Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
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
POULTRY Healthy poop, healthy birds
by Sally Colby 
Posted on April 1, 2026
There’s a lot to learn from looking at what comes out of the back end of poultry after digestion is complete. University of Maryland Eastern Shore Poultry Specialist Jennifer Timmons, Ph.D., shared insight to guide poultry owners on what to look for in droppings to maintain good flock health. Chicke...
Country Folks, Farmers First
Posted on April 1, 2026
Hello, farm family! Have you ever walked by a weedy bench and thought, “I’ll just pull a few weeds,” only to realize you then worked for over an hour? Me too. The positive side of that is that I got lots of weeds pulled rather than just a few. The drawback is I now have less time to do the other thi...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop
Posted on April 1, 2026
According to the American Meteorological Society’s Glossary, “Spring snow, also called corn snow or granular snow, is a coarse granular, wet snow, resembling finely chopped melted ice.” Wet snow falling on tall, sturdy trees can break branches; the problem is even worse on immature trees. With lanky...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on March 25, 2026
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) isn’t the primary news story today, but the virus is here to stay. Veterinarian Eric Gingerich, technical services specialist, Diamond V/Cargill, promotes biosecurity, but he’s hoping for vaccine approval. Gingerich recently provided an HPAI review and an upd...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on March 25, 2026
Can AI help your farm’s workforce development? Wolfgang Heuweiser, DVM, Ph.D., professor and director of Quality Milk Production Services in the Department of Population Medicine & Diagnostic Sciences in Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, presented on the topic as part of Cornell’s “Boots in ...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby Think A8 
Posted on March 25, 2026
In a presentation hosted by Bal Chem, Andrew Rose of the nonprofit organization Bioeconomy Information Sharing & Analysis Center (BIO-ISAC), discussed a critical and timely question: Could your operation survive a cyberattack? Rose refers to himself as an “accidental expert” in cybersecurity. He was...
Gardening Farming
Courtney Llewellyn 
May 4, 2026
Trees are very important to our world. They help with landscape aesthetics, shade, food production, wildlife habitat and much more. Now is a great tim...
Events
Courtney Llewellyn 
May 2, 2026
The Adirondack Railroad Beer & Wine Trains are getting ready to roll in for a new season. In addition to the Utica Beer & Wine Train, two new offering...
Lifestyle
Courtney Llewellyn 
April 30, 2026
Great nature photography doesn’t start with expensive gear – it starts with paying better attention. In just 15 minutes, you can train your eye, sharp...
Lifestyle
by Sam Mazotta 
April 28, 2026
Dear Paw’s Corner: I want to take my 2-year-old dog Halley on hikes this summer, but I’m terrified that she will get Lyme disease. What will happen to...