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when doing it all becomes too much – Farm and Dairy

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10 cows to no cows: when doing it all becomes too much – Farm and Dairy

The Oravetses started by incorporating some of the Sampsons milk in with theirs during the summer.

The Sampsons were open to doing extra testing on their herd and breeding for different milk components in their herd. That sort of cooperation and willingness to work with each other sold Rebecca on the deal.

The Oravetses sold their cows in July and jumped on board fully with the Sampsons.

It’s helped the Sampsons to have a second market for their milk. They also sell to Minerva airy, where the milk price follows the federal milk marketing order.

“It adds stability to our whole scenario,ȁ Adriann said. “With JP and Rebecca, we agreed on a set price, and that’s what it is.ȁ

or the Oravetses, things haven’t slowed down any, but they feel like they’re getting their feet back under them. They still have horses and are raising more pigs than before. They’re catching up on sleep, just a little bit, and on projects that got put off.

They still have to drive half an hour to the Sampsons to fill up milk cans every day. But it’s still less time than it would be spent milking, cleaning equipment, managing manure and doing the other care dairy cows require

Heavy Storms Can Contribute a Big Chunk of Nitrogen Pollution from Midwest Farms – Daily Yonder

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Heavy Storms Can Contribute a Big Chunk of Nitrogen Pollution from Midwest Farms – Daily Yonder

My work as a quantitative ecologist examines how ecosystems respond to external factors such as adding nitrogen. In a recently published study, I worked with colleagues to quantify nitrogen runoff from land into rivers and streams. We found that infrequent but heavy rainfall events account for one-third of annual total runoff and nitrogen leaching from soils across the Mississippi Basin. This tells us that managing nitrogen is likely to be more challenging if climate change continues to make heavy rains more frequent.

A first-generation farmer growing a niche farm business in a pandemic year | Successful Farming

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A first-generation farmer growing a niche farm business in a pandemic year | Successful Farming

When Scott Thellman took a job at a local sweet corn farm when he was in junior high, he never imagined it would lead him to farming full-time on his own. From that summer on, he was going to do whatever he needed to, to make his new dream a reality.

The 30-year-old now farms on his first-generation farm of 1,200 acres of hay, alfalfa, row crops and 40 acres of a variety of fruits and vegetables outside of Lawrence, Kansas.

“When I realized I wanted to farm, I started saving up money,” says Thellman. “I was able to save enough to purchase a mower, rake, and baler throughout high school, and that turned into a fairly sizable hay operation by the time I graduated.”