Richard Weingart grew up on a dairy farm in North Franklin, CT. In 1986, after his father’s decision to take advantage of the government’s buy-out program, Richard, 27 years old at the time, found himself a farmer without a farm. In keeping with his agricultural background, Weingart sought out and a...

When there’s trouble during a calving, someone on the farm is usually willing and able to don an obstetric sleeve and help that cow safely deliver the calf. But the decision to assist a cow should be a part of careful observation skills and overall good cow sense. Penn State Extension Veterinarian D...

If you raise cows, don’t go rushing to diversify your herd with water buffalo. Although a bovine species, they can’t interbreed with cows or bison, they don’t graze in the same way and can’t be fed the same rations. They do best with access to water and mud, their horns serve to regulate body temper...

NEWPORT, VT — Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross held a listening session and talked with local farmers about agriculture issues. The two-hour session Dec. 3 was part of a series of meetings, the Secretary has been holding around the state. Ross had met with U.S. Senator Pat Leahy shortly b...

It isn’t easy to supply large amounts of fresh lamb year-round, but North Star Sheep Farm is doing just that. With about 825 ewes on four farms and a carefully planned breeding schedule, North Star is providing lamb to Whole Foods and New England chefs. “We were born into it and it’s part of our liv...

For four days in November the center of the horse world in the northeast was located on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA. From Nov. 7-10 the horse and its equine cousins held center stage as thousands of spectators attended demonstrations and lectures, visited ven...

Sometimes a farm’s buildings and land constitute its backbone, maintaining its taproot even while it no longer functions as a farm. A farm purchased in 1870 by the Williams family in Buckland, MA, with its landmark red barn, was actively farmed by the late Francis and Harry Williams until the 1960s....

At the invitation of the Woodstock, CT Agricultural Commission, Congressman Joe Courtney (D) Second Congressional District met with members of the Commission and interested citizens to give them an update on the status of the Farm Bill as it works its way through Congress. It is interesting to note ...

Since its inception, the Agvocate Program in northeastern Connecticut has introduced many new concepts and innovations to assist the farmers located in the Quiet Corner. A program is now being developed to provide young farmers with several forms of assistance that will enable them to start business...