In my book of favorite events, a county fair is a close second to Christmas.
County fairs bring families together, the food is plentiful, and the “gift” is the learning experience that youth are provided through 4-H and FFA.
My 4-H fair experiences began in Clark County showing Jerseys. There was lots of competition in […]
It’s never too early to start thinking about who will take over your farm’s management responsibilities.
We’re going to do it. A whole column that doesn’t mention the two four-letter words we are growing to hate: f_ _ d and c _ _ t.
No magic answers for the issues they represent. But, it doesn’t hurt to revisit some non-feed opportunities to support and increase milk production. Let’s look at the […]
In recent years, the explosive changes around us — especially in the technological age we find ourselves — have been described as constant ripples of change or as “white waters” of change.
I’m sure all of you all have noted the white water as it splashes over rocks in the rapids of streams.
With respect […]
Last week I was at a meeting of local zoning inspectors and township officials. These officials were learning about the tools which can be used to keep agriculture as an integral part of their communities.
A lot of discussion was held on how local townships and municipalities could help make their community farm friendly.
Concern
During the discussion, […]
In Europe, antibiotics are handled and administered by veterinarians. Interestingly, antibiotics are used on organic dairy farms — when necessary for animal health — in some European countries.
Withholding times are doubled, (note: labeled withholding times are more than adequate when the mediations are administered following label directions), but the important point is that antibiotics are […]
Own vs. owe. Two three-letter words and the last letter makes all the difference.
It’s that busy time a year, when trying to get the crops planted and worrying about getting the first cutting of hay off is weighing heavily on every farmer’s mind.
This seasonal stress is added to the already existing stress of keeping up with all the day-to-day activities. Along with these “normal seasonal” and “day-to-day” stressors, […]
Limit feeding heifers. Sounds like a plan when feed ingredient prices are soaring out of sight. Less feed, less cost, right? Maybe, maybe not.
What is limit feeding? When I first heard that phrase, with the implication that heifers aren’t being fed as much as “normal,” my first thought was, “Hope their heifer barn isn’t close […]
A few weeks ago, our state dairy specialist, Dianne Shoemaker, gave a preview of Ohio State University Extension’s newly revamped Bulletin 864 — “15 Measures of Dairy Farm Competitiveness.”
As we gear up for our busy spring plant season, it is a great time to highlight some of the concepts discussed in the bulletin about managing […]