CSF Ramsey Teva’s Mercy Me ET, exhibited by Ray Ramsey of Greenfield, Indiana, earned grand champion female honors in the National Hereford Show on Oct. 4 at the Keystone International Livestock Exposition.
Delaware Valley University's Organic Farming Certificate Program provides a unique opportunity for students to earn 36 college credits plus a certificate in organic farming in just one year. Read more
Rodger Bankert has been showing his Chester White and Duroc breeding stock at the Keystone International Livestock Expositionsince 1959, the show’s second year of existence. Read more
PEARL is located on the Patuxent River, which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Research conducted at the state-of-the art facility is designed to increase the understanding of coastal ecosystems so that they may be properly managed and protected. Read more
Dreary skies from the previous day, which had brought a welcome quarter-inch of moisture, had cleared, and heavy dew on the grass sparkled in the bright sunshine. Read more
Children are experiential learners; they learn about their world using all of their senses. The more often they are exposed to foods in a calm, low-pressure environment, the more likely they are to try and enjoy them. Read more
For the past four years, we’ve invited the neighbors surrounding our cattle pasture, as well as others involved with our beef operation, to join us at the farm for a “Pasture Pals Party.” Read more
A new partnership between Delaware Valley University and Forrester Farm Equipment will provide new, more modern farm equipment for the university and expand hands-on learning opportunities for students. Read more
September is National Hunger Action Month. In Pennsylvania, approximately 1.53 million residents experience chronic hunger and food insecurity every day. Read more
The world’s top dairy cattle were in Wisconsin’s capital city last week for the World Dairy Expo, and a family from Quarryville, Pennsylvania, was among them. Read more
The source of the plopping sounds was obvious: fat, black walnuts were dropping all over. Another “plop” sounded toward the little creek, and then a “plink” rang out, when one of the plentiful nuts plummeted onto a piece of equipment parked at the edge of the trees. Read more
Tim Guenther serves as secretary of Finger Lakes Live Steamers in Marengo, a hamlet in upstate New York, about halfway between Rochester and Syracuse. Read more
BUTLER, Pa. — “I love people, and growing herbs and flowers helps me connect with people,” said herb farmer Michelle Soto at a recent herb and flower walk on her farm in Butler County. Read more
Jenna Smith showed two reserve champions and won her showmanship class during the Sept. 25 pig show at the West Lampeter Community Fair. Read more
I am not sure if any Rural Ramblings readers are old enough to remember the singing duo of Peaches and Herb, but I do. And when I think of them, I think of their song “Reunited.” Part of the chorus is “reunited and it feels so good” — and those are exactly the words I feel as I think back ov… Read more
As a crowd of nearly 400 people with ties to the dairy industry looked on, Lebanon County’s Paige Peiffer won the dairy crown. Read more
Conservation efforts have long been a big part of farming practices at the Gemmill family’s Belview Valley Farms LLC. Read more
Deanne Boyer of Maiden Creek Township in Berks County traded in library books for green pastures filled with cattle and pigs. Read more
Jonathon Lamb’s Oakfield WB Tiffany-ET was named supreme champion cow and Chris Lang’s Springhill Jokes Finale-ETV was crowned supreme heifer on Sept. 18 at the All-American Dairy Show. Read more
The theme for the 104th Pennsylvania Farm Show, Imagine the Opportunities, was officially announced Thursday. Read more
The Bilgers sell the pumpkins in their backyard, which is set up for children to play in corn piles and visitors to get photos with Peanuts’ characters cut-outs. Read more
For Lacey Walker, this year’s York Fair was not just the end of the road with her dairy steer. It marked the end of her junior showing career. Read more
The number of animals entered into livestock shows at this year’s Bloomsburg Fair was down slightly from 2018, and threat of a particular disease was to blame. Read more
Tractor collectors are more than a bit like football fans. Both can be fiercely loyal to their teams and their colors, they buy tons of merch, they’re immersed in the history and minutiae of their “teams” and they’re not averse to hurling insults at each other and the others’ teams/machines. Read more
More than 10 years ago, Jeff and Melissa Whitenight’s son raised a Jersey cow for a 4-H project. Afterwards, the Whitenights decided to keep her as a family milk cow, and they bought Sawyer another Jersey for another 4-H project. Read more
“Conservation plan” is not an official term. For the purposes of this discussion, we define a conservation plan as a set of documents that includes either a nutrient management plan or a manure management plan — but not both — plus an agricultural erosion and sedimentation control plan. Read more
For Sue Heineman and her husband, showing cows together with the whole family at the New York State Fair provides another way to feel close to them. Read more
TIMONIUM, Md. — “I have personally never seen a mammary system on a cow like this cow,” said judge Ryan Krohlow about the winning Holstein, Highcroft Absolute Lily-Red at the Maryland State Fair supreme dairy show on Sept, 2. “She has so much height, so much width, bloom and veination, all … Read more
Summer Gsell, an eighth-grader in the Greenwood School District, recently took several top honors at the Perry County Fair with her steer, Mudball. Read more
I’m fortunate that the little borough where my farm is located has a small post office all our own, even if we do share the ZIP code with a larger post office in the county seat. Read more
Elizabeth Nichols won second place in the youth dairy cattle show, sixth place in the open dairy cattle show, fifth place in dairy cattle showmanship, third in individual FFA livestock judging, and second as part of her FFA team at the New York State Fair. Read more
New York’s Empire Farm Days acknowledged the challenges of farming this month through its program’s page “Stress Management for Farm Families." Read more
In Pennsylvania, bakers compete against their peers at the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg each January. Amy Witmer’s pies have made it to the final round twice in her six previous Farm Shows. Read more
Craig Finkbiner wanted to farm, but really didn’t enjoy milking cows. He loved being in the field with the crops. But, he still needed something more to keep the family farm operating. Read more
As the summer months come to a close, families are preparing to go back to school. With childhood obesity on the rise, it’s important to think about back-to-school nutrition. Read more
As a kid, it was a day we dreaded — and looked forward to, maybe just a tad — because the day after Labor Day meant back to school. Read more
First-generation farmers Chad and Kacee Burke have achieved their goal of owning their own farm, but they haven’t stopped dreaming. Read more
Aaron Harbach was one of seven college students who participated in this year’s on-farm internship program offered by the Center for Dairy Excellence. Read more
Recently, two country mice named Dennis and Sue set out on a great adventure outside the country, literally. We drove to the big city of Philadelphia. Read more
As a parent or caregiver, there are several preventive measures you can take to protect your youth from opioid abuse. Research shows that effective parenting skills can help prevent drug abuse and other risky behaviors among children and adolescents. Read more
The Reading Fair went on as planned earlier this month, but for many exhibitors, it just didn’t feel the same. After rain slashed attendance and revenue in 2018, fair organizers concluded a rebuilding year was needed to keep the 165-year-old event afloat. Read more
SUGARLOAF, Pa. — Insurance costs are a major headache for agritourism operations, farmer Chris Maylath told local lawmakers this week. Read more
When she competes at the Elizabethtown Fair, Emma Musser knows there will always be plenty of people cheering her on. That’s because she shows with both of her sisters and a couple cousins. Read more
Across Dairy Road, which slices through the Doyles’ Family Tree Farm in North Hopewell Township, rows of colorful annual flowers attract clouds of butterflies visiting the bright blooms, beckoning to the farm’s cut-your-own-bouquet customers. Read more
According to author and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner, “Blue Zones” are locations on Earth where people tend to live the longest, with lifespans most frequently over 100 years. Remarkably low rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity are also indicative of Blue Zones. Read more
For Chad and Kelly Jorgensen, showing cows at the Wayne County Fair in New York with their children has for years represented one of the many ways they keep farming fun for their teens, Madison, 15, and Mason, 13. Read more
This season culminates Rachel Rouland's 4-H show career which began with showing a Florida White rabbit when Rachel was a 5-year-old Cloverbud and just ended with a descendant of that same rabbit, among other animals. Read more
