Tar spot, a foliar disease of corn, has made its way into New York State's crop production. Learn more about the disease, what it can be confused with, and how to manage it on your farm. 

As I write this article (5/20/2024), we are experiencing some unusually warm weather. While I hope that some cooler and more seasonable days will return, we can expect many hot, humid days this summer.  Now is a good time to start thinking about how you will protect yourself, your family members, and your employees from heat-related illnesses. 

Our team has some sad news to share. Our outstanding Dairy Management Specialist, Camila Lage, is leaving Cornell Cooperative Extension as of May 1st, 2024.

On March 20^th, 2024, the Endangered Species Act Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA)'s hosted an informative webinar on how pesticide labels may change to protect endangered species. This article provides a quick summary of action items that were presented. You can also watch the recording on NYSIPM's YouTube channel. 

On February 06, 2024, the U.S. district court in Arizona vacated 2020 registrations of three dicamba containing products (XtendiMax, Engenia and Tavium) for over-the-top (OTT) applications in dicamba-tolerant (Xtend and XtendFlex) soybean. In response to the U.S. district court ruling, the EPA issued an Existing Stock Order on February 14, 2024, that allows limited sale, distribution, and use of these dicamba OTT products that were already in the possession of growers, distributors or in the channels of trade and outside the control of pesticide companies as of February 06, 2024. Learn what this means for you as a soybean grower.

The Ag Census counts Hired Farm Labor and collects data on the number of farms with hired labor, the total number of hired farm workers, and the total payroll paid for hired labor. Separately, the number of farms with migrant or contract labor and the total number of migrant workers is also collected. Farms can have both migrant and hired labor, and migrant labor is not included in the total payroll paid nor number of hired farm workers. Many farms also rely on unpaid farm labor that is typically performed by family members, and the ag census collects that data as well (although, it's not included here). 

The Worker Protection Standard regulation was originally issued in 1992 to reduce the risk of injury and illness resulting from pesticide exposures. It covers pesticides used in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. Determine if you fall under the Worker Protection Standard.

In recent years, products containing nitrogen (N) fixing bacteria have been marketed for their ability to supply N to a corn crop. Biologicals are generally understood to provide N throughout the growing season as microbes are active but the main question is: How do we determine if a biological (1) improves yield; and/or (2) reduces the need for fertilizer N? 

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.

Winter in the Northeast is notorious for extreme temperature changes and varying moisture levels. This article summarizes best practices from equipment manufacturers to keep your investments protected from harsh winter conditions.

NYSDEC now requires commercial manure applicators that apply manure on CAFO farms to register with the department and complete annual reporting. While applicators need to register by January 18, 2024 to be in compliance, it is recommended towait until after January 1, 2024 to do so. Kirsten Workman with PRO-DAIRY has provided comments about this new requirement and resources for registration.

If you currently hold an active certification allowing you to make commercial pesticide applications in calendar year 2023, you are required by law to submit an acceptable annual report of your pesticide applications (or lack thereof) no later than FEBRUARY 1, 2024. To ensure you submit an acceptable report to the DEC, check out this notice sharing reporting changes and common reporting issues.