Successful birding through winter
A few weeks ago the temperature dropped below 30 degrees, and the first winter feeder birds, white-throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos, showed up.
Listen to your smart brain, but trust your gut
Your gut is a combination of your head and your heart. Your knowledge and your passion. Trust it.
MF Global breakdown dominates Chicago grain market talk
MF Global declared bankruptcy Oct. 31, curiously just after an audit that did not discover the discrepancies that existed deep in the bowels of this futures-trading and debt instrument-trading giant.
Grazing school survey respondents tout the benefits of rotational grazing
For many years, OSU Extension has been conducting one- to five-day grazing schools throughout Ohio. In many cases OSU Extension, USDA/NRCS and local SWCD...
Weather hindering wheat planting
I sat at the softball field this past weekend watching my youngest daughter play. I sat under an umbrella with a blanket and two...
Dairy Excel: If accepting risk is your personal preference, why am I paying for...
Some people believe that non-pasteurized milk is healthier than pasteurized milk. I myself wouldn't care that some people willingly decided to consume raw milk if their choice wouldn't affect others, myself included. But it does, both financially and from a public safety standpoint.
The secret to a farmer’s happiness
To say man is of the earth and that his well-being, even his very survival, depends on an occasional return to it is not...
Unfortunately, I’m not a carpenter
Some serious outdoor carpentry this fall quickly proved, again, the enormous amount of woodworking skills I did not acquire on the southern Illinois dairy...
Lasagna gardening: A tantalizing technique
The word "lasagna" brings mouth-watering thoughts of baked pasta noodles layered in tomato sauce, fresh garlic, meat, and melted cheese. But in the world of gardening and composting, "lasagna gardening" is far from tasty. It gets its name from the layers created on Mother Nature's giant sheet pan.
Parking space is no place for love
Previously, I was pretty sure that Mr. Wonderful was my Knight in Shining Armor. I know in my heart he'd give up a kidney if I needed one. Then I asked if I could have a wee bit of parking space in his garage and all bets were off.
