Country Folks
Posted on July 8, 2026
Small ruminants come up with a variety of reasons to have diarrhea. A change in feed, weather, stress or disease can result in a miserable animal with a messy hind end. One cause of diarrhea in young lambs and kids is coccidiosis, but by the time diarrhea is evident, the animal is likely already exp...
Country Folks
Horse Tales A7 Horse Tales A9 
Posted on July 8, 2026
Recently I learned a friend named Wendy had purchased her very first horse, and with it came a surprise that I needed to see. Her story was interesting, and we decided to meet this past weekend at the farm to talk while Wendy was doing the morning chores. She had first visited this farm in April 202...
Crop Comments
Courtney Llewellyn 
Posted on July 8, 2026
As I’m writing this column early on June 30, the weather forecast for the Utica area spotlighted this headline: “Dangerous heat to hit parts of U.S. ahead of July 4” – with worst hit areas being the Northeast. According to David Robinson, climatologist at Rutgers University, “A heat dome (hitting th...
Country Folks
tecnavia 
Posted on July 7, 2026
The American Milking Shorthorn Society brought its 2026 national breed convention to Cortland, NY. Four days of livestock showing, networking, recognition and a little bit of fun concluded with the National Sale at the Cortland County Fairgrounds on June 25. The National Junior Heifer Show took plac...
Country Folks
Courtney Llewellyn 
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 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...