The number of moving parts and pressure to get everything correct during corn silage harvest can be daunting. It is worthy to recognize that the harvest season is a valuable learning and planning opportunity. Documenting crop progress and challenges throughout the season is a good practice, but information collected during the harvest of the single most utilized ingredient in many dairy rations can be particularly valuable.

Governor Hochul has announced two grant opportunities to help address the impacts of climate change and protect water quality. Funding is available in four tracks: Livestock Management (alternative waste and precision feeding management), Adaptation and Resiliency, Healthy Soils, and Agricultural Forestry Management. Contact your local Soil & Water Conservation office for more information. 

Continuing this series from last month, we're taking a look at all of the differences between tilling and no-till systems to help you figure out which system is best for your farm. We previously looked at how tillage decisions impact nutrient cycling, and this time we're considering how the same decisions can change soil structure. Your choice to till or not to till can significantly change your soil structure, determining what kinds of challenges may appear or which may be avoided. 

Knapweed is an aggressive weed that spreads rapidly and reduces the quality of fresh and baled forages. Controlling it however, is not a simple answer. Check out this article for more information about the weed and tips on how to manage it. 

The decision to till or no-till is not a one size fits all approach. This article series aims to clear up some of the confusion about the ways that tillage (or a lack thereof) impacts our fields, and how the challenges you face could determine whether it's the right move for you. 

Volunteer corn infestations popping up in your crop rotation can reduce crop yield and require additional herbicide considerations. Now is the time to prepare for harvest by calibrating your equipment to minimize harvest losses.

With our average frost date fast approaching, it's time to consider how we are going to handle corn that is either immature or experiences a frost. Check out this article for tips on how to manage this forage. 

By Farm Credit East

There are a number of grants and incentives available for Northeast agriculture businesses, but learning about their availability and navigating the application process can be a challenge. To help with this, Farm Credit East has released an update to its report identifying federal, regional and state grants, loan guarantees, and other incentives available to assist Northeast producers of all types and sizes.

This post is an excerpt from the document, focusing on funding opportunities available in New York. Find a full list of opportunities, including sector-specific opportunities for states including, but not limited to New York, see here.

By Jason Karszes

On more and more dairy farms every year, employees play integral roles in day-to-day operations, decision making, and problem solving. In these roles, ideas for changes to operations and for capital investments are generated. While these ideas might be quite important to the middle manager for their area, across the farm other opportunities in support of the overall priorities and mission of the farm also need to be considered. 

Proposing change to the leadership of the farm, or as part of the leadership team, is typically an essential step to improve farm operations. Developing proposals in support of the change can help with identifying all the potential risks and returns and decision-making by the senior management team.  Several key areas to address in the proposal are laid out below. 

Recently several areas have received much needed rain and while it has not been enough to alleviate the dry conditions for most, it has been enough to "perk up" some corn fields. With rain following dry conditions, a final effort is triggered for the corn plant to finish its lifecycle, putting energy into kernel development. There are challenges and opportunities that arise with this phenomenon, that you can learn more about in this article.

Proper storage in the bunk should always be a priority, but challenging growing seasons like the one we've had this year reinforce the importance of proper ensiling. One bunk management strategy to consider is the use of silage inoculants.

In case you aren't aware of this resource, PRO-DAIRY's Dairy Market Watch provides monthly information and analysis of Northeast dairy market trends. Just released are the July 2025 data.