Country Folks, Dairy
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 Laura Rodley 
Posted on May 20, 2026
Sage Meadow Farm is a small goat dairy in Easthampton, MA, focused on sustainable, compassionate herd management and community giving. Owners Stan and Joseph McCoy have been offering charity-focused goat yoga – Caprine Vinyasa – since 2015. Stan said, “Every season’s classes are designed to be both ...
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, Dairy
by Andy Haman 
Posted on May 20, 2026
Change is inevitable in agriculture, but your operation can find success on the other side. The secret? Intentional strategy – not reactive moments. This was the key takeaway from a roundtable presentation at the 2026 Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit, reflected in the personal experiences of three ...
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, Crop Comments
Paris Reidhead 
Posted on May 20, 2026
Three years ago, Canadian wildfires were ramping up. The maximum impact was felt in the northern tier of the U.S. during the second week of June 2023. Firefighters scrambled to put out blazes in Quebec, where more than 160 forest fires were roaring. These fires were fueled by high temperatures and d...
Country Folks
by Laura Rodley 
Posted on May 13, 2026
Ben Nottermann of Snug Valley Farm in East Hardwick, VT, raises and sells grass-fed beef, meat from Duroc pigs and lamb, supplying local restaurants, butcher shops, food co-ops and other farmers that need more meat to carry under their own farm’s label. They sell online as well. After decades of far...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on May 13, 2026
If a liquid manure system eliminated agitation, saved fuel, increased manure value and created safer working conditions by eliminating deadly gases, would farmers be willing to try it? Farmers in Ireland tried it and liked it, and now farmers in the U.S. can benefit from a manure management system b...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on May 13, 2026
Is your farm just surviving or thriving? Chris Wilson, business manager at Wilson Family Organic Farms , pondered that question when he began working on the farm in 2017; however, with some major changes, the family turned it around. Wilson presented “Practical Systems, Real Returns: Dairy-Cropping ...
Country Folks
by Laura Rodley ilac Ridge Farm in Brattleboro offers Vermont?s 
June 3, 2026
Lilac Ridge Farm in Brattleboro offers Vermont’s first organic certified creemee, certified by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT). Th...
Country Folks
by Lee Mielke 
June 3, 2026
It’s June Dairy Month once again. Hopefully, that never changes. It’s been an annual reminder of one of the blessings America should be grateful for b...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
June 3, 2026
Maple Wind Farm is inoculating their winter-laying houses with Lactobacillus, a beneficial bacterium, to improve animal health. It’s an on-farm trial ...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
June 3, 2026
On most small farms, the difference between a peaceful night and a pasture full of panic can come down to one thing: a guardian animal you trust with ...