Dairy Farmers Deal With Post Hurricane Realities

This isn't from New York state, but still an interesting read.

Go to http://www.bradenton.com/news/business/article173124796.html to see the story.

Important for Farmers To Know How To Properly Spread Manure

Check out this story about manure spreading.

Go to http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/news03/manure-a-key-for-soil-respect-for-neighbors-a-part-of-the-mix-20150419 to find the story.

No Bull! Yes, There's a Bull in Queens

There's a bull on the loose in Queens.

Check it out http://abcnews.go.com/US/running-bull-nypd-wrangles-bull-chase/story?id=45635480 at this website link.

Methane Gas Levels Soar; Is Ag to Blame?

Go to http://time.com/4597909/climate-change-methane-emissions/ this link to read the story in TIME Magazine.

Red Meat, Corn, Soybeans Production Up in New York; Potatoes Down

Commercial red meat production for New York totaled 3.8 million pounds in October, up 12 percent from the 3.4 million pounds produced in October 2015.

Cattle slaughter totaled 3,300 head, up 10 percent from October 2015. The average live weight was up 6 pounds from the previous year, at 1,164.
 
Calf slaughter totaled 6,500 head, up 132 percent from October 2015. The average live weight was down 60 pounds from last year, at 115 pounds.
 
Hog slaughter totaled 5,500 head, up 15 percent from October 2015. The average live weight was up 4 pounds from the previous year, at 258 pounds.
 
Sheep slaughter totaled 4,100 head, 15 percent below last year. The average live weight was 103 pounds, down 3 pounds from October a year ago.

Corn production in New York is forecast at 83.8 million bushels, up 2 percent from the October forecast but down 1 percent from last year.
 
Based on conditions as of Nov. 1, yields are expected to average 133 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from the October forecast but down 10 bushels from 2015. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 630,000 acres, unchanged from the October forecast but up 7 percent from 2015.
 
Soybean production in New York is forecast at 13.7 million bushels, up 2 percent from October and up 6 percent from last year. Based on Nov. 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 42 bushels per acre, up 1 bushel from last month but down 1 bushel from last year. Area for harvest is forecast at 326,000 acres, unchanged from last month.
 
Fall potatoes production for 2016 is forecast at 3.31 million hundredweight, down 20 percent from last year. Area harvested, at 13,800 acres, is down 7 percent from the previous year. The average yield forecast, at 240 hundredweight per acre, is down 40 hundredweight from last year’s yield.

USDA Surveying Cattle Operations

In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service will survey more than 40,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories.
 
“This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions such as planning for herd expansion or reduction. It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export,” said Northeastern Regional Director King Whetstone. “Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agriculture industry.”
 
During the first two weeks of January, Northeastern producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed operations. 

To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate in the survey, the National Agricultural Statistics Service offers the option of responding via the Internet, telephone, mail or a personal interview with a local statistics service representative.
 
The statistics service safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
 
The January Cattle report will be released Jan. 31. This and all statistics reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov. For more information, call the Northeastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.

Hay School for Northern New York Coming Later this Month

The annual hay school for Northern New York is scheduled for later this month.

There will be online sign up or call your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office.

The hay school will be March 18 at the Carthage Elks, March 19 at the Best Western in Canton and March 22 at the Miner Institute in Chazy. 

The cost is $30 for the first person from a farm and $15 for others. The costs are $40 for the first person from a farm and $20 for others if you pay at the door.

Tom Kilcer will be here to talk about how to make “Hay in a Day” by wide swathing and the ins and outs of baleage making. A complete flyer has been mailed out.

Winter Green-Up Grazing Conference This Weekend in Latham

The 2016 Winter Green-Up Grazing Conference will be held on Friday and Saturday at The Century House in Latham. 

The conference is sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County and Black Queen Angus Farm, LLC. 

Speakers include chef Brian Alberg and chef Jeremy Stanton, who will discuss their dedication to local food and local economies and the struggles they face in purchasing consistent high quality meats in the region. 

Cost is $225. If two people are coming from the same farm or business, the cost is $400. 

To register, visit reg.cce.cornell.edu/WGU2016_201. Contact Tove Ford at Cornell Cooperative Extension (518-765-3518 or tff24@cornell.edu). Registration ends Thursday, Feb. 11.

New York Ag Receipts Outpace National Averages

From New York state:

The growth of agricultural sales in New York outpaced the national average, with cash receipts up 36 percent across the state and only 32 percent nationally. 

In 2014, farmers in New York state also set a new record for sales with $6.36 billion in cash receipts, up from $4.7 billion in 2010, representing a nearly $1.7 billion increase in gross income from sales of crops, livestock and other products.

New York has seen a surge in average gross income and a significant increase in sales of many of the state’s top commodities. Since 2010, the following commodities have shown the greatest increases:

   

· Poultry and eggs up 63 percent to $206 million; · Peaches up 80 percent to $12.6 million; · Honey production up 59 percent to just under $9 million; · Cattle production up 132 percent to $415 million; and · Hay up 173 percent to $147 million.

The national estimates for the same commodities for the same period are:

· Poultry and eggs up 39 percent; · Peaches up 2 percent; · Honey production up 38 percent; · Cattle production up 59 percent; and · Hay up 63 percent.

The New York dairy industry also saw record high dairy prices in 2014, constituting about half of the state’s agricultural receipts.

Petition Wants Walmart to Stop Selling Toy LIvestock Truck

From DairyHerd.com.

I've seen just about everything now!

Go to http://www.dairyherd.com/news/vegan-activists-attack-farming-toy to see the story.

Loose Cow Finally Caught in Oneida County

Well, the cow on the loose in Utica and New Hartford for weeks has been found and corralled.

Check it out.  http://www.wktv.com/news/Cowboys_lasso_capture_rogue_cow.html

New York's Red Meat Production Up 3 Percent from Last Year

From the USDA:

Total red meat production for New York totaled 3.1 million pounds in June 2015, up 3 percent from the 3 million pounds produced in June 2014 and up 11 percent from May 2015, said Blair Smith, state statistician of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York Field Office.

Commercial cattle slaughter totaled 3,100 head, up 7 percent from June 2014. The average live weight was down 21 pounds from the previous year at 1,141 pounds.

Commercial calf slaughter totaled 2,000 head, 62 percent below June 2014. The average live weight was up 76 pounds from last year at 198 pounds.

Commercial hog slaughter totaled 3,700 head, up 12 percent from June 2014. The average live weight was up 5 pounds from the previous year, at 229 pounds.

Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter totaled 5,200 head, 41 percent above June last year. The average live weight was 105 pounds, up 7 pounds from a year ago.

Appreciate A Cow Today

Happy Cow Appreciation Day!

This little one looks excited!

Barn Fire Kills Cattle in Seneca County

Check out the story at http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1227726#.VZ1PN_lVhBc

Training Today's Students For Tomorrow's Workforce

Cool story.

Read on at http://www.agweb.com/livestock/dairy/blog/dairy-today-healthline-295/dairy-stockmanship-training-todays-students-for-tomorrows-workforce-/#.VVHszjBofBk.facebook

'Farmland' Opens in 2014

Wow.

I'm blown away by this trailer for a new movie coming out called "Farmland."

Check it out http://www.farmlandfilm.com/#trailer at this link.

If the whole movie is like this, every single person in the United States should be mandated to see this movie.

Tens of Thousands of Cattle Killed in S.D. Blizzard

Go to http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/this-is-horrendous-cattle-a-casualty-of-south-dakota-blizzard/article_38761e35-5ba1-5ac6-813f-a9ca6b9c7180.html to see the story.

Where Are All the People?

Interesting agriculture fact from Osborn Carr -- nine states have more cattle than people: Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming. 

Cool, huh?

Meat Locker Project Brings Fresh Meat to Southern Tier

Polled Herefords at a past New York State Fair

Go to http://www.stargazette.com/article/20130731/NEWS01/307310053/Where-s-beef-Soon-will-Corning to check out the story.

Morrisville State's Dairy Judging Team Competes at Scottish Show

 Adam Hill, Scott Smith, Mitchell Ruth, Marshall Hinz, Duncan Bailey

News submitted by Morrisville State College:

Morrisville State College’s dairy judging team recently participated in Scotland’s prestigious Royal Highland Show. 


The five-student team earned a spot in the show, Scotland’s top agricultural event, after placing second at the World Dairy Expo. At the Royal Highland Show, Morrisville’s team judged four classes of cows and gave oral judging in two classes.

Students were scored in pairs with Scott Smith, of South Plymouth, and Duncan Bailey, of Fillmore, placing second overall. Bailey also placed second overall with his individual score.

The Royal Highland Show, which attracts more than 150,000 visitors, featured cows, pigs, sheep shearing, food, cars and salsa dancing. Other core attractions included grand parades of livestock and equestrian events.

“This was truly a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Justine Deming, assistant professor of dairy science, who led the Morrisville dairy judging team. “Opportunities like this enable students to apply theory and classroom learning to real-world situations and also broaden their views on international
agriculture while making connections with actual farmers.”

After the competition, the Morrisville team, along with 50 other 4-H, FFA, and college dairy judging teams from across the United States, toured the Scottish, English, and Irish countrysides.

 The trip also included educational visits to the Scottish Agricultural College dairy facility, Scottish National Museum of Rural Life, and various grass-based dairy farms throughout the UK and Ireland. 

“We came back to the US with a broader knowledge of international dairy production and an appreciation of the UK and Ireland’s ability to have grass-based seasonal dairy systems,” Deming said.

The trip was sponsored by: The Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc.; Lallemand Specialties, Inc.; Oriona Grove Lodge 229; Poulin Grain; Marshman Farms; the Morrisville College
Foundation; various organizations and donor gifts.

Morrisville State’s team consisted of: Adam Hill, of Corfu, Genesee County, animal science-dairy; Scott Smith, of South Plymouth, Chenango County, agricultural business; Mitchell Ruth, of Spring City, Pa., animal science-dairy; Marshall Hinz, of Fillmore, Allegany County, animal science-dairy; and Duncan Bailey, of Fillmore, Allegany County, animal science-dairy.