On Jan. 5, 2023, an Instagram Reel (a short-form video on the Instagram social media platform) I made surpassed 2 million plays. Essentially “going viral” for the ol’ grass-whispering farmer . My farmer friends asked “How much is that worth?” Zilch. Doing it for fun releases the pressure for money a...

There’s a great article by Tara Parker-Pope that ran in the New York Times on the science behind hobbies and choosing a hobby. The long and the short of it: it’s enriching for your mental and emotional and physical health. And January is National Hobby Month! An article from the Mental Health Extens...

In what I find to be a hilarious case of “what goes around, comes around,” during the holiday season I have noticed online retailers sending out physical, glossy-papered catalogues so kids could circle with real pens, pencils and crayons what they wished for. That Toys ‘R’ Us mailer was always a hit...

We know it’s a bit cliché, but seriously, doesn’t everybody love bacon? Just thinking about it means you can imagine its unique aroma filling your nostrils. Maybe you can even pretend to taste it on your tongue. Our sense of smell is the only one of our senses that allows us to observe the past. Rem...

I don’t remember the first Christmas season that I tried eggnog. I was a bit of a picky eater as a child, so I’m imagining it wasn’t too early on. Once I tried it, I was hooked. It’s like Christmas in a cup. And it’s celebrated on Dec. 24 with National Eggnog Day! Most of the store-bought eggnogs ar...

The winter solstice is often (but not always) on Dec. 21, bringing us to one of the key turning points of our year. From this point forward, the days will be getting longer instead of shorter. Winter is just beginning, but spring is in sight. Along with bringing the longest night, the winter solstic...

Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year-old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington, D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible i...

During the holidays, poinsettias show off in shades of red, pink and cream. They’ve been hybridized to decorate our homes during a season when the garden outdoors is fast asleep. Most people treat them as a holiday plant to be enjoyed for a limited time then disposed of, but that doesn’t have to be....

Mistletoe may be a welcome holiday sight when hung over a doorway if a loved one is near. Still, it can be an unwelcome intruder when found in your trees, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist. “Mistletoe is a hemiparasite – a semi-parasitic plant,” said Allison Watkins,...

Although not as commonly seen in rural regions as they are in more urban areas, feral cats – those that are most definitely not house pets – serve important roles. These wandering felines are often great mousers and keep the pest population down. A “barn cat” might be considered feral, and that’s ok...

Snow flurries and winter storms can be unpredictable and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) encourages home and business owners to prepare in advance before bad weather hits. “Outdoor power equipment like snow throwers can make quick work of a big job,” said OPEI President and CEO Kris Kis...

In honor of National Horse Day, I had the opportunity to sit down with Tina Krieger, former manager of Country Folks Mane Stream (the equine-focused sister publication of Country Folks , our flagship and agriculturally-focused trade paper), life-long horse owner and our resident expert on anything w...

Cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats and chickens are still the most common forms of livestock in the U.S. but llamas deserve some love too. The ancestors of llamas are believed to have originated from the Great Plains of North America around 40 million years ago. However, they migrated to South America...

The National Garden Bureau has deemed 2023 the Year of the Amaryllis. The Amaryllis you decorate your home with during the winter holidays is a Hippeastrum. A member of the genus Amaryllidaceae, Hippeastrum bulbs are native to Central and South America and include 90 species and over 600 cultivars. ...

Did you know there are 1.3 million registered snowmobiles in the U.S.? And that the economic impact of the snow machines is around $26 billion annually? Snowmobiling is a big deal if you live in a region fortunate enough to receive enough snow to make the season happen. According to the Internationa...