Country Folks
Posted on March 18, 2026
The first few weeks of a heifer’s life matter – a lot. Adam Beard, Ph.D. with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, presented “Early Calf Management: Key Influence on Heifer Development” as part of Cornell’s ongoing “Boots in the Barn” webinar series. Beard discussed the developmental...
Country Folks
by Enrico Villamaino 
Posted on March 18, 2026
The 2025 Irrigation Show & Education Week brought together growers, consultants and tech tinkerers hungry for tools that can stretch every drop. In the middle of the bustle, Dr. Stacia L. Davis Conger, state irrigation specialist and associate professor of irrigation engineering at LSU’s AgCenter, d...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on March 18, 2026
In the past, income from the sale of wool from annual sheep shearing was sufficient to pay for the flock’s feed for the year. Today, that’s no longer the case for most who raise sheep. But Diana Dougherty and Gabriella Nanci bucked the trend and found ways to make a profit with wool. Dougherty raise...
Country Folks
by Deborah J. Sergeant 
Posted on March 18, 2026
Farmers rely on weather forecasts to know when to plant, spray and harvest. Forecasting can also help predict poor health in the herd. Jackson A. Seminara, Ph.D., presented “Forecasting Performance: How Clues from Blood, Milk & Sensors Can Predict Unfortunate Outcomes in Multiparous Cows” as part of...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on March 18, 2026
High-oleic soybeans were introduced commercially in 2012 but weren’t widely grown outside of Indiana and Ohio until recently. According to the United Soybean Board , there are some good reasons farmers should consider planting high-oleic (HO) soybeans, including no yield drag, solid domestic demand,...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Posted on March 18, 2026
In 1972, then-President Richard Nixon expressed great worry that most of America’s supply of imported oil could become quite vulnerable to a strangle-hold focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Such a constriction could be enacted by our adversaries in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz is approximatel...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on March 11, 2026
University of Wisconsin Biological Systems Engineer Dr. Joseph Sanford recently discussed the types and benefits of manure separation during the university’s Separator Week. Manure separation efficiency can be improved with storage, added treatments such as sand and/or solid removal, digestion and o...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on March 11, 2026
With all eyes still on avian influenza, it’s easy to forget about another disease that’s inching closer to the U.S. Nearly everyone who raises pigs should be familiar with the possibility of African swine fever (ASF) eventually arriving in the U.S. With approved biosecurity measures in place, produc...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments A12 
Posted on March 11, 2026
I have begun rewatching the TV series “Band of Brothers.” The series’ title comes from William Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” There’s an underlying agricultural theme to the English bard’s play. That theme supports the military overtones of a 15th century battle that occurred Oct. 25, 1415. That military ...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
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. H...
Country Folks, Events
by Troy Bishopp, Northeast NatGLC Regional Grazing Manager 
June 24, 2026
News outlets jump at a chance to film mysterious, celestial, crop circles and wax paranormal about their meaning. I wish they showed the same enthusia...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
June 24, 2026
“Workplace culture” seems like a term for boardrooms, not bunk silos and milking parlors. But the right atmosphere in agriculture can make a differenc...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments A13 
June 24, 2026
About a month after the Strait of Hormuz blockade began, a farmer named Ken called me, asking me to formulate fertilizers for his small cropping opera...