As last year has certainly shown most of us, water is one of the biggest drivers of success or stress in a cropping system. Not only is it difficult to manage something so unpredictable, but sometimes the things you do to keep water in your fields during a drought are the same things that can turn the field into a muddy mess for weeks. 

I participated in Cornell Workforce Development's Lean Management for Dairy workshop in February. Lean Management, often referred to simply as "Lean", is a methodology frequently used in the business world to add value, maximize efficiency, and trim waste. How can applying principles of Lean Management work for the dairy industry in southwestern New York, and what could taking a Lean approach mean for your business?

The EPA has approved federal registration of three over-the-top dicamba products in soybeans. While dicamba has remained on the market, this is approval specifically for OTT use, marking the strongest environmental protections for dicamba products. 

Every day, you are having to filter through data from consultants, salesmen, newsletter articles, and winter program presentations about possible best management practices that could be implemented on your farm or certain products. An important skill for making these decisions is being able to interpret research data, ensuring that its scientifically supported.

A follow up article to "Drones in Agriculture" in October 2024, this article dives into the opportunities to integrate drones into spray programs.

Custom manure applicators who have registered as Third Party CAFO Land Appliers under 6 NYCRR Part 361-2.3(c) with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are required to submit an annual report each year no later than March 1. 

Feed costs represent approximately 50% of operating expenses on dairy farms, with large investments in home-grown forages. It cannot be denied that there are many factors that impact our ability to harvest quality forages, both within and outside of our control, but the job isn't done once it runs through the chopper. The same prioritization of management and resources should also be allocated to maintaining quality as it enters storage.  

In the spring of 2025, Corteva announced they would discontinue the development of brown midrib (BMR) corn products. As numerous discussions on the topic have unfolded over the last several months, it has been apparent that sometimes the framing of the questions are not leading to the most productive discussions or decisions for a farm. Check out this article for important considerations for strateggizing forage plans for your farm.

The US Department of Agriculture's Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) Program announced $12 billion in aid for US farmers this past December. Here's what you need to know.

While harvest has stretched on for many, attention is beginning to shift toward planning for the 2026 growing season. This article highlights key factors to consider as seed ordering approaches, helping ensure selections align with field conditions and production goals.

Rounding out the final article in this series on till vs no-till, we're finally focusing on how your tillage decisions can impact the pest pressures on your farm. Your tillage decisions present different challenges and opportunities as it relates to pest management.

As grain enters the bins, I've been having more frequent conversations about commodity marketing. There is no one size fits all approach, but one thing remains the same: understanding your cost of production is the foundation of every sound management decision.