Country Folks
Posted on April 22, 2026
What can we learn about high-yield wheat from the UK? Plenty, according to panelists at the recent Soybean & Small Grains Congress hosted by New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association. The panelists were Dwight Bartle from Brown City, MI; Allan Thompson from Caledon, ON, Canada; and Brandon Blain f...
Country Folks
by Andy Haman 
Posted on April 22, 2026
“We embrace our diversity; it makes us a stronger organization at every level.” This message anchored a Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Summit session this year, led by three different people in different facets of the industry. Presenter Kate Turcotte is an artisan cheesemaker of more than 20 y...
Country Folks
by Hannah Majewski 
Posted on April 22, 2026
Hannah Wieboldt of Orange County is doing her part to support Empire State dairy farmers as the 2026-27 NYS Dairy Ambassador. As an ambassador, Wieboldt will have the opportunity to be an “agvocate” for her local farmers and share their stories with the rest of the world. Wieboldt’s passion for dair...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 22, 2026
Using robots for milking focuses on reducing labor costs; however, it can also increase precision in herd management, according to Trevor DeVries, University of Guelph. He presented “Harnessing Individual Cow Traits & Responses in Automated Milking Systems” at the recent Herd Health & Nutrition Conf...
Country Folks
Crop
Posted on April 22, 2026
The dynamics of fertilizer economics is not boring. Four years ago, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine seriously impacted the world’s natural gas (methane) playing field. Russia controls most of Europe’s natural gas resources. In 2022, Russia shut off Ukraine’s natural gas supply, trying to fre...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
Posted on April 15, 2026
"There are horror stories from people about leases going bad. Often, when you dig deeper, it was a verbal agreement or it was a lease agreement that wasn’t written very clearly or didn’t have a lot of protections built into it,” said Jae Silverman. Silverman is the Massachusetts field agent for Land...
Country Folks
Part 1: Cyberthreats are real
by Sally Colby 
Posted on April 15, 2026
Part 1: Cyberthreats are real The reality of cybercrime for livestock farms is almost too easy. Most farms have internet access, which means they are tied to international supply chains, making them vulnerable. Andrew Rose, of the nonprofit Bioeconomy Information Sharing & Analysis Center (BIO-ISAC)...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 15, 2026
As a growing body of research indicates, nitrogen fixing microbials may not help farmers significantly improve their corn yields. Dr. Charlie White, soil fertility and nutrient management at Penn State, presented “Nitrogen Fixing Microbials for Corn: What We’ve Learned from Four Years of Field Trial...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 15, 2026
Boosting the quality of forage can directly affect a farm’s bottom line. Jessica Williams, marketing manager for green harvesting for Massey Ferguson North American, presented “Optimizing Forage Quality in Harvested Forages” as part of the recent Cornell Organic Field Crops & Dairy Conference hosted...
Lifestyle
by Sam Mazotta 
August 3, 2026
Dear Paw's Corner: Walking around the farmers market this weekend, I confronted several people who brought their dogs into the market despite clear si...
Lifestyle
Andy Haman 
August 2, 2026
Home renovations are a significant part of homeownership. Naturally, people want to make their own personal marks on the homes they buy and ensure tha...
Andy Haman 
July 31, 2026
The phrase “dog days of summer” refers to the period between July 3 and Aug. 11. The Farmer’s Almanac notes the phrase refers to a period of time when...
Lifestyle
Andy Haman 
July 29, 2026
Even as summer winds down, there tends to be plenty of time to reap the rewards of backyard gardens and warm-weather entertaining. Refreshing salads a...