Local dairy farms to host Hoof Health Workshops

MALONE — A diverse mix of Northern New York dairy operations will be hosting the on-farm learning sessions of the 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Northern New York Dairy Institute Hoof Health Workshops that combine classroom and on-farm training organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The workshops will be offered Thursdays, Oct. 18, 25 and Nov. 1 and 8 at Franklin, Clinton and Essex County locations.

Herd sizes for the on-farm workshops range from 150-cow dairies to several-hundred-cow operations. Those enrolling for the first class will receive a free right- or left-handed hoof knife.

“With a mix of small and larger herd operations hosting these workshops on farms across Northern New York, participants will have the opportunity to keep up with the latest aspects of hoof health that are common to all operations as well as different management techniques used by the individual farms,” said Cornell Cooperative Extension dairy and livestock educator Ron Kuck.

Farms hosting programs for Franklin and Clinton counties are Carsada Farms in Malone, Vincent Farms in Malone, Miner Institute in Chazy and Hidden View Farm in Champlain. A one-day dairy hoof health workshop will be scheduled for Essex County later this fall.

Those interested in attending the programs may register for one session at $35 per session or for the series of four at $100 per series. FSA borrower credits are pending. Registration one week prior to each session is appreciated. To register in Clinton County, contact Kim Morrill, 564-0498, kmm434@cornell.edu; for Essex County, Anita Deming, 962-4810, ald6@cornell.edu; and for Franklin County, Rick Levitre, 483-7403, ral334@cornell.edu, or Harry Fefee, 483-7403, hnf9@cornell.edu.

This Northern New York Dairy Institute training series is made possible with funding from local and regional agribusiness and dairy farmers.

Ward Lumber to host Hog Harvest Seminar 

JAY — Ward Lumber is hosting a Hog Harvest Seminar for anyone who is interested in learning to harvest their own swine.

The seminar is being held on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ward Lumber in Jay. This seminar will demonstrate to the small farm a home-style hog slaughter and dressing.

The presenter is Courtney Grimes-Sutton, who is a young farmer and a butcher who can help participants approach the feat of getting a hog into the freezer. Grimes-Sutton got into farming by growing and marketing vegetables with friends in the Hudson Valley for a few years in her early 20s. She apprenticed with a blacksmith, went to industrial welding school and moved north to Essex Farm to try farming with draft horses. She was the butcher at Essex Farm for three and a half years and has moved on to her own family farm in Keeseville with her partner, Asa Thomas-Train, and friends and family.

Register by Oct. 6, and the cost is $20 per person. After that, the cost is $30 per person. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Lunch is included, using all local farm ingredients. For additional information and to register, go to www.WardLumber.com, email info@WardLumber.com or call Kim Coolidge at 946-2110, Ext. 120.

Drought-stricken farmers may replace livestock

ALBANY — Some farmers and ranchers in New York who previously were forced to sell livestock due to drought have an extended period of time in which to replace the livestock and defer tax on any gains from the forced sales, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Farmers who, due to drought, sell more livestock than they normally would may defer tax on the extra gains from those sales. To qualify, the livestock generally must be replaced within a four-year period. The IRS is authorized to extend this period.

The one-year extension of the replacement period generally applies to capital gains realized by eligible farmers and ranchers on sales of livestock held for draft, dairy or breeding purposes due to drought. Sales of other livestock, such as those raised for slaughter or held for sporting purposes, and poultry, are not eligible.

Details on this relief are available in Notice 2012-62 posted on www.IRS.gov. Details on reporting drought sales and other farm-related tax issues can be found in Publication 225, Farmer's Tax Guide, also available on the IRS web site.