January 7, 2026

Fooling Mother Nature

Dr. Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, recalls learning as a 4-H’er that young heifers should be developed to as much as 80% of their mature body weight at breeding. The result was heifers that looked good, but the program was too aggressive and not financially worthwhile.

Country Folks

McCray’s Light Stroll shines bright in memories

by Laura Rodley

January 7, 2026

Stephen McCray of McCray’s Farm in South Hadley, MA, has been ahead of the curve when it comes to agritourism. This was the fourth year that the farm ...

Country Folks

Reducing costs in organic pig production

by Sally Colby

January 7, 2026

Organic livestock production presents challenges, primarily in higher production costs, and pigs are no exception. Dr. Yuzhi Li, professor of animal s...

Country Folks

From the elbow down

Sally Colby

January 7, 2026

An assortment of specialized tendons, ligaments and bones in the arms and hands allows humans to perform amazing work. Farmers’ daily tasks often lead...

Country Folks

HR is vital to farm operations

by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

January 7, 2026

Human resources may seem like a department or set of duties for a business far different from your farm; however, it’s important to perform these task...