Growing up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — which is described by some as the auction capital of the East — Phil Nissley was drawn to auctions as a child at the age of 5. He ran his first auction at age 16 and today, at 52, has spent the better part of three decades in the business as an …
The notion of flower power is true, especially when decorating a home with flowers. And during a stressful time of such uncertainty — flowers could be a cure. Read more
WOMELSDORF, Pa. — Stepping into the foyer of Yvonne and David Weaver’s 1846 farmhouse, there is the ease of familial warmth, pride and love the couple has for their home and children. It’s easy to get lost in the detailed charm and love that cascades through the house, such as the grand Geor… Read more
Being the fifth generation of her family’s dairy farm — one of a handful of dairy farms in New Jersey — Mikayla Fulper feels pressure as her family farm’s herd and tourism manager, but she smiles through it all, letting nothing faze her. Read more
Warm temperatures and sunny weather have put the arrival of spring well ahead of schedule, and many gardeners are tempted to get a jump start on their garden. Read more
With the public schools in many states, including Pennsylvania, closed for at least two weeks in response to the coronavirus, parents may be faced with a new kind of crisis — what can they do to keep their kids from going crazy (or driving their parents crazy) during this lengthy break? Read more
In 2012, Tony Noll began researching the farm history with the intent to get the farm on the state historic farm registry. Four years later, he achieved that goal, and the farm was placed on the national registry. Read more
With this new virus has come non-stop news coverage and warnings to “be prepared.” But what does preparedness look like in this situation? What is a reasonable response to this message? Read more
The 2019 novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person to person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Read more
Having heard stories from various friends and acquaintances about all the complicated, computerized electronics and technologies in their much more up-to-date vehicles, and some of the problems occasionally related to those, has turned me into a vehicular throwback. Read more
Plant-based eating is one of the hottest nutrition trends. When people think of plant-based eating, they mainly think of eating more fruits and vegetables, but what they might not realize is that dry beans, peas and lentils will help to add variety and nutrition to the menu. Read more
Recently, while doing some spring housecleaning, I came upon a September 2019 magazine which had a cover article I had read with interest last fall. I was initially attracted to the story because I’m a history buff, but now I’ve re-read it with a totally different mindset. Read more
Lebanon Lilly — a nearly life-size Holstein statue —and the book named after her, “The Adventures of Lebanon Lilly,” are both the brainchild of Jennifer Kuzo, a Lebanon County native who also happens to be president of Visit Lebanon Valley, which promotes local tourism. Read more
Girls had been strongly dissuaded at the state level since a 1935 FFA convention resolution denied funds, participation and transport to groups that included female members, according to the FFA organization’s website, and girls did not achieve the right to be national FFA members until 1969. Today, women are national members and comprise 47% of state leadership positions. Read more
A lifetime of industry service and hog breeding accomplishments has earned national recognition for two York County farmers, Beth and Greg Innerst. Read more
In the competitive cut flower industry, growers are always looking for new ways to grow and market blooms, and one of the blooms gaining traction as a cut flower is an old staple around farmhouse porches — the hydrangea. Read more
Mark St. Jacques isn’t the least bit concerned about Washington County Fair’s future as he steps down after 23 years at its helm. Read more
Our farm has two streams on it. One flows right through the middle of everything between our house and the barn; the other forms part of our western boundary. Back in the 1950s, the streams were home to quite a few pesky muskrats that always seemed to divert the flow of these little waterways into places my dad didn’t want them to go. Thus, he welcomed my brother’s efforts to trap them during the winter trapping season. Read more
Paying to charitably dine, with the funds going to benefit a cause, an organization or maybe even a person in need, has a long history. The first time food was sold to benefit some charitable cause probably happened farther back in history than any of us might imagine. Read more
“DASH” stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. By following the DASH eating plan, individuals may be able to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk factors and find a heart-healthy eating style for life. Read more
Back in 1919, Harper’s Tavern was the given name of a sleepy crossroads in northern Lebanon County near where the Indian Creek flows into the Swatara Creek. Read more
In an effort to track down the midnight raider of my chicken feed, I set a box trap in the alleyway of the old barn one recent evening. It seemed likely that a fox or raccoon was trespassing again. Read more
One recent dark, wintry morning while snug in bed, I dreamt I heard a plaintive mooing coming from the barnyard. I awoke a while later and actually heard a moo or two, but it didn’t sound like a cow in dire straits — perhaps the herd was just running a bit low on hay. Besides, Dennis had left for work not long before, so I figured if anything were seriously amiss, he would’ve noticed. Read more
Being a state officer is something Kathrine Ricci can check off her list, twice. Ricci, an adrenaline junkie who loves horses, was a little nervous to serve the first year as a New Hampshire state officer. Read more
This phrase “Blue Zones” refers to five different regions around the globe that researchers have identified as having the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world. Read more
This year, I noticed something very unusual as I started removing the first decorations from our tree in early February. At the ends of the branches on the top half of our Christmas tree, there were glimpses of fresh new, bright green needle growth. Read more
Traveling to a recent conference, through a long, dreary afternoon of down-pouring rain, my eyes started to glaze over from the monotony of a drive done numerous times before. Read more
MIFFLINBURG, Pa. — A group of friends from Union and Columbia counties are members of a “sheep-to-shawl” team and are having fun. Read more
As rural properties continue to vanish beneath suburban housing developments and sprawling mall parking lots, passing farmland down through succeeding generations has become challenging. Read more
Every cattle farmer I’ve ever known has a pretty good handle on what those “cattle communications” mean. And, in some cases, even without looking, if you’d been around a particular herd of cattle for any length of time, you had a good idea which bovine was doing the “talking.” Read more
Family mealtime is a time for families to sit down and enjoy a meal together. It’s all about eating together, talking and enjoying one another’s company through conversation and storytelling. Read more
I hate showing my age, but I can remember a time before there were large supermarkets, when each little country town had a small family-operated grocery store or two to keep the locals provisioned. Especially among farm families, most of us butchered our own meats, got milk from our own dair… Read more
Katie Aurand is embarking on her fourth year operating Back Mountain Farm in Milroy. Aurand is a dental hygienist, and she said she always wanted to do something with the family centennial farm that had been used for milking dairy cows up until the 1990s. Read more
How can a month of the new year possibly be gone already? And, while January leaves us with memories of cold, gray, snowy, dismal, overcast days of short hours, February promises cheery red hearts, chocolate and cherry pies. Read more
After reporting the accident to the county’s Emergency Management Agency, I encountered Dennis again, this time escorting a shaken-looking young woman up the sidewalk from the barn to the house. Read more
Recent recalls of flour are important to note, but a recall is not the only time to be concerned about the safety of uncooked flour. Read more
The night before 13-year-old Autumn Zundel was scheduled to have a somewhat routine surgery to remove a mass from her chest, she shared a laugh with her aunt, Rene Zundel. Read more
HERSHEY, Pa. — There was one guy who stood head and shoulders above the other 164 exhibitors at the 2020 convention of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs. Read more
Lydia Brown of Mill Creek placed second with her March 2019 calf and October 2018 heifer on junior show day. On open show day, Brown’s heifer won first for her class and was reserve champion. Read more
Christopher Hauer, a wildlife biologist for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at Fort Indiantown Gap in northern Lebanon County, is a superhero for Pennsylvania’s waning bat population. Read more
A Bucks County farmer is pushing for a state law that would prevent local governments from outlawing agritourism. Read more
Conservation practices can save Pennsylvania farmers money and increase productivity, according to a report released in November by the Environmental Defense Fund and ag consultancy K-Coe Isom. Read more
Gabrielle Jacobs of Mifflintown, Juniata County, is a fifth-grade student who anxiously waits to see her five showing heifers, five cows and pigs. Read more
At the Pennsylvania Farm Show this month, Greg Huber — who is an author, researcher and founder of cultural resources company Eastern Barn Consultants in Macungie — shared his knowledge of historic barns during several presentations. Read more
On Jan. 7, a group of philatelic enthusiasts — or stamp collectors — held an auction in Allentown that featured the world’s first stamp, the United States’ first stamp and a mint set of stamps used on mail carried on the first Pan American flight of the Graf Zeppelin airship in 1930. Read more
Trudging back out through the snowy evening, I headed for the wagon shed. Turning the light into the familiar nesting corner brought a sigh of relief. Read more
American Dairy Association North East, in conjunction with Reinford Farms and Dauphin County 4-H, dismantled the 1,000-pound sculpture Jan. 12 at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. Read more
Nausea, bloating, vomiting, itchiness, hives, rashes and other concerning reactions after eating a meal are real symptoms for many adults and children. However, trying to understand and determine what is going on may require a more serious investigation. Read more
Although Gramma rightly declared me too “shuslich” (impatient and in a hurry), I do recall one piece of embroidery in which I took special pride. It was a counted cross-stitch work that I valued more for its message than for its artistry. Read more
