When it comes to youth operating farm equipment, many adults will say, “I did it when I was a kid and nothing happened to me.” But that isn’t the story for everyone. This past summer, in Lancaster County, PA, two boys, ages 14 and 6, were together in a skid steer cleaning a barn. As the 14-year-old ...

The Northeastern Poultry Congress (NEPC) celebrated its 52nd year this January. People flocked to the free family-friendly show at the Eastern States Exposition Center in West Springfield, MA, to see and buy poultry. Karen MacPherson of Middleton, MA, is a volunteer and self-proclaimed enthusiastic ...

If you’ve ever made maple syrup you’re aware of the enormous amount of input necessary to make it. But you also know the sweet and sticky result is well worth it – especially on hot blueberry waffles. Some maple producers have upped their game by certifying their process as organic. One may think, “...

“Field research is a lot like fishing,” said Dr. Carl Heeder, DVM, at the 2025 Kemin Intestinal Health Symposium, a discussion on the direction of current research and a presentation on the state of the broiler industry. “You have to be willing to show up and be okay with disappointment. You have to...

Maine Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Amanda Beal recently dropped by a classroom of farmers and woodlot owners eager to learn about the challenges and opportunities of agroforestry at the 2026 Agricultural Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center. She noted that she and her husb...

Happy International Year of the Woman Farmer, farm family! If someone had told me a decade ago that there would be an International Year of the Woman Farmer, I likely would have said something to the effect of, “Well, that’s the most unnecessary, gender-discriminatory thing I’ve ever heard of.” Some...

My first contact with herbicide residue injuring field crops came in the 1970s, as an agronomy Extension agent. A farmer had me examine his alfalfa seeding that had a weird mortality pattern. He had planted corn two years earlier, fallowed the piece in question the next year, planting a legume seedi...

The words “I’m starting a dairy farm" are rare for current times, but Joe and Laura Garcia are doing just that. In Sanborton, NH, the 24-year-old couple has revitalized the family dairy farm into Swain's Legacy Farm. Between bottling their own milk, opening a farm store and raising additional commod...

There’s more to building a farm than obtaining acreage, lumber, fencing and equipment. Some of the first steps for new and beginning farmers include gathering information and obtaining a loan. “First is your state’s land grant Extension service,” said Chris Laughton, director of knowledge exchange, ...