Country Folks
Posted on May 6, 2026
Part 2: Preventing cyberthreats The internet was first hailed as a tool for open information and operability. No one suspected the potential for nefarious activity. Now everything is accessible, which allows bad actors to infiltrate farms and other businesses. Too often, dairy farms are cybercrime t...
Country Folks
by Jazlyn Hoadley & Andrew Magnuson, SUNY Cobleskill 
Posted on May 6, 2026
High production dairy cows are metabolic athletes with unique nutritional challenges that producers must be aware of to maintain herd health, trace mineral balance and optimal milk production. There are currently 1.2 million dairy cows producing an average of 22,516 lbs. of milk per cow within Conne...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on May 6, 2026
Crop diseases reduce yield, but with the right planning, farmers can lessen their effect and realize the full potential of their crops. Jordan Bassler, agronomy leader at Seed Consultants in Washington Courthouse, Ohio, presented at the recent A.N. Martin Open House. “Red crown rot is big in soybean...
Country Folks, Farmers First
Posted on May 6, 2026
Hello, farm family! After a tumultuous winter, spring is finally here, even though the weather seems to be having a hard time getting the message. Farmers are not fooled by unseasonable chills, however. If you’re anything like the farmers I know, you’re already moving full speed ahead: filling up gr...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments A10 
Posted on May 6, 2026
As I’m writing this column in late April’s pre-dawn, it appears that spring has not quite grabbed the climate reins from winter. Autmn-planted winter annuals are looking pretty good – crops like wheat, rye, triticale, barley and speltz. But perennial crops are taking their sweet time breaking dorman...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 29, 2026
Getting a jump on pests can help improve your chances warding off a major infestation. Chloe Yi-Luo Cho, Ph.D. candidate in entomology at Cornell, presented “Early-Season Pest Damage Across New York: Risk Under Different Management Practices in Light of the Neonicotinoid Ban” at the recent Soybean &...
Country Folks
by Kelsi Devolve 
Posted on April 29, 2026
Taika von Königslöw, assistant Professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, spoke at the 2026 New Hampshire Dairy Management Conference, explaining the complexities of calf health and management. Calves are extremely vulnerable within their first few days of life, but it’s essen...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on April 29, 2026
A motivational speaker may not seem a typical choice for a speaker at a farm conference, but the Northeast Dairy Management Conference, presented by PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, welcomed Matt Booth of Mattitude from Dubuque, Iowa, to speak about one’s outlook effecting po...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop
Posted on April 29, 2026
The U.S. plants significantly less acreage of this summer annual than it did a century ago. Buckwheat was once a much more widespread crop before the late Industrial Revolution introduced new technologies. The center-point of such technologies were fertilizers based on chemical ingredients which inc...
Gardening Farming
Courtney Llewellyn 
July 26, 2026
As some Northeast gardens peak in July, growers are trimming plants, pulling spent vegetables, mowing lawns and managing an increasing amount of yard ...
Events
Courtney Llewellyn 
July 24, 2026
The Connected Herkimer County Teams, representing Central Valley, Dolgeville, Herkimer and Mount Markham, are inviting families from across Herkimer C...
Gardening Farming
Courtney Llewellyn 
July 23, 2026
The Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) is accepting nominations for its “Conservationist of the Year” award for 2026. Each year, OCCA award...
Gardening Farming, Lifestyle
Courtney Llewellyn 
July 21, 2026
Seniors are vulnerable to mental health issues. The World Health Organization says around one in five older adults experience psychiatric disorders li...