livestock. While feeding meat scraps is highly regulated, feeding vegetable, bakery, and other food industry waste is not.

As you're planning your turkey harvest and sales, keep safe handling, proper labeling, and regulations on sale in mind to enjoy a stress-free and food safety-forward holiday season.

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.