October 22, 2021

Fall and Winter Management of Ruminants

November 8, 2021 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

  • Forage Management for Sheep Flocks
  • Winter feeding and management of ruminants
  • Parasite management in small ruminants

Presenters:

  1. Kara Riccioni, PhD Student at West Virginia University
  2. Dr. Michael Westendorf, Animal Science Extension Specialist/Professor at Rutgers University
  3. Hank Bignell, Sr. Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Warren County

Our guest speaker for this evening is Kara Riccioni

  • Riccioni was born and raised on a livestock farm in Hunterdon County, NJ. She grew up participating in the local 4H program and competed at many junior livestock shows with Polled Dorset and Natural Colored breeding sheep.
  • She and her fiancé raise and show Simmental cattle and sell feeder steers, show heifers, and breeding stock.
  • She received her BS degree from Penn State University in Agricultural Business Management. While at Penn State she was a member of the livestock judging team.
  • She received an MS degree from University of Kentucky in Animal Sciences focusing on Ruminant Nutrition and an MBA from DelVal University focused on Food and Agribusiness.
  • Riccioni is currently a PhD student at West Virginia University in the Resource Management program.
  • She previously worked for a farm seed company as a product manager for silage and forage lines and currently works for PA Small Business Development Centers as the Director of Agricultural Business Development.

 

Register for this event: https://go.rutgers.edu/RUruminant

 

 

Fall and Winter Management of Ruminants Rutgers Meeting 11-8-21

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock
October 18, 2021

Stay Safe on the Road During the Harvest

Autumn is harvest season on the farm, and farmers are rushing to get the harvest in before the weather becomes cold.  With harvest season getting underway, more heavy farm equipment is going to be out on the same roads as vehicle traffic, going from field to field, dramatically increasing the odds for accidents. During this season, it is important to be aware of the increased possibility of accidents and injury, especially when using farm machinery. One area to pay particular attention to is road safety while moving equipment. Here are some tips to help make sure the season is safe.

Truck drifting off the road

USDA Photo by Preston Keres

Make sure your farm vehicles and equipment are visible.

  • Verify that all lights and flashers on your farm vehicle are working properly.
  • Use warning flashers, flags, lights and slow-moving vehicle emblems on all equipment.
  • Apply reflective tape to machines to improve visibility for motorists at dusk.
  • Avoid traveling before dawn and after dusk if you can. If you need to drive during these times, ensure that your headlights are working. Headlights help you see and be seen.
  • Consider the use of an escort vehicle following with lights and flashers

Also, make sure you know the size of all tractors, vehicles and equipment. Be mindful of the height of your farm equipment and avoid power lines, low bridges and other overhead obstacles. Remember to communicate with fellow motorists on the road. Use turn signals and hand signals whenever possible to communicate with fellow drivers. Avoid distractions and make safety a priority on the road. Also, particularly important is to pay attention to when you are feeling tired and fatigued. Taking a break to rest is an important safety tool not to be overlooked.

This post was written by Bill Bamka, County Agricultural Agent with RCE-Burlington County. 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
October 6, 2021

Swine, Chicken, Turkey Producer Pandemic Assistance Deadline

” Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program

Are you a swine, chicken, or turkey producer who suffered losses due to insufficient access to processing facilities during the coronavirus pandemic? USDA’s Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program (PLIP) provides financial relief for those losses and costs associated with depopulation due to COVID-19. This new program is part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will accept PLIP applications from July 20 through October 12, 2021. FSA extended the original signup deadline, which was September 17, 2021.” – https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus/pandemic-assistance/plip

 

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized
October 3, 2021

Small Grains 2021 Summary Available

At the end of September, USDA released the Small Grains 2021 Summary Report. This report provides useful year over year yield information for barley, oats, rye and wheat (spring and winter planted; and by type) and comments on the crop progression from planting to harvest.

National prices paid for commodities (cotton, corn, soybeans, small grains) and prices received for eggs, poultry, cattle, hog, and dairy can be found at https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Agricultural_Prices/

 

 

 

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock
October 3, 2021

Wheat Stem Rust Overview Available

USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has a resourceful video on ‘Protecting Cereal Grains from Stem Rust’ available on their website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/maps/plant-health/barberry-cereal-gains

An image gallery of stem rust pictures is available at https://www.ars.usda.gov/midwest-area/stpaul/cereal-disease-lab/docs/cereal-rusts/cereal-rust-image-gallery/

Wheat Stem Rust

Picture provided by USDA Image Gallery

“Stem rust (also known as black rust) was once the most feared disease of cereal crops worldwide. In the U.S., it has not been as damaging since the 1950’s due to the development of resistant cultivars with earlier maturity; however, outbreaks may occur when new pathogen races appear.” – USDA

Additional videos available on the USDA interactive plant protection pest maps include:

  • Citrus Disease, and Citrus Disease Federal Quarantines
  • Domestic Data Improvement Initiative
  • Imported Fire Ants Quarantined Areas
  • Emerald Ash Borer Story Map
  • Federal Gypsy Moth Quarantines
  • Commodity Based Resource and Assistance Specialist Team
Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized
September 27, 2021

Assess Untilled Soil and Plant Roots for Grasshopper Eggs

As posted throughout the season, grasshopper broods were prolific in South-Central NJ cropfields this year. Populations were also reported above normal in adjoining states. If you saw defoliating damage or grain damage from grasshoppers this year,  it is highly likely more than one brood; and more than one species of grasshoppers (differential, two-striped red-legged) laid eggs on your farm this fall.

As grasshopper outbreaks are cyclic and highly localized, it is important to consider if this was the first, second or third year of pressure on your farm. Please take a moment to read this instructional 1937 publication by George Gilbertson and H. C. Severin “Destroy Grasshopper Eggs’ on how to locate and destroy grasshopper eggs. It is quite informative.

In addition to sampling no-tilled crops followed by another no-tilled crop, sample along hedge rows, adjacent hay fields, and focus on patches of weeds that rarely get tilled. Access bare spots where alfalfa has done poorly and sample both for nematodes (which prey on grasshopper eggs) and grasshopper eggs below the alfalfa crowns. Some species also lay eggs in no-tilled grain stubble roots and associated weeds.

If you sprayed for grasshoppers this year, saw 10%, 20%, 30% crop defoliation, had significant seed damage from grasshopper feeding, or find exeptionally high egg mass counts, please send observations to melissa.bravo@njaes.rutgers.edu. Document what fields, what crop and cropping practices so that brood hatch can be anticipated and monitored next year.

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock