Country Folks
Posted on January 28, 2026
Immigration law should be of interest to any farmer using H-2A workers. Attorney Michael Sciotti with law firm Barclay Damon, LLP in Syracuse presented the topic at the recent Labor Road Show hosted by Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, NY. Barclay Damon also operates offices in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Ne...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments A7 
Posted on January 28, 2026
Up till a decade and a half ago I served as an advisor to the high school vocational ag program in Milford, NY, which was part of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). This ag program was physically centered in a barn which housed goats, sheep, layer hens, rabbits, pigs, dairy heife...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on January 21, 2026
Calf illness often starts out invisible. By the time it’s noticed, the calf is significantly ill – requiring more man hours and medication – and it often dies. In a presentation by the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association, Dr. Leonardo Bringhenti, DVM, Ph.D., AHV International, discussed the ongoing chal...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on January 21, 2026
What do you do when a federal or state inspector comes to your farm regarding labor laws? At the recent Labor Roadshow hosted by Cornell Agricultural Workforce Development (CAWD), Emma Swarthout of American Dairy Association North East and Lucas Smith and Richard Stup with CAWD presented two skits o...
Country Folks
Horse Tales A4 
Posted on January 21, 2026
‘Tis the season for winter’s cold and chill! Indoors, we’re able to throw another log on the fire, cozy up with some hot cocoa or tea and wear warm layers. When we go out and brave the frigid temperatures, we add a warm coat, hat, scarf, mittens and boots. But what about our horses? Many people use ...
B: Auction Section and Market Reports, Crop Comments
Crop
Posted on January 21, 2026
Of the three main fertilizer nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – P is doing the poorest job of returning to lower pre-pandemic price levels. A number of global factors influences P price (which I’ll evaluate in a later column). P is also the most limiting crop nutrient in Northeast soil...
Country Folks
by Andy Haman 
Posted on January 19, 2026
A little over a week has passed since the 28th annual Keystone Farm Show wrapped in York, PA, and all involved walked away with smiles, sales – it was a “buying show” for equipment dealers and product vendors alike – leads for the year ahead and excitement for the 2027 show. The Keystone Farm Show h...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on January 14, 2026
Manure management can be as tricky as managing livestock. Responsible producers pay close attention to manure storage and application throughout the year and avoid land application during winter. Chryseis Modderman, Extension educator, soil and manure management, University of Minnesota, explained s...
Country Folks
by Troy Bishopp, NatGLC Northeastern Region Grazing Resource Manager 
Posted on January 14, 2026
January 1 not only marks a new year but another season of real Christmas trees put to the curbs of suburbia for pickup by town and village maintenance crews. For an ol’ farmer, with granddaughter goats, there’s opportunity among the snowbanks like picking fruit off the vine. Yes, it’s a bit weird to...
Gardening Farming
Courtney Llewellyn 
March 24, 2026
Spring was Dad’s favorite time of the year. He always looked forward to “spring green-up.” This season brings back so many memories – running behind t...
Gardening Farming
Courtney Llewellyn 
March 22, 2026
In time for National Ag Day on March 24, the nonprofit Rural Minds announces the launch of the new Farmer Mental Health Resilience Program in support ...
Lifestyle
Courtney Llewellyn 
March 20, 2026
Here’s a pantry staple I don’t write about often enough: canned salmon. Fresh salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It’s rich in protein ...
Lifestyle
Courtney Llewellyn 
March 19, 2026
Dear Paw’s Corner: We had a scary incident a few weeks ago. Our puppy Terah got into the cabinet under the kitchen sink and chewed on a plastic spray ...