Posts by Tara Hammonds
by R.J. Anderson In an exercise based on fallout from past weather disturbances, strong and sustained autumn rains cause the Mohawk River to flood its banks rapidly, compromising the safety of people, homes and businesses in at least three New York counties. Among those in immediate danger is a Lewis County Amish farmer who became…
Read MoreArtisan Cheese Makers Embrace Voluntary Conservation at Award-Winning Vermont Dairy by Amy Overstreet The story behind Vermont’s Consider Bardwell could be the plot for a really great movie. The lead characters are Russell and Angela, two New York City executives who decide in their fifties they want to buy a farm, raise goats, and be…
Read Moreby Reuben Dourte Workers’ compensation insurance is a subject that is dreaded by many agricultural businesses, and for good reason. First, carrying workers’ compensation insurance is a mandate in every state. That means that qualifying farmers don’t have much “choice” as to whether or not they purchase this coverage. Secondly, very few insurance companies offer…
Read Moreby Joshua VanBrakle Most New York farms have at least some wooded acreage. Often those woods “came with the land” when the farmer bought, rented, or inherited the property. But those woods can also be a source of fun, beauty, nature, and income if well-tended, and a new website by the Catskills-based nonprofit Watershed Agricultural…
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by Brian Caldwell and Ryan Maher Laughing Stock Farm designs farm and equipment to improve soil drainage, reduce labor. Lisa and Ralph Turner started growing vegetables for sale in 1997 near Freeport, Maine on 1/5 acre. The farm is now up to 15 certified organic acres. They have summer and winter CSAs and deliver to…
Read Moreby Rich Taber Tractors can be wonderful devices to accomplish a whole bunch of different tasks on a farm. Three point hitches are an integral part of most tractors nowadays; they are so useful that even draft horse enthusiasts are adapting some forecarts with such useful devices. However, there are certain guidelines to follow in…
Read Moreby Anita Deming When I first started at Cornell Cooperative Extension in January of 1978, the first meeting I went to on a State level was about how important it was to change extension to become more responsive to our clientele. Since I was new to extension, I thought what a great idea; this meant…
Read MoreVermont investors, capital providers and entrepreneurs connect at Slow Money Vermont events to boost local farm and food economies and communities. by Rachel Carter Creamy farmstead frozen yogurt in vanilla, chocolate, maple, and coffee flavors is pumped into 300 Cobb Hill Frozen Yogurt pints a week—a number that has more than doubled from this time…
Read MoreMessage from the Editor We’ve been blessed with a milder winter in most of the Northeast, after two brutal ones. All three of these years set records for extreme weather, indicating that we are in for changes and challenges to agriculture over the coming years and decades. Adapting to change, innovating, and responding to surprises are…
Read Moreby Jason Oliver Improving dairy environmental systems management can help farms adapt to a changing climate while reducing environmental degradation, maintaining profitability, and strengthening community relations. The PRO-DAIRY program’s Dairy Environmental Systems webpage is resource for small and large dairy farms alike interested in improved sustainability. PRO-DAIRY is a NYS dairy industry applied research/educational program…
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