Ruminant stomachs have four compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum and the abomasum. Rumen microbes ferment feed and produce volatile fatty acids, which is the cow’s main energy source.

Masked hunters are given this name because the immature masked hunter carries dust and debris on its body to camouflage itself. They may appear as walking piles of dust and fluff. It is similar to the ...

Monitoring the transition dairy cow helps producers to recognize signs of trouble before it starts. The transition period is 60 days before calving and 30 days after calving. Transition cow management ...

Healthy garden soil with earthworms and worm burrows. Soil is so much more than dirt. Soil is a living ecosystem—a large community of living organisms linked together through nutrient cycles and ...

There are many ways to help protect Minnesota waters against aquatic invasive species. Extension and the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center organize statewide volunteer programs that ...

Since 1999, the University of Minnesota has been evaluating, selecting and screening elms for use in Minnesota. They have studied thousands of elms from many varieties. All trees listed below should ...

Home Managing a farm Safety Growing safe food FSMA and the Produce Safety Rule: Does the rule apply to me? The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule is federal food safety ...

White-tailed deer feed on gardens, landscape plants and trees, and agricultural crops. Deer damage has a rough or torn appearance. It does not look cleanly clipped. Deer damage is more likely when ...

Don’t use black walnut shavings for horse bedding. Toxicity signs include stocking up, warm hooves, founder and colic. If your horse starts showing these signs, remove them from the contaminated ...

Flowering rush is a prohibited invasive species. It is illegal to possess, import, purchase, transport, or introduce these species (including hybrids or cultivars) except under a permit or statutory ...

Birds are subject to heat stress when the air temperature and humidity uncontrollably increase their core body temperature. Heat stress can result in panting, increased water intake and eventually ...

Reduced soil erosion, fuel use, time and labor. Building soil organic matter. Improved soil structure. Maintaining options for soil warm up and dry down in the spring months. Conversely, the ...