Cooperative Extension: Livestock

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu In This Issue Cover Crop Termination What the FDA’s Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) rule means for Maine’s Dairy Producers Cover Crop Termination (Adapted From UVM crops and Soils team) Over these past summer-like days, undoubtedly you’ve seen some rye growth! So now is definitely […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu In This Issue 2016 New England Dairy Travel Course 12th Annual MGFN Conference — Last Call 2016 New England Dairy Travel Course By David Marcinkowski University of Maine On January 5, 2016, thirty-four students from four New England colleges participated in the New England […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu In This Issue Take time to think about three things to improve your farm business Maine Dairy Seminar — March 15 in Waterville 2016 Maine Grain Conference — March 23, 2016 2015 Tax time … What’s new? Take time to think about three things […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu Welcome to the New Year! Please help us reach more dairy farmers and your employees! Cows and Crops is now available in a new online format. To receive email announcements when new issues become available, fill out our Cows & Crops Subscription Form. In […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu I was lucky enough to time my trip to the Netherlands with one of the largest farm shows in the world: “Eurotier” in Hanover, Germany. Of course I thought I could visit the show for a day and gather in all the sights and […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu There is nothing comparable to experiencing some comfort food from your childhood. I was able to do that recently when I visited the Netherlands and saw “krokettn” and “bitterballen” on the restaurant menu. Both of these delicacies are the same, except for their shape […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu No, not a story about a PBS comedy series, but more about dairy farms in the Netherlands and the public perception of those farms. So, during the last two weeks, I visited more than 25 different dairy farms in the Netherlands, including bio-dynamic, organic, […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu So my visit to the Netherlands has been an education for the scared traveler from Maine. Not only have I experienced driving in Holland, but have witnessed some of the worst traffic jams I have ever seen—but no scared selfies from me, just lots […]

By Rick Kersbergen, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.kersbergen@maine.edu “Cows and Crops” was the title of a newsletter that used to be produced by dairy specialists when I first began my Extension career. When I was in school, I thought that the information and the experiences that were shared by the Extension team […]