Yearly Archives: 2026

Between a dog tracking white paint on the floor, raccoons decorating the deck with a wet paint roller, and heavy wildfire smoke rolling in, columnist Kymberly Foster Seabolt finds plenty to write about—and a perfect excuse to skip the vegetables and hide indoors with childhood snack cakes.

As summer temperatures rise, cool-season grasses slow down. Dylan Stine of the Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation District offers practical advice on slowing down livestock rotations, stockpiling fescue for winter, and keeping summer weeds in check to maximize your forage.

Cows need shade, too. That's one of the reasons why farmer Mark Harvey Smith decided to implement agroforestry practices on his 142-acre Pittsburgher Highland Farm in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. With the help of Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Smith recently had 300 to 400 trees and shrubs planted on his farm for silvopasture and a riparian buffer.

Columnist Alan Guebert analyzes the rising dependency on federal subsidies as a new $11 billion request balloons 2026 farm program payments to $55.3 billion. The piece contrasts current tariff-driven taxpayer bailouts with historic net farm income data and export market trends.

Before modern washing machines, early Ohio Country pioneers faced the grueling task of cleaning clothes in creeks and iron kettles. Columnist Paul Locher dives into the smelly history of 19th-century laundry chores and the evolution of the scrub sticks and patented washboards that followed.

Looking for giant bluegills and aggressive largemouth bass? Former wildlife officer Jim Abrams shares humorous angling tales from northwest Ohio's Lake La Su An Wildlife Area, along with the specific rules, limits, and season dates you need to know before planning your next trip.

The Ohio Power Siting Board is hearing public comment on two more proposed natural gas fired power plants — one in Fairfield County and one in Pickaway County. These two projects would join a handful of other natural gas fired power plants planned in central Ohio that are providing round-the-clock energy for data centers.

The West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame celebrated six new inductees at its annual banquet. The honorees represent decades of outstanding leadership, innovation, and service in agricultural education, public policy, sustainable forestry, and youth development.

As part of the America 250-Ohio celebration, Jeromesville dedicated a native white oak tree to its history. In this column, the keynote speaker shares the moving stories and letters of three local Civil War brothers who left their Ashland County farm to fight for the Union.

Cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce sickens hundreds in Midwest. Learn symptoms, risks, and expert tips from OSU and PSU to safely enjoy fresh produce.