The demand for lamb is consistent but the supply is not. Because sheep are seasonal breeders, it’s difficult for farmers to supply lambs of consistent weight and quality throughout the year. Dr. Daniel Poole, Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, discussed several factors th...

CANASTOTA, NY – The bliss of autumn is the delight of watching the leaves in their final dance and enjoying the bucolic scene of grazing cows. It was the backdrop for a “casual” pasture walk at Nathan and Kristine Weaver’s 100% grass-fed organic dairy farm featuring Organic Valley’s veterinarian and...

Are your beef replacements developing their mammary glands too early? Are your cattle gestation lengths shorter than average? Have you seen any cases of intestinal hemorrhagic syndrome on your dairy farm? According to Gustavo Schuenemann, mycotoxins may be contributing to these health issues in your...

For beef producers, successfully engaging with your customer base is a real red meat issue. Danette Amstein is co-founder of Midan Marketing, a strategic marketing, research and creative agency that focuses solely on being champions for the value of meat. She has researched the beef consumer populat...

Every summer, Tales of the Cocktail lights up New Orleans by bringing in the brightest of the spirits and hospitality industries to talk all things cocktail. None of it would be possible, however, without the grains that serve as the basis for most alcohol – or the farmers who grow them. That’s why ...

Have you ever planted Kernza™? The Land Institute ’s variety of intermediate wheatgrass, in a collaboration with the University of Minnesota, introduced the perennial grain in 2001 and has been working to educate farmers on its uses. Ben Penner, owner of Ben Penner Farms in Minnesota, recently prese...

In their dedicated efforts to connect rural Americans across the country with existing mental health resources, Rural Minds recently partnered with the National Grange to present a webinar titled “Mental Health Benefits of Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise and Mindfulness.” In the first two parts of the Co...

In honor of National Farmers Day on Oct. 12, Country Folks decided to launch a new way of recognizing some of those who have graced our pages: the inaugural Farmer of the Year Award. We didn’t have to stray far from home to find our first recipient. Located just a mile and a half from the Lee Newspa...

Everything needs clean air. Improving air quality improves human and animal health and can help promote a positive image among the non-agricultural public. Dr. Jason Oliver, PRO-DAIRY Dairy Environmental Systems, Cornell University, discussed the air quality impacts of manure and other sources of re...

Last month, Horse Tales discussed buying your first horse and how to go about finding the “right” horse. Now that the horse is purchased and the dust has settled, the new horse keeper is finding out there are a lot of responsibilities that come along with it! The new horse, whether a youngster or ol...

There was a time when parents would sit their children down and teach them how to balance a checkbook. It was a simple enough rite of passage but learning to keep track of what was coming in and going out of a personal bank account could set a young person up for financial success. Nicolas Lindholm ...

Farmers and farm businesses are installing solar panels on buildings to cut energy costs. Although investing in solar or other green energy can be quite costly, a REAP grant can help. REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) grants award money to ag producers and rural small businesses for renewable ...

Country Folks Farm Progress Show sees a successful launch MOHAWK, NY – Continuing a local tradition, the Country Folks Farm Progress Show hosted a successful event on Sept. 15 and 16 – a strong partnership between local Amish vendors and regional equipment dealers and ag businesses. The local Amish ...

Robotic systems, also known as voluntary milking systems or VMS, are becoming more widely used in North America. Dr. Trevor Devries, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, said that with the rapid adoption of this technology, there should be benefits, including aspects that make rob...

Chemical, physical and biological: the three components of soil health share a codependent relationship, according to research presented by Ken Ferrie of Crop Tech Consulting. Ferrie presented at the New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association’s Summer Crop Tour recently. “Soil health is near and de...