Country Folks
Posted on February 4, 2026
The New York Beef Council (NYBC) is proud to announce that Troy Bishopp of Deansboro, NY, has been named the 2025 Beef Promoter of the Year. This award recognizes producers who go above and beyond raising beef to actively educate consumers, engage communities and promote the industry across New York...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
Posted on February 4, 2026
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, “...
Country Folks
by Andy Haman 
Posted on February 4, 2026
“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...
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
Posted on February 4, 2026
Afew changes are in store for farmers who employ others. New York State Department of Labor Representative Mary Slattery, who directs the Division of Compliance & Education (DOCE), and Kristin Hibbit, a member of the field staff, presented at the recent Labor Road Show in Geneva, hosted by Cornell A...
Country Folks, Farmers First
Posted on February 4, 2026
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...
Country Folks, Crop Comments
Crop Comments
Crop Comments B3 
Posted on February 4, 2026
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...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
Posted on January 28, 2026
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, ...
Country Folks
by Troy Bishopp, Northeast NatGLC Grazing Resource Manager 
Posted on January 28, 2026
TRUXTON, NY – At its simplest form, bale grazing is a way to feed animals on the land. However, farmers are known to tinker with such practices and make them their own. Depending on a farm’s context, goals and the tools to implement, it’s rarely a “cookie/hay cutter” approach. A capacity crowd of fa...
Country Folks
by Joseph Armstrong 
Posted on January 28, 2026
When your grass-fed dairy dials in their foraging programs, the results can be surprising. Don Burkard, a cow forage expert with Cows Come First, discussed how feeding a few premium grasses, alfalfa and corn silage to Bessie the right way can make a world of difference for her and your farm. Top-Not...
Country Folks
by Sally Colby 
April 1, 2026
Water is often referred to as the most important nutrient. Providing beef cattle with clear and odorless water is a good first step in meeting nutriti...
Country Folks
by Sonja Heyck-Merlin 
April 1, 2026
Maine has emerged as a national leader in researching and responding to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in agricultural land....
Country Folks
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant 
April 1, 2026
Getting ready for the planting season can feel like going to war against weeds, pests and crop diseases. To help farmers gear up for battle, Matt Pinc...
Country Folks
by Laura Rodley 
April 1, 2026
Pamela Rickenbach is owner, founder and director of Anam Cara Farm in Canaan, Maine, a sanctuary for retired, disabled and homeless workhorses. She is...
