In part one and part two of our series on transitioning out of factory farming, we heard from both farmers who have made or are making the transition, as well as the organizations that support producers through this process. In addition to sharing their stories and insights, the people we interviewed had a lot of […]
When Paula and Dale Boles took over Dale’s father’s farmland in North Carolina, they thought that poultry farming would be a good way to work the land until they were ready to pass it on to their children. They obtained a contract with Case Farms, eventually switching over to Tyson, and built two poultry barns […]
When Tanner Faaborg was growing up in Iowa, his family was fairly self-sufficient. But his parents knew they needed to add to their income if they wanted to one day send their kids to college and eventually retire. “The path they were on, they wouldn’t be able to do that,” says Faaborg. “And that’s when […]
Sponsored By: Brandt Amino acids and zinc are both essential components for the growth and development of almond trees. Amino acids are organic compounds that play a crucial role in several physiological processes within almond trees, including photosynthesis, respiration, and cell division. They also enhance nutrient uptake, improve plant growth, and enhance overall tree health. […]
Chickens are intelligent, sensitive creatures who can suffer from boredom and depression just like any other. If you’re raising a flock of your own, it’s important to offer them “boredom buster” options to keep them engaged and entertained. In this article, we’ll suggest ten toys, accessories, and other options to help keep your beautiful birds…
Last summer, members of the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), a Native non-profit group dedicated to restoring tribal bison herds among its 83 member Nations, embarked on a timeless practice across the grasslands of southeast Montana: the slaughter of a 1,600-pound American bison, right out in the open prairie. In tow was the organization’s new “Cultural […]
Bats are a captivating bunch, flying hundreds of miles, pinpointing prey with sonar and leading complex social lives. They’re also voracious predators of insects wreaking havoc on crops such as cotton, cocoa and rice. By literally wiping out tons of pests every night, bats save US farmers an estimated $3.7 billion annually. Besides the bug […]
At the end of February, the town board of Lind, Wisconsin voted against changing the zoning laws to allow a nearby 600-cow dairy to install an anaerobic digester. These digesters are becoming more common, particularly at larger dairy operations housing thousands of cows, called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This is partially because they have […]
In Boulder, Colorado, the grasses and prairie flowers of the Great Plains wave as they stretch up, eventually giving way to the Ponderosa pines that dot the Rocky Mountains. This ecosystem overlap is why, of the 946 species of bees native to Colorado, 562 of them can be found in Boulder County. Andrea Montoya is […]
Brewing takes a heavy toll on the environment. The average brewery uses six gallons of water to make just one gallon of beer, with base and specialty ingredients flown around the globe and trucks of cans and kegs driven up and down the country. Add in the stickers and plastic sleeves that make many beer […]
Today, more than 620,000 miles of fence branch across the western United States. That’s equal to a trip to the moon and back—and halfway there again. Maintaining and building fences is a yearly job on every ranch, costing at least $20,000 per mile. Once these fence posts are hammered into the ground, ranchers battle trees, […]
If you’re new to raising chickens or are in the preliminary research stage of adding a few chickens to your backyard, you’ll be interested to learn that all chicken breeds have different personalities and traits. Some breeds are well suited to beginner chicken keepers with no experience handling birds. Other breeds are a better choice […]
As a researcher of urban agriculture, I was shocked to see a recent news article bearing the headline “Food from urban agriculture has a carbon footprint six times larger than conventional produce, study shows.” I had spent five years researching and publishing peer-reviewed articles and book chapters about urban agriculture during my Ph.D. with the […]
When I first heard of cherry eggers, I was so excited. I thought of olive eggers, and Easter eggers, and assumed that cherry eggers laid reddish eggs. I was wrong. Cherry eggers don’t lay cherry-colored eggs. In fact, in both looks and laying, cherry eggers are almost indistinguishable from my nemesis the Rhode Island red….
Where there’s a will, there’s not always a way. Ben Stanger has composted his whole life, starting with a backyard bin when he was a child. But when he wanted to expand his composting efforts and start a business, he had a hard time finding a municipality that would let him. Eventually, he was able […]
Hands up if you think one of the most annoying things you put up with in summer is flies. If you are annoyed by flies, spare a thought for your livestock. They can be harassed. In some cases, like with horse flies, they’re bitten constantly, leaving horrible wounds. Flies in barns and pastures are a…
As the cost of food continues to rise, many people are aiming to be as self-sufficient as possible. One option to consider is raising chickens for eggs, as opposed to buying overpriced eggs at the grocery store. In this article, we’re going to look at how much it realistically costs to do so, and whether…
At Eagle Rock Ranch in Jefferson, Colorado, the elk start to gather at dusk. “I’ll be driving up the road, and the herd will be on the side, almost like they’re waiting to come and spend the night eating here,” says Dave Gottenborg with a chuckle. Gottenborg is working to create a habitat on his […]
“Does anyone realize we’re headed toward plastic armageddon?” That’s how Bradley Aiken of Portland, OR began his response to our call for reader questions about where their food comes from. “My weekly visits to the local farmers’ markets still find an overabundance and reliance on plastic pint containers of berries, single-use plastic bags,and straws! I […]
For most people on the planet, plastic has become inescapable. It’s also harmful to humans and the environment, exposing us to toxins, polluting ecosystems and entering our food, water and air through microplastics. Our explainer on Food’s Big, Plastic Problem digs into the problem. But what’s the solution? Many people are eager to do their […]
Think about a strawberry. How big is it? What color is it? It’s March—are you able to find a strawberry easily in your local grocery store? Chances are, yes, you could find strawberries at the store for sale. They’d be about the size of a golf ball, probably bright red and cost a lot of […]
Fungus is usually a good sign of things going bad. But it can also indicate good things happening to very bad stuff. For Audrey Speyer, founder of PuriFungi, seeing fungi blooming on cigarette butts is proof that they’re at work, doing what they do best: decomposing matter. Her Belgian start-up cultivates mycelium—the thread-like root structure […]
Have you got a chicken roosting in trees instead of in the coop? This can be frustrating for many people keeping chickens. Although some people allow or even encourage tree roosting, in many areas, it’s not recommended due to predators, weather, or just because it’s not how you, as the owner, want to keep your…
If you are looking for reliable, efficient egg producers, then the Golden Comet chicken breed is worth considering. Bred for the commercial egg industry, these beauties are compact, good-natured, and ideal for the homestead and backyard. Let’s check them out in more detail. About the Golden Comet Chicken The Golden Comet is also called the…
Plymouth rock chickens are some of my favorites. It might be because my son fell in love with two barred rocks a few years ago. He called them his “love chickens” because they were so sweet and loving. These sweet girls have been a consistent part of our flock for years. They are some of…
Barry Friesen remembers the days when plastic wasn’t used on farms. “One of my first summer jobs was working as a farm hand on a dairy farm,” he recalls. “It would take a team of workers six weeks to bale hay. Now, with technology and various types of plastic tools, one person can do that […]
One thing experienced keepers of backyard chickens know is that you will always come up against something new, even with your old chickens. Suddenly, you find your previously coop-bound chickens roosting in a tree at night. Tree roosting is a common habit for some chickens, but many of us don’t know if it’s a good…
I stared at the missing plant with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The previous evening, when I had closed up the greenhouse for the night, there had been a perfect row of beautiful young pepper plants just getting ready to flower. These plants comprised one of my most lucrative farm crops, […]
Pekin bantam chickens are, simply put, adorable. They’re petite, round, and covered in lots of feathers. Even their feet are feathery. Watching them waddle around the garden is pure joy. These birds aren’t as popular as their Cochin cousins, but they are slowly gaining in popularity. Pekin Bantam Basics There’s some debate about whether Pekin…
Below the red-tile roofs of the Catalina Foothills, an affluent area on the north end of Tucson, Arizona, lies a blanket of desert green: spiky cacti, sword-shaped yucca leaves, and the spindly limbs of palo verde and mesquite trees. Head south into the city, and the vegetation thins. Trees are especially scarce on the south […]
In 2007, Abbie Corse got a message every farmer dreads: “Are your animals ok?” At the time, Corse was working off farm, while her parents transitioned their dairy into an organic operation. Corse, panicking, called her parents to find out that a fire had ripped through their barn. Luckily, they were able to move their […]
When disaster strikes, be it a fire or flood, blizzard or hurricane, the best thing you can be is prepared. But in the heat of the moment, it’s hard to remember what to do and how to ensure the safety of yourself and your animals. That’s why Ragan Adams, the veterinary specialist for the Colorado […]
If you’re as fond of black flowers, fruits, and vegetables as you are of roast chicken and fresh eggs, then look no further than the Barbezieux chicken. These large birds don’t just look like Gothic rockstars: they’re ideal choices for multi-purpose mixed chicken flocks. Read on to learn more about them and whether they’re right…
It’s a dietary staple—beloved in a morning latte, the ingredient that makes mashed potatoes oh so creamy or a chocolate ganache worthy of topping a celebratory cake. It even saves those in need of giving their kids a quick dinner by getting mac and cheese to the right consistency. Yet, milk, specifically cow’s milk, contributes […]
Calm, gentle, and easygoing. Malines chickens are truly gentle giants. They’re a fantastic addition to a dual-purpose flock because they are a plump heritage roaster and a decent laying hen. Malines chickens hail from Malines village in Belgium. They were developed to be primarily meat birds, but they are also moderate layers, generally producing about…
Called Highland cattle, mini-Highlands, or heilen coos, these mythic, northern cattle are a stunning ancient breed. With their flowing locks and wide, sweeping horns, Highlands are a beautiful addition to any landscape. But they’re not just pretty to look at. Highland cattle are one of the world’s oldest cattle breeds, and there’s a reason they’ve…
Mickey Steward has worked hard to rehabilitate her ranch. But then, she’s had to. “You can’t buy a good ranch,” Steward jokes. “You have to buy a ranch that, for whatever reason, has gotten rundown.” While not a blanket truth, Steward says it’s hard (and expensive) for new ranchers to get in the game with […]
Asking a farmer to “uncrop” their land is a big ask. There’s a lot at stake, not the least of which are the economic losses unproductive land may cost the grower. Sometimes, though, it’s the best and only option for the land and its long-term productivity. “Not all farmland is created equal,” says Jesse Womack, […]
The word tuberculosis probably strikes fear in your heart, whether in the context of your health or that of your chickens. Although not common, avian tuberculosis can strike anytime, and this bacterial infection is one you don’t want anywhere near your flock. It’s sneaky, slow-burning, and quite deadly. It’s a highly contagious avian bacterial infection,…
Sour crop is something you want to avoid, and with the proper care and good hygiene, you can. When you have chickens, you must monitor them for symptoms of potential problems. A lot can happen to chickens, and as a responsible owner, it’s essential to know not only what the symptoms of ailments are and…
Aidee Guzman, 30, grew up the daughter of immigrants in California’s Central Valley, among massive fields of monocrops that epitomize intense, industrial agriculture. Her parents were farmworkers, and despite spending their days producing food, they relied on food banks to eat. The cognitive dissonance of these circumstances hit home when, in 2003, at age 10, […]
Brakel chickens are one of the oldest chicken breeds in Europe. Also known as Braekel, they were once so common that they were nicknamed “the farmyard hen.” Brakel chickens have become quite rare since World War II. They’re now considered a rare breed, even in their native Belgium. But they are stunning birds with dramatic…
In June of 2021, an extreme heatwave hit the Pacific Northwest. From British Columbia to Oregon, juvenile birds in urban areas were leaping from their nests to escape the temperatures, falling to equal or greater danger on the ground. Wildlife rescues saw record intake numbers—and a large number of deaths. The heat dome was not […]
My contraption hisses and bubbles. I feel like a mad scientist. The air is filled with a scent so uplifting that I’m practically floating. Finally, a single drop of liquid lands in the bottom of the glass. My first attempt at steam distillation is working and I’m bobbing with excitement. My whimsical project began when […]
Fowl cholera, otherwise known as avian cholera, is one of those infections you want to avoid at all costs. It’s devastating to a flock and will surprise you with its infectiousness if you are caught unaware. It’s hard enough to keep chickens healthy between finding the correct nutrition, clean water, housing, and avoiding predators. The…
In one of the greenhouses on the Lundberg Family Farms acreage in northern California, there sits a binder. Technically, there are multiple volumes of the binder, as it’s grown significantly over the years. The binder contains the thousands of different varieties of rice with which Lundberg growers have experimented, bred from and either liked or […]
There are so many heritage chickens in the world that we rarely encounter. If you think about it, many of our common, easy-to-find chicken breeds are incredibly new. They’re varieties of chickens our ancestors wouldn’t have known, especially our modern meat breeds. The chickens our forefathers ate were smaller and generally older than the roasters…
Dogs make fantastic companions and excellent assistants that lighten the load around the homestead. Certain dogs have jobs that they were developed to do. Livestock guardians keep your animals safe, hounds assist with hunting, and sporting dogs act as retrievers or service dogs. Herding dogs, as you might have guessed, were bred to herd animals….
Bielefleder Kennhuhn are some of the hardiest chickens around when it comes to cold weather. Developed in Germany in the 1970s, this relatively new breed is a cross between cold-hardy Welsummers, plump malines, and heavy-laying Plymouth barred rocks. All three of these breeds can tolerate quite a bit of cold, but put them all together,…
Dalton Mosser and a trio of workers hustle to hand-truck boxes filled with a few thousand pounds of freshly packaged ground beef through a loading bay into a refrigerated box truck. The 30-year-old president of operations wears newish jeans, a tucked-in button-up shirt and old work boots snagged from his office closet—and was supposed to […]
From our vantage point in a motorboat on the reservoir known as Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake in eastern Washington, we scan the rocky canyon walls of the Colville Confederated Tribes’ Hellgate game reserve for bighorn sheep. Before it was a reservoir, manufactured by the United States government’s Grand Coulee Dam, this was once a mighty, […]
As the cost of living skyrockets and self-reliance becomes even more crucial in our everyday lives, we need to become more resourceful. One way of achieving this is by raising chickens. Whether you have chickens already and need to add members or you’re just embarking on maintaining a flock, raising chicks is an affordable way…
Sprouting deep within the verdant pleats of Oʻahu’s Koʻolau Mountains, Heʻeia stream winds through Kakoʻo ʻOʻiwi, a non-profit organization centered on a six-acre taro farm, before emptying into the wide mouth of Kane‘ohe Bay. In 2001, executive director Kanekoa Shultz, a marine biologist and seaweed expert, helped rebuild the adjacent Paepae o Heʻeia fishpond. Originally […]
You’ve likely noticed there are hundreds of domestic chicken breeds out there. While breeds like the Orpington or Wyandotte are the most common, there are countless others ones that also deserve love and recognition. One of these is the adorable Barbu d’Uccle chicken, which is gaining in popularity as both a dependable egg layer and…
“There’s too damn many and you can quote me on that,” says Larry Vance, referring to the 31 white-tailed deer he recently counted in a single cornfield at his family’s historic Island Ford Farm in Strasburg, Virginia. It can be quite a problem sharing your land with deer when they’re eating up your profits, especially […]
Mandy Melnyk has made some changes to her egg and poultry business in the last few months. The owner of Meadow Creek Farms in northern Alberta serves about 200 families a month with her egg subscriptions and broiler chickens—but now, instead of customers coming to pick up their orders from Melnyk directly, she’s spending a […]
Henry Mustin popped open the trunk of his electric Volkswagen to reveal his arsenal: Loppers, pruners, saws and trowels, tucked into bags. Taking up the most space was Mustin’s weed wrench, an L-shaped specialty tool branded The Extractigator, which leverages the ground to yank deeply rooted vegetation from the earth. We were in the parking […]
It’s late October and Jon Griggs, manager of Maggie Creek Ranch in Elko, Nevada, still has more than a thousand Angus-cross calves left to wean. It’s been a decent year at the 200,000-acre spread, with enough forage for the 2,000 mother cows and their calves. Water, however, has been a concern—a perpetual one—with summer temperatures […]
I have a type when it comes to chickens. I like pretty, unique-looking birds with sweet personalities. If you feel the same, cinnamon queens are worth checking out. These prolific layers get along with anyone and they offer up heaps of brown eggs for most of the year. They’re not flashy as some birds, but…
On a smattering of farms across the United States, but especially in the rainy stretches of the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region, an increasing share of land is being devoted to flax. The crop itself is hardly new. It’s most prevalent today in states such as North Dakota and Montana, where it’s grown […]
When you pull a pie crust out of the freezer aisle at the grocery store or a sleeve of cookies off the shelf, it’s likely that one of the ingredients they contain is dietary fat, such as soybean or palm oil. These oils are agricultural products, but do they have to be? A new study […]
I never thought I’d be interested in keeping bantams. Even now, I have only a few tiny birds in my flock. But once you meet Serama chickens, you’ll always want a few in your flock. Bantams are often miniature versions of larger chicken breeds, but a few breeds are only bantam-sized birds. Seabrights, Pekins, and…
When the U.S. Department of Agriculture denied Albert Johnson Sr.’s application for a farm loan in the mid-1980s, he went to a private lender who made him list as collateral all 20 of his cattle and his one bull. “I stood a chance of losing my livestock,” Johnson wrote in a 1999 affidavit to receive […]
Keeping bees is a complex endeavor that involves developing a relationship with a society of beings completely different from humans. As living beings, bees of different species have different traits. Their production, habits and temperament vary from one type to another. Their needs also vary. Read on to learn more on how to start beekeeping. […]
A thriving bee colony stores up plenty of honey to meet its winter needs, so in the best case scenario, your bees will not need extra food provided during the wintertime. Unfortunately, for the last few years weather conditions have been unpredictable and less than ideal around the globe. This situation often leaves bee colonies […]
If you’re a beekeeper or an aspiring beekeeper and you’re lucky enough to spot a swarm of bees, you’ll surely want to gather them up and take them home. How do you do that, and what do you do after you’ve gotten them home? In this article, we discuss what to do after catching a […]
One of the biggest challenges in beekeeping is moving hives. While it would be nice to never have to move a beehive from one place to another, the fact is this is often a very necessary aspect of this enjoyable activity. Naturally, if you must move your beehive a short or long distance, you want […]
A nuc box is like a starter box for a new bee colony. It is typically a small hive with between three and five frames. You should start out with a mated, accepted queen and at least three frames that are already filled with honey and brood and are fully drawn out. In this article, […]
Chicken health is so important in the home flock. Your layers are certainly not a feed-and-forget animal. You have to keep an eye on them at all times. Learn their behaviors and personalities, and investigate any bird you think doesn’t look healthy. Egg binding is a life-threatening situation that can cause severe pain and discomfort…
It’s important to treat bees for mites in a proactive manner at all times. Varroa mite management is an important and necessary aspect of serious beekeeping. A varroa mite infestation can quickly cause high failure, and it is often difficult to detect these tiny invaders. Many times, beekeepers believe that their hives have failed because […]
There are quite a few factors and specific conditions that encourage bees to swarm. If you are in search of a swarm of honeybees to bring home, you need to understand these factors and conditions. In this article, we discuss what makes bees swarm, how you can find them; how to attract a swarm of […]
Tony Prendergast’s XK Bar Ranch sits slightly south of Crawford, Colorado, near the Smith Fork of the North Fork of the Gunnison River on the southern edge of the agriculturally rich North Fork Valley. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison lies to the southwest. The 260-acre ranch butts up against the West Elk Mountains, four […]
In the wintertime, bees rely on the honey that they have made and stored in order to survive the cold weather. During the coldest months, bees cluster together in a ball to keep warm. They generate heat by vibrating their bodies, and this activity is very energy consuming. That’s why it’s so important that the […]
Populations of all sorts of bees are declining at an alarming rate, and this endangers production of food for people and all creatures on earth. Surprisingly, individual gardeners can help with this problem significantly by making bee-friendly plant choices. In this article, we discuss the importance of planting ornamental, fruit and vegetable crops that are […]
For centuries, hedgerows defined the boundaries of agriculture. A hedgerow can be made up of any densely planted growth bordering a field that is cultivated to create a barrier. A traditional European hedgerow is a carefully grown, trained and woven-together series of small trees and shrubs that provide living fencing. But a hedgerow can also […]
As fall moves into winter, chicken keepers face a seasonal shift — their hens are molting, and egg production slows or stops. Our chickens are molting so hard it looks like one of them exploded in the enclosure. Feathers everywhere! One key strategy I take to support my small flock this time of year is […]
If you have a beehive on your property that recently became inactive, you might be wondering, “can you eat honey from a dead hive?” In most cases, yes, you can – but there are some caveats and tips to heed if you decide to do so. Figuring Out Why Your Hive Died – and What […]
Smoke is the traditional way to keep bees calm, and beekeepers have been using this method for many centuries. Even so, there are many reasons for not wanting to use smoke around your farm or homestead. In this article, we discuss some alternate and safer methods for keeping your bees calm (including the video below). […]
If you have dogs, you know that they’re joyful members of the family. My dogs get extra treats on all the holidays. But not all dog treats are healthy for your dog, and some are tastier and healthier than others. Different dogs like different flavors. One of my dogs loves carrots, while the other will…
The main goal of any owner of chickens is to keep them (and yourself) healthy. Sometimes, you can’t avoid a virus or bacteria infecting your flock, but other times, many of these pathogens are avoidable through good hygiene. Avian salmonellosis is one such example. Although there are instances of wild birds spreading this disease to…
For most people, it can be hard to imagine a society framed around animal rights. What would it look like? How would it work? And why, given humankind’s historic reliance on animals for food and resources, might we even consider it? In his new book, What are Animal Rights For?, author Steve Cooke acknowledges this […]
Raising little critters on your homestead can take a lot out of you. Not only does it take money from your pockets to feed them, but you worry about their health, too. Growing fodder is a great way to save money on the feed bill and provide your animals with much-needed nutrients and fresh food, […]
Because we live off-grid in northern New England, our chickens must be tough. Norwegian Jærhøns are some of the hardiest chickens in the world. Their small bodies and moderate combs are designed to withstand severe cold. But they also thrive in hot weather – the same small, light bodies that help them conserve energy in…
When Leanna Maksymiuk started keeping sheep at Lone Sequoia Ranch, her business in British Columbia, she did it with a direct interest in fiber art. Today, she has a flock of 25 sheep, mostly Navajo-Churros, animals not common in Canada. There was a ready market for their wool, and when she started selling it, she […]
On a Wednesday morning in July, Justin Brown got up early in the morning—really early. It was 2 am, but he washed and dressed, and then hopped on his computer and fired up Zoom. For the next three hours, while most Iowans slept, he was teaching farmers in Ukraine how to raise pigs. It’s not […]
Isbar chickens are stunning, powerhouse layers. This relatively new and unfinished breed was explicitly developed as a layer that consistently produces green eggs. Unlike olive eggers, that color is a set part of their genetics. That means you can continue to breed Isbar and maintain a self-refreshing flock of green egg-laying chickens. Along with producing…
Taking responsibility for an epidemic of climate disasters is something no individual can or should do, but making more responsible choices in your day-to-day life can have a bigger impact than you might initially believe. In a recent peer-reviewed analysis published in the journal Science Advances, the authors warn that we have crossed six of […]
When John Shaw took over as executive director of the Westport Maritime Museum in 2014, beach clean-ups practically came with the job. Walking along the beaches in southwest Washington state, volunteers would find the usual suspects—bits of plastic, water bottles, styrofoam—but there was something else that kept popping up over and over again in the […]
The vast majority—97 percent—of the earth’s water is salt water found in our oceans. Another two percent is stored in ice caps or glaciers. That leaves just one percent of all water on earth for regular human use: eating, drinking and growing food. And we’re dealing with an ever-dwindling supply. A 2013 study showed that […]
If you like colorful eggs and want consistent blue shells from a medium-sized and attractive chicken, Whiting true blue is for you. They add color to your flock, are heat tolerant, and have a disposition suited to being introduced to your current birds. They are happy to free-range, and the blue egg consistency carries through…
Sponsored By: The Anderson’s Plant Nutrient Organic farmers face challenges to provide essential micronutrients to their crops efficiently which are vital for plant health. However, there are tools available to help face this challenge. One of the tools available to growers is the use of granular micronutrients for organic crop production. These granular micronutrients can […]
There are five key rules to follow when making bourbon whiskey. First, it must be distilled in the United States, and it must be a grain mixture with at least 51 percent corn mash. There can be no additives for color or flavor, and the alcohol content must be at least 80 proof at the […]
Obscene quantities of recently baked croissants, cases of non-expired milk and pallets of still-fresh produce are relegated to the dumpsters behind grocery stores, restaurants and cafes every day, all over the world. In 2021 alone, retailers were left with 5.12 million tons of surplus food, much of which ended up in a landfill—all while 10 […]
Many homesteaders keep goats for a variety of reasons. Whether for breeding, milking, meat, or simply as family pets, you want to keep them as healthy as possible. Growing certain plants for goats can benefit their health and lowers feed costs. There are also plants you can grow as a treat for them. Most goats…
For Cory Carman, choosing to raise cattle outside of the feedlot system always seemed intuitive. Upon leaving her family farm to study agriculture at Stanford, she took up a work-study program investigating the economic viability of grass-fed beef. “It was the first time I’d been around a lot of people that really thought eating beef […]
Alison Van Eenennaam, a professor at the University of California, Davis, has a few very pregnant patients to look after this fall and into the new year. These patients require some extra care, as they’re carrying experimental fetuses. Van Eenennaam, a professor of animal biotechnology, implanted embryos this spring in a herd of cattle, which […]
Chris Rauch was strolling past booths at the annual ag show in Spokane last summer when he spotted a large jar full of basalt powder. A nearby sign urged him to spread it on his croplands to help improve soil pH. Rauch looked at the gray dust and shook his head. “That’s crazy,” he thought. […]
Fish need a healthy environment to thrive, and since they rely on you for everything, you need to develop the right ecosystem for fish in your care. Besides the obvious requirements like water, the right temperature, and appropriate food, you also need to consider oxygen levels, safety, cleaning, and maintenance. These factors change depending on…
“Why can we only get lamb in the US, as opposed to mutton?” That’s what Bobbie Kramer, a veterinarian near Portland, Oregon, was wondering when she responded to our recent call for reader questions about where their food comes from. “As a meat eater, I enjoy the flavor and texture of lamb. But I’d love […]