Posts by Rich Taber
So you think that you would like to raise some beef cattle on your small farm? This is the first installment of a multi-part series of articles on raising beef cattle on the small farm. In this series of articles in the Small Farms Quarterly, I will outline many of the topic areas that you…
Read MoreHe or she who hauls heavy agricultural loads on highways has to be vigilant in preventing machine failures on busy highways! I am no stranger to ordeals, mishaps, and minor accidents with farm machinery over the years. Even with the best of intentions, and with safety foremost in mind, accidents can still occur. I have been…
Read MoreBrush hogs can knock down vegetation and weeds in a timely manner, and have several very useful purposes. Small farmers of necessity must accumulate a certain amount of machinery to work their farms and landscapes. One of the most useful tools is what is known as a “brush hog” or “rotary cutter.” Brush hogs are…
Read MoreIncreased farm viability and diversification through value added forest products. By Rich Taber Many farmers and rural property owners have woodlands as part of their land ownership portfolio, and we oftentimes receive inquiries as to how this land might be developed in order to generate some sources of income. Most landowners own their woodlands for a…
Read MoreChainsaw Safety, Part One Chainsaw Safety, Part Two Chainsaw Safety, Part Three In the first three articles of this series on chainsaw safety we focused on having the right types of safety equipment when using chainsaws. It is imperative to have all of the right OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) approved safety features when you or your…
Read MoreChainsaw Safety, Part One Chainsaw Safety, Part Two Chainsaw Safety, Part Three In the first three articles of this series on chainsaw safety we focused on having the right types of safety equipment when using chainsaws. It is imperative to have all of the right OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) approved safety features when you or your…
Read MoreMethods to improve old unproductive pastures and hayfields that are both effective and economical are a common challenge for farmers, and especially so for new and beginning farmers. The time and cost for re-seeding includes multiple passes of tractors and tillage machinery including plowing, disk harrowing, spring tooth harrowing, rock picking, planting, and packing to establish a new planting, far more work and cost than…
Read MoreChainsaw Safety, Part One This second part article on chainsaw safety is part of our CCE Chenango grant project done in collaboration with the New York Farm Viability Institute, “Increased Farm Profitability and Diversity through Value-Added Forest Products Initiative”. We have been encouraging farmers and woodland owners to develop forest based enterprises, many of which…
Read MoreMost farmers and rural landowners own chainsaws for a variety of purposes, the majority of which involve the cutting of trees and firewood. Chainsaws, in the hands of the untrained or those who do not follow common safety rules, are in danger of causing serious injury or death to themselves. This year alone, I have…
Read MoreHow ironic this summer of 2015 has been! When I wrote my article “Making Hay While the Sun Shines” for the last edition of SFQ, it had been a fairly dry spring. It looked like the summer of 2015 would be short of rain. Not too long after that article was written, it began to…
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