Country Folks
Posted on July 1, 2026
Nearly everyone has heard of a Rhode Island Red chicken, but what about the Rhode Island White? While some non-ag people are familiar with the Araucana, or Easter egg chicken, do they know about the Spitzhauben? Delaware, Dominique and Dorking chickens may share the first letter of their names, but ...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
Posted on July 1, 2026
Will farmers, nonprofits, ag service providers and other rural organizations across America be kissing their federal funding goodbye before 2027? The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) published a new rule in the Federal Register on May 29 to allow them to change the terms of a loan agreement after...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on July 1, 2026
Many communities and individuals are concerned about data center development, but Jenna Ruddock, instructor at Washington College of Law, says there’s positive momentum in organizing to fight data centers. “Individual moratoriums have bought time when time was at a premium,” Ruddock said. “Moratoriu...
Country Folks, Farmers First
Enough A4 
Posted on July 1, 2026
“Enough is enough!” When I was young, those three little words – usually bellowed by one of the Dame patriarchs – always made me freeze. Nothing else needed to be said. The message came through loud and clear: No more talking. No more jumping. No more running. Close your mouth. Sit still. Stop. Who ...
Country Folks, Forestry
by Sally Colby 
Posted on July 1, 2026
Most who own forested land have never dealt with trespassers who willingly go onto private property and cut trees, but it happens often enough that states have strict laws to handle the problem. Ross Pifer, professor of law and director of Penn State’s Center for Ag & Shale Law , recently presented ...
Country Folks
by Andy Haman 
Posted on July 1, 2026
“’There’s money in the account’ is not an effective business strategy,” Penn State Extension’s Carla Snyder joked during a recent “Lunch & Learn.” As a farm business owner, it’s important to know the status of every cent of cold, hard cash, not just your assets or investments. Effective planning can...
Country Folks, News
Courtney Llewellyn 
Posted on July 1, 2026
Although it has not made its way to the Northeast, New World screwworm (NWS) has made inroads in the U.S. with 15 confirmed cases as of June 24. The Northeast Dairy Producers Association and New York Farm Bureau recently presented a webinar on the parasite to help keep producers vigilant. Panelists ...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Posted on July 1, 2026
My favorite local honey is buckwheat-based. Honey consumers typically believe that the human health benefits of this food are greater if the beehives are situated near where that consumer lives. Bears appear to share this mindset. Honeybees are critical for the pollination of this plant species, whi...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on June 24, 2026
Small ruminants have some challenging health issues. One problem occurs almost exclusively in males and can be deadly. In a recent presentation, Dr. Heather Glennon, North Carolina small ruminant Extension specialist, discussed urinary calculi. This is a serious issue in wethers and is also referred...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
August 12, 2026
A 4-H’er since he was a boy, Travis Clark, 14, from Rushville, won Grand Champion 4-H Market Animal with his Simmental steer at the recent Ontario Cou...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
August 12, 2026
We joke about the weather in New York always changing, but when you have a farm to run it’s not always a laughing matter. Sometimes our weather patter...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
August 12, 2026
Rob Goodling, business consultant for Farm Credit East, recently provided information on what the dairy industry can expect as producers passed the ha...
Country Folks
by Edith Tucker 
August 12, 2026
Jaime Garzon, Ph.D., an assistant Extension professor and dairy forage educator, University of Maine at Orono, recently led a pasture walk on an organ...