Ag Alternatives - Beef Cow-Calf Production
Joan Sinclair Petzen, Farm Business Management
Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops
The first summarizes the costs and returns of a cow-calf enterprise using a feeding program of hay and pasture, and the second summarizes the costs and returns of a cow-calf enterprise using a feeding program of silage and pasture. There are several different ways of starting a commercial beef cow-calf herd:
- buying heifers of either weaning or breeding age
- purchasing an entire cow herd
- purchasing individual cows from established herds.
From Penn State Extension's Ag Alternatives Fact Sheets: Beef Cow - Calf Production
Dairy
Livestock
Grazing
Forages
Grains
Upcoming Events
2026 Soybean & Small Grains Congress
February 11, 2026
Henrietta, NY
Participant Registration for the 2026 Soybean & Small Grains Congress NOW OPEN!
2026 Forage Congress
March 12, 2026
Nunda, NY
Due to the unprecedented winter storm that recently impacted travel conditions across the region and U.S., combined with extreme cold temperatures and associated safety concerns, Forage Congress was postponed out of an abundance of caution. This decision was made with the safety of our participants, speakers, staff, and venue partners as the highest priority.
We are pleased to officially announce that Forage Congress has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2026, and will be held at The Nunda Ranch as originally planned.
Address: 2278-NY 436, Nunda, New York 14517
Sponsorship opportunities, vendor participation, and event registration are now open. We are excited to reconvene this important educational program and look forward to welcoming producers, industry partners, and speakers for a full day of applied, research-based forage systems programming.
From Dry to Fresh: Transition Cow Management Training
March 12, 2026
Albion, NY
This is a 1-day hands-on training in transition cow management offered in English and Spanish.