Country Folks
Posted on April 8, 2026
Manure safety might seem like a boring, overdone topic, but that isn’t the case when farmers continue to die in manure-related accidents. In many cases, death is due to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) buildup in and around manure storage, spreaders and other handling equipment. Walter Grose has been working ...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 8, 2026
Are white mold and other soilborne diseases affecting your soybeans? Camilo Parada-Rojas, Ph.D., field crop pathologist with Cornell University, presented “Soybean Soilborne Disease Management and Research Priorities for Field Crops Pathology in New York” at the recent Soybeans & Small Grains Congre...
Country Folks
Courtney Llewellyn 
Posted on April 8, 2026
At a meeting of the Northeast Cover Crops Council, John Tooker, a Penn State entomologist, showed a photograph of a hay mower in southern Pennsylvania teeming with slugs – tens of thousands of slugs, maybe hundreds of thousands. A photograph of a corn planter taken in Illinois showed similar quantit...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 8, 2026
Growing the size of the dairy herd means looking at what to do with the additional manure. These considerations can affect both the farm and the environment. Jason Karszes, Lainey Koval and Kirsten Workman, all with Cornell PRO-DAIRY, discussed “Acres, Cows & Nutrients: Financial & Environmental Con...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 8, 2026
Like any farmer, soybean growers want to raise more to get ahead. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, said it’s possible to increase yields based upon past innovations, as no-till systems and Roundup Ready seeds fueled growth at a time whe...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments A13 
Posted on April 8, 2026
In March 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) pronounced judgment against the herbicide ingredient glyphosate. IARC said that glyphosate “probably causes cancer in humans.” Most of the pillars in the ag chemical community opposed that declarat...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on April 1, 2026
Water is often referred to as the most important nutrient. Providing beef cattle with clear and odorless water is a good first step in meeting nutritional requirements, but looks can be deceiving. In a recent presentation, Cheryl Waldner, DVM, Beef Cattle Council, Western College of Veterinary Medic...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
Posted on April 1, 2026
Maine has emerged as a national leader in researching and responding to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in agricultural land. While PFAS contamination has impacted dozens of Maine farms, even causing some to permanently cease operations, Duncan Pfaehler, a senior planner wit...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 1, 2026
Getting ready for the planting season can feel like going to war against weeds, pests and crop diseases. To help farmers gear up for battle, Matt Pinckney, Syngenta retail representative, presented “Maximizing Corn & Soybean Yields” at the recent A.N. Martin Open House. Based in Clyde, NY, A.N. Mart...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Post 
September 9, 2026
Farming is listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Add to this the financial uncertainty of the ...
News
by Laura Rodley 
September 1, 2026
Rod Wert has been growing Christmas trees since 1986. He named his operation Blue Ridge Christmas Tree Farm as it was in the Blue Ridge Mountains in P...
News
by Sally Colby 
September 1, 2026
The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), organized by USDA’s National Organic Program , has helped farmers navigate the transition proces...
News
by Enrico Villamaino 
September 1, 2026
A farm bonfire has a certain magic. Hayrides roll in from the fields, boots crunch across the ground and a crackling blaze gives families a warm place...