Sometimes Olivia Jennrich is dressed in barn attire. Sometimes her choice is casual clothes for a college class. She also wears a tiara. Jennrich was raised in Jefferson, WI, and although she didn’t grow up on a farm, she spent a lot of time on her grandparents’ dairy farm. “My grandparents, along w...

Imagine a guest at your winery breaks an ankle on uneven ground. Or a severe thunderstorm rolls in during an evening corn maze. Or a foodborne illness concern is reported on social media. Stacey Stearns, a communications specialist for UConn Extension, wants agritourism operations to have an emergen...

Let’s go back to late February 2026, when we saw military action between Iran and the U.S. Transportation of Middle East crude oil, through the Strait of Hormuz, was becoming very sluggish. Artificially reduced crude oil supply, destined for the U.S., forced oil prices past $100/barrel in early Marc...

When you pass away, what happens to the farm? If you simply think “the kids” will figure it out with ease after you pass, you’re dead wrong. USDA Census reports indicate that about 70% of family farms will change hands within the next 20 years, but of those, only 30% will remain in the family. The t...

At a presentation sponsored by the National Agricultural Law Center , lawyer Audry Thompson from the Penn State Center for Agricultural & Shale Law discussed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations for minors employed on farms. Passed in 1938, the FLSA established federal minimum standards f...

In horse racing, the final stretch is the last straightaway of the track leading to the finish line. I like to compare growing seasons to horse races. Much of the corn in the Northeast has been affected by drought, suffering lower starch build-up levels due to less water during July. But, of late, m...

The annual Hoover Manure Expo held this summer in Chambersburg, PA, featured a panel of manure handlers who discussed in-season manure application as well as challenges with winter spreading. Eric Rosenbaum, Rosetree Consulting , moderated a panel that included dairy farmers Eric Hoover, Anthony Mar...

It’s not a lightsaber, but it’s close. John Winchell of Alltech Global Technical Support Expert uses a handheld NIR infrared mobile technology sensor to measure when dairy farmers should harvest their corn silage. Like many superheroes, he lives in New York but travels round the world, assisting dai...

Farming is listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S. Add to this the financial uncertainty of the work and the long hours, and it’s easy to see why farming is so stressful. As any farmer would attest, it’s not only a job but a lifestyle. If the far...