by Tamara Scully
Farmers who confine the milking herd and those who graze their herds often have differing perspectives on which environment provides the optimal level of cow comfort, has positive impacts on herd health and results in the best financial results for the dairy. (more…)
by Laura Rodley
The Robinson Farm has been a continuous family farm since 1892. It was awarded the Massachusuetts Century Farm status in 1992. Fourth generation farmers Pam and Ray Robinson Jr. have made homestead cheeses from raw milk from their Normande, Jersey and Holstein crossed cows since 2010. They’ve won American Cheese Society and the Eastern States Gold Cheese Competition awards for their Prescott and A Barndance. Their Hardwick Stone, Arpeggio and the Robinson Family Swiss also won medals at past Eastern States Gold Cheese Competitions. (more…)
by Judy Van Put
Autumn is a favorite time of the year, with its abundance of garden fruits and vegetables, cool nights, warm sunny days and crisp blue skies against the backdrop of colorful fall foliage. The garden is producing like crazy and we are busy harvesting its bounty, canning and storing in the cool basement for the long winter to come. Added to our enjoyment of autumn is the tradition of pressing apples for cider, and we worked diligently to pick and fill bushel bags and baskets of the red and yellow fruits to bring to the cider mill with the anticipation of the gallons of sweet cider we’ll return home with. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
As the last cutting of hay is baled and stored, the question of whether or not it will be enough to support the beef herd through the winter can be a tricky one. For those raising grass-fed beef, particularly in extreme cold weather areas, the amount of hay available to supplement the herd during the winter is particularly important. (more…)
by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you want to expand your farm’s maple production, going with tubing rather than collection buckets can make the entire system work more smoothly. It’s vital to set up your sugarbush’s tubing properly so that it works well. Adam Wild, director of the Cornell Uihlein Maple Research Forest, and Aaron Wightman, Extension associate who oversees operations at the Arnot Research Sugarbush, recently presented the “Setting Up a Maple Tubing System” webinar, hosted by the Cornell Maple Program. (more…)
The 2020 election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3. With that in mind, Country Folks reached out to those seeking the highest offices in each of the states in our coverage areas, asking them for their goals and plans for the agricultural sector. Many did not respond to our queries; therefore, we sought out information from their websites. Responses directly from candidates will not include the “NO RESPONSE” disclaimer. Note: some information has been edited for space. (more…)
by Catie Joyce-Bulay
“We always have the biggest smiles on our faces when we walk around, like ‘I can’t believe we live here,’” said Gregg Stiner, co-owner of Grace Pond Farm, during a recent Farm Training Project workshop, a series of webinars put on by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. (more…)
by Courtney Llewellyn
Big news was announced in the dairy world earlier this month, with Nestlé offering its support – in the form of $10 million over a five-year period – for the Net Zero Initiative, a new industry-wide effort that will help U.S. dairy farms of all sizes implement new technologies and adopt economically viable practices. The initiative ties into the dairy industry’s environmental stewardship goals of achieving carbon neutrality, optimized water usage and improved water quality by 2050. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
Entrances to livestock barns can get quite messy. Depending on how often and how many animals are utilizing it, plus any heavy equipment accessing the entryway, the area can become dangerous and dirty. As with other heavy use areas, proper planning, construction and maintenance can go a long way in mitigating cow comfort and safety issues. (more…)
by Sally Colby
It’s a fact: Consumers are several generations removed from the farm and don’t understand agricultural production. While farmers have worked hard to garner consumer trust, there’s still a gap between what happens on the farm and what consumers believe. Despite education campaigns and increased farm transparency, many consumer distrust issues are centered on animal welfare and antibiotic use. (more…)
by Jennifer Roux
On Oct. 8, 1996, just hours after having his first and only son, Michael Roux Sr. kissed his wife goodbye and left the hospital to purchase his very first Milking Shorthorn from Kenny Goodwin of North Berwick, Maine. Since then, the Roux family has been writing their own story in the dairy business. (more…)
by Tamara Scully
The purpose of farming organically is to protect natural resources to produce an agricultural product. Organic growing requires farmers to work with the natural environment to promote a healthy biome – one where the balance of beneficial elements outweighs the presence of any detrimental ones and keeping disease and pests in check by creating nutrient-rich soils in which nutrient-dense, healthy crops can thrive. (more…)
