5 stories farmers read this week: Jan. 23, 2016

Here are this week’s most read stories on FarmandDairy.com:

1. Amish farmer and author shares story of the simple life

David Kline loves home. It’s where he’s raised his family, farmed, written and edited Farming Magazine. Reporter Chris Kick gives us a glimpse of what “the simple life” means for Kline when he visited his Larksong Farm in Fredericksburg, Ohio, the first in Farm and Dairy’s Rural Roles series.

Kline’s farm has been certified organic since 2000. His commitment to stewardship of the land is not just known locally; Larksong Farm is recognized across the U.S. and even in foreign countries because of his writing.

2. Holstein sets new milk record: 74,650 pounds

Nine-year-old Bur-Wall Buckeye Gigi has set a new national milk production record. In one year, the Holstein has produced 74,650 pounds of milk in 365 days. To put that in perspective, 74,650 pounds of milk makes 8,680 gallons.

The average Holstein produces 24,953 pounds of milk in a year’s time.

3. USDA confirms additional cases of bird flu in Indiana

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the presence of H7 avian influenza in nine southcentral Indiana poultry flocks earlier this month. The H7 strain is different than the avian flu strains that affected flocks last year.

The turkey flocks affected by H7 were confirmed to be low pathogenic avian influenza, meaning the birds didn’t show signs of infection or only have minor symptoms.

4. Rauch family overcomes struggles

In Little Hocking, Ohio, Jamey and Jody Rauch and their family raise 100 head of commercial beef cattle and also farm row crops and hay. They’ve lived through tough times, especially in the 1980s and 1990s when disease affected their herd and bad weather crippled their crops. Today, they are committed to conservation and livestock care.

The Rauch family will be honored as Commercial Producer of the year at the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association’s annual banquet Jan. 23. The award is sponsored by Farm and Dairy.

5. Going organic this spring? Tips and tools to help you grow

There’s more to organic gardening than rejecting synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.

Farm and Dairy online columnist Ivory Harlow explains how sustainable methods and eco-friendly techniques can be used to support organic seed growth and to control diseases, insects and weeds. Read her tips and try them out in your own garden this year.