Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Posted on June 3, 2026
In a video clip filmed in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a 4WD truck grew mired. Its 60 PSI tires dug deeper and deeper, rendering the vehicle helpless as its operator tried to back away from the mess. The narrator reduced tire pressure to 15 PSI, enabling the truck to easily back out of its sand tra...
Country Folks, Dairy
by Joseph Armstrong 
Posted on May 27, 2026
Giant farms dominate the dairy landscape. According to Jon Winsten with the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), the last 20 years have seen a 63% decrease in the number of farms, but overall milk production has risen by 28% – with massive farms driven to produce more and more milk ...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on May 27, 2026
Nearly everyone looks forward to retirement, and many anticipate collecting Social Security. However, planning is essential. Paula Ledney, Penn State Extension program specialist, retirement planning and business management, explained, “Social Security is a federal program that provides retirement b...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on May 27, 2026
Herbicide resistance is an increasing problem for soybean growers. Resistance leaves fewer tools for operators to combat weeds. Vipan Kumar, Ph.D., presented “Integrated Weed Management Strategies in New York Soybean Production” at the recent Soybean & Small Grains Congress hosted by Northwest New Y...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments A7 
Posted on May 27, 2026
According to Dan Quinn, Purdue University agronomist, examining corn ears from your fields helps estimate what yield might be. Examining corn ears prior to harvest helps growers visualize how the corn plant was impacted by different factors throughout the growing season, and why their yields may be ...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
Posted on May 20, 2026
“Are the PFAS in pesticides contaminating our land and water? Unfortunately, there really isn’t enough research yet to give us a firm answer,” said Faith Cullens-Nobis, an Extension educator with Michigan State University. Despite the lack of a firm answer, Cullens-Nobis thinks farmers need more inf...
Country Folks, Dairy
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on May 20, 2026
What you feed the herd affects both herd health and milk composition. Kevin Harvatine, Ph.D., professor of nutritional physiology and chair in Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, presented “Fatty Acids & Milk Components: Optimizing Milkfat Yield” as part of the recent Herd Health & Nutrition Confer...
Country Folks
by Cheryl Bruce, Senior Consultant, Agricultural Consulting Services 
Posted on May 20, 2026
The title above sounds like it could be the set-up for a joke: A farmer, a logger and a lobsterman walk into a bar… Instead, this was part of the conference schedule at the Northeast Dairy Management Conference, co-hosted by PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) , which too...
Country Folks
Horse Tales
Posted on May 20, 2026
Buying a horse is an exciting experience, but also requires caution, careful planning and research, especially when purchasing your first horse. First, determine what you can afford to pay and stay within that number. Horses are expensive to keep and will require money to be budgeted for daily upkee...
Country Folks, Dairy
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
June 17, 2026
“We want to identify what are the top management practices that explain the best milk quality in organic dairy farms,” said Carlos Nino de Guzman, a d...
Country Folks, Dairy
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant ommercial dairy herds are increasing both 
June 17, 2026
Commercial dairy herds are increasing both in profitable milk components and in overall yields. Does this mean cows should be challenged with more nut...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
June 17, 2026
“The famous quote about food hubs is when you’ve seen one food hub, you’ve seen one food hub. They’re like snowflakes,” said Katelyn Porter of the New...
Country Folks, Dairy
by Sally Colby 
June 17, 2026
Mary, Javier and Lorrie handle moving cows and milking at Cool Beans Dairy. Mary attaches milking units immediately after wiping udders dry while Javi...