Country Folks
Posted on August 19, 2026
Cows don’t ask for a lot. Ample high-quality fresh feed and water along with a comfortable resting place covers much of what they need. However, there’s new evidence that the fresh feed aspect, including particle length, is more complex. During a recent Balchem Real Science presentation, Dr. Rick Gr...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
Posted on August 19, 2026
“One thing I’m not going to tell you today is that as a founder or as a producer that you need to start recording more videos and being on social media more. I recognize that everyone’s busy," said Mallory Seargeant, a marketing strategist and founder of Ramper Creative . Rather, Seargeant emphasize...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on August 19, 2026
Every farm has flies. The issue is what kind, how many, where and their impact on livestock. Veterinarian David Prentice recently presented information on fly control for farms for the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association . Prentice began with fly basics: Fly reproduction is consistent among species, but...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on August 19, 2026
Throughout their lives, farmers inhale a lot of dust. Field work, feed handling, working in enclosed spaces and other routine farm tasks result in dust inhalation. The type of dust, length of exposure and other factors determine the degree of risk. Tara Nordgren, Ph.D., associate professor, Universi...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
Posted on August 19, 2026
Today it may seem like there’s a stark contrast between town and countryside; however, there has never been a hard line where civilization begins and wilderness ends. A subtle line always connects the largest city to the deepest forest. Agroforestry enters this conversation not as nostalgia or radic...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments B5 
Posted on August 19, 2026
Dietitians tell us that a person consuming an 8-oz. glass of cow’s milk is ingesting approximately 232 mg of phosphorus (P), a nutrient vital for bone health, energy metabolism and cellular function. Taking these numbers further, I calculate that approximately 1 lb. of elemental P departs the farm i...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on 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 halfway mark in 2026. Goodling’s information was based on the 2025 Northeast Dairy Farm Summary and 2026 Mid-year Outlook. Summary input is based primar...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on August 12, 2026
Anyone thinking about a manure digester might envision a massive unit on a large livestock farm. Matt Steiman, assistant farm manager at Dickinson College, explained that isn’t the case at the Carlisle, PA, farm. “This is a unique system,” Steiman said. “Most digesters are on large farms with 500 co...
Country Folks, Farmers First
Posted on August 12, 2026
What sort of taxes do you pay in your farm life? Chances are you’re familiar with the more common taxes: income, sales, payroll, property, self-employment, inheritance. But what about the switch tax? I only recently learned about the switch tax from one of my podcast guests, and it’s much more costl...
News
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin Interactive 25 
August 1, 2026
Well-planned farm tours can be mutually beneficial for schoolchildren and the farms they visit. Students gain insight into where their food comes from...
News
by Enrico Villamaino Preventing 19 
August 1, 2026
Poinsettias may be the poster plant of the holiday season, but behind those brilliant bracts lies a production process packed with potential pitfalls....
News
Photo courtesy of Glenn Card
by Laura Rodley 
August 1, 2026
Location is everything. Greenwood Tree Farm is just 25 miles from Boston. Families return every year as a Christmas tradition to choose and cut their ...
News
by Enrico Villamaino 
August 1, 2026
At the most recent Great Lakes Expo , a team comprised of Hannah Cushman, Alex Engelsma, Alaina Cavin, Rebecca Grumet, Randolph Beaudry, Ning Jiang an...