Tag: farmer

New Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator Joins NYS IPM

Greetings!  I’m Jaime Cummings, the new Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator at NYS IPM. My job? To work with field crop and livestock farmers on more than 3 million acres statewide who grow corn, hay, and other field crops and contribute to New York’s livestock industry. These farmers know all too well the problems that…Continue Reading New Field Crops and Livestock Coordinator Joins NYS IPM

The Invasive of the Month Is … (Drum Roll)

Drum Roll: The Spotted Lanternfly Southeastern Pennsylvania, the epicenter of spotted lanternfly’s arrival in 2014, might seem far enough away to give us in New York prep time for dealing with this new pest, a weak flyer that usually hops to get around. But with the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula—and SLF for short), all bets…Continue Reading The Invasive of the Month Is … (Drum Roll)

So many acres, so little time: IPM’s answer to where the pests are

It might not look that way from your car window, but farmland covers 23 percent of New York. It’s the foundation of New York’s multi-billion-dollar agricultural economy—one that benefits all of us, no matter where we live. Most of that cropped land? It’s in field crops: corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and the like. (These crops sustain…Continue Reading So many acres, so little time: IPM’s answer to where the pests are

Climate, Weather, Data: Change Is the Name of the Game

Nearly two years ago, NYS IPM convened “Climate, Weather, Data,” a statewide conference focused on pests and our changing climate. Because it’s here. It’s real. So … what will a shifting climate mean for our farms and forests, our parks and gardens? We brought together researchers, crop consultants, farmers, and more from New York and…Continue Reading Climate, Weather, Data: Change Is the Name of the Game

Planning for pollinators: No time like now

$1.15 billion. That’s what the 450 species of wild pollinators that call New York home contribute to our agricultural economy each year. But we’ve seen alarming declines in pollinators of every stripe and color. Some are bees and wasps. Others are flies and butterflies (and on the night shift, moths). Their loss is worrisome to…Continue Reading Planning for pollinators: No time like now

Hops on top

Sometimes on a snowy evening there’s fine company to be had with good friends and a six-pack from your local brewery. So settle back and take a moment to savor what it took to get you there. Long ago yet close to home — the mid 19th through the early 20th centuries — New York…Continue Reading Hops on top

Pollinators, awards — and IPM

Just one short week ago, we celebrated the College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University’s Outstanding Accomplishments in Extension and Outreach Award. This award honors a team effort that benefits an important segment of the population or area of the state. New York, like the rest of the world, is highly dependent on the…Continue Reading Pollinators, awards — and IPM

In praise of messiness

PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 | Courtesy Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County KEMPTVILLE, ONTARIO. — On my twice-monthly drive on Highway 416 between Prescott and Ottawa, I pass the sign for Kemptville, a town of about 3,500 which lies roughly 40 km north of the St. Lawrence. It has a rich history, and no…Continue Reading In praise of messiness

35,500 western bean cutworms later, it’s a record year for IPM in corn

Got a sweet tooth for sweetcorn? You’re in good company. So should you hear rumors on the wind about wormy sweetcorn — or field corn or dry beans (the kind you put in your soup kettle) and you’re curious about what’s behind them, here’s the scoop: The western bean cutworm (just call it “WBC”), a…Continue Reading 35,500 western bean cutworms later, it’s a record year for IPM in corn

Abandoned fields: Weedy disaster or IPM opportunity?

Farmers across New York have been struggling with the overabundance of rain this year — meaning that some cornfields never got planted. The result? Weeds have really taken off. So what? If there’s no crop for weeds to compete with, what’s the danger? Weeds make seeds, lots of seeds, which could cause a disaster in…Continue Reading Abandoned fields: Weedy disaster or IPM opportunity?