This will be an ongoing topic for a potpourri of things pertaining to rural living in general. It could be sharing your new adventures with chickens, what you've been up to on the homestead, or perhaps asking a question. Pretty much anything goes here.

This is an ongoing topic.

For Village of Owego resident Tamara Gates, the new “Comfort Cottage Hens” chicken coop in her backyard is a sanctuary of sorts, a place to seek refuge and peace. It’s there she greets, feeds, and spends time with eleven of her new feathered friends.

Tamara explained that when she’s not having a good day, visiting the chicken coop quickly changes her mood, and the experience uplifts her and has become an extension of support for her well-being. Tamara requires full use of a wheelchair due to the loss of use in her legs, and her immune system is compromised due to medical issues. 

Tamara’s partner, Doug Weeks, put his many talents to work in the early spring to build what the couple believes is the first ADA-Compliant Chicken Coop and Run in the state. For Tamara, it’s a welcome addition where she can more easily tend to the chickens.

Backyard chicken keepers often name their chickens, too, as Tamara and Doug have done, and, in turn, become part of the family just like any other animal raised at home.

Read the rest here.

What do you think: Do you think people in suburban and urban areas should be allowed to keep chickens in their backyard?

What do you think, would you quit your day job to start a small farm?

An American Farm Bureau Federation survey released in April reported that 70% of respondents said they couldn't afford all the fertilizer they needed this season.

Some farmers are more vulnerable to price swings than others. Producers of corn and wheat, which rely heavily on fertilizer, can spend around a third of their operating costs on fertilizer alone. Half of the farmers who responded to a survey released by the National Corn Growers Association in early April said they wouldn't apply the full amount of fertilizer to their corn crop this year, due largely to higher costs and limited availability.

Because farmers often secure their fertilizer stores well before a growing season begins, some weren't seriously affected by the price swings created by the war in Iran. (Iran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz shortly after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel at the end of February. U.S. corn growing season typically begins in April.) But they are worried about the future: corn growers who responded to the survey were twice as concerned about the 2027 corn crop as they were about this year's.

This season, some farmers may opt to plant crops that require less nitrogen fertilizer than corn, such as soy beans, in response to rising costs.

According to USDA data, farmers are expected to plant 95.3 million acres of corn this year, down from 98.8 million acres last year. But the total acreage of soybeans is predicted to rise to 85.4 million acres this year from 81.2 million acres last year.

Source

Three more cases of the New World screwworm have been confirmed, including one outside the main cluster in Texas, demonstrating the difficulty of stopping a resurgent pest that could devastate the nation’s cattle industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday.

The screwworm is actually a fly larva that eats living flesh instead of dead material. The flies lay their eggs in open wounds of animals like cattle, but wildlife, pets and occasionally even humans can be infested. The government has a program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, which kept screwworm contained at the southern end of Panama for decades.

So far, there are five confirmed cases: three calves and a goat in Texas and a dog from neighboring Lea County, New Mexico. The small dog, which the USDA initially reported as a Texas case, lives in New Mexico and was reclassified as the first in that state.

Source

by Adam Gallaher

The state of New York could meet its goal of building 46 gigawatts of large-scale solar by midcentury, but not without making difficult choices in how land is usedacross the state.

That’s the overall finding of an analysis several colleagues and I have made in that state. It’s an issue that other states, and the U.S. as a whole, are facing as they seek to shift electricity generation from fossil fuels to renewable sources, such as wind and solar.

The question of land use arises because power plants that burn coal and natural gas can produce large amounts of electricity from relatively small areas of land – but solar requires more space to generate the same amount of electricity.

That means deciding which land to build on, and why.

It’s often convenient to build solar projects in pastures and hay fields, for instance. But the dairy industry and agriculture more generally are key components in New York state’s economy, and building in agricultural areas would leave less land for those important industries. However, protecting farmland could lead solar developers to consider using existing forests. Yet forests not only soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping reduce the effects of fossil-fuel emissions that are changing the global climate, but also support biodiversity by providing important habitat for wildlife. Basically, deciding to prioritize one type of land use means shifting that amount of development pressure to land now being used for other purposes.

As a geographer, I study these trade-offs and their inherent tensions to better understand how to determine the best way to use a particular piece of land to reduce carbon emissions. One of the primary obstacles to building more large-scale solar is the drawn-out debate over where to put it. Typical decision-making factors include farmland loss, wildlife habitat, rural landscapes and who ultimately uses the energy. The results will determine who benefits from the expansion of renewable energy and who bears the ecological and social costs.

A changing energy landscape

Solar energy is the fastest-growing source of electricity in the U.S., with nearly 397 gigawatts waiting to come on line as of 2025. Of that, 70 gigawatts of generating capacity is expected to come on line in 2026 and 2027 – on top of the nearly 148 gigawatts operating at the end of 2025.

This represents progress toward reducing carbon emissions but also requires vast tracts of repurposed land. For example, a 100-megawatt solar project could require approximately 417 acres of land, roughly the same area as 316 American football fields, based on a conservative power density of 0.24 megawatts per acre. Therefore, the 70 gigawatts of solar energy expected to come on line in the next two years will require just over 320,000 acres of land, or about 242,424 football fields, about 53% of which is expected to displace farmland. Additionally, those projects are expected to replace roughly 22,000 acres of forest and just under 10,000 acres of wetlands.

Dual-use alternatives

Energy, agriculture and conservation don’t have to be mutually exclusive uses of land. Instead, land can be managed more efficiently by integrating multiple uses, commonly referred to as colocation.

Grazing livestock or growing crops underneath or between rows of raised solar panels, known as agrivoltaics, is one way to keep land available for agriculture while also generating electricity.

Another approach, known as ecovoltaics, involves designing solar projects to equally support renewable energy and ecosystem services, such as providing habitat for pollinators or reducing evaporation in stressed arid ecosystems.

Another emerging alternative involves solar panels that are constructed to float on water rather than being mounted on land.

These approaches won’t work everywhere, but they demonstrate that, with careful thought, more renewable energy doesn’t have to hurt the environment. Specific project proposals, evaluations by local planning boards and input from the public can consider more than the costs and electricity generated from new projects. They can also take into account how plants and animals will be affected and the degree to which the land use really must change to accommodate the addition of solar panels.

As New York, and the U.S. as a whole, seeks to achieve renewable energy goals to help fight climate change, I believe discussions will be more productive if they expand beyond just how much generating capacity can be built, but where and how it is constructed.

Adam Gallaher is Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies at Central Michigan University.

This article is shared from The Conversation through a Creative Commons license.

by Bret R. Shaw

People who shop at the more than 8,700 farmers markets operating in the U.S.either year-round or seasonally generally fall into six distinct groups. Three of them are more interested in farmers markets than the others. I study local food systems as a strategic communications scholar, and that’s the main takeaway from a study that I conducted with several colleagues.

As we explained in the March 2026 edition of British Food Journal, people who fall into those groups have different levels of interest in farmers markets but also have some things in common. Most people who shop at them are motivated to go because they want healthy, fresh food, they support local farmers and they think going to the farmers market is fun.

This is not a niche activity. An earlier study I worked on found that 81% of U.S. adults said that they shop at a farmers market at least once a year.

For both studies, we pulled survey data from a nationally representative sample of 5,141 U.S. consumers that was conducted Aug. 2-11, 2023. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

Researchers define farmers markets and local food in different ways. So we asked respondents to simply think of farmers markets as places where they can buy food directly from more than one vendor and where all or most of the items are locally grown, raised or made. We defined local food as being grown in their state or 250 miles or less from their homes.

Highly engaged, health-focused and emerging interest

We determined that about 18% of those surveyed are “highly engaged” farmers market shoppers. They care a lot about food and enjoy buying, preparing and eating fresh food. They are excited about many aspects of farmers markets, which are places where this group shops for a variety of reasons, such as supporting local farmers, buying nutritious, delicious food and connecting with community.

Nearly 65% of these shoppers were women. This group was the most diverse, with 27% of respondents identifying as Hispanic, 20% Black and 4% multiracial. They also had significantly lower average annual household incomes than other groups, averaging US$40,000-$50,000.

We found that another 18% of the people surveyed were “health-focused.” Like the highly engaged shoppers, they make buying and eating healthy food a high priority. However, this group doesn’t enjoy cooking as much. The health-focused group tends to avoid genetically modified foods, as well as convenient options like takeout food, frozen dinners and microwave-ready meals.

About 58% of them were women and their average age was 57, making them the oldest of the groups. Roughly 70% of the health-focused group was white, making it less diverse than the highly engaged group but more diverse than some of the other groups.

Finally, about 19% of the respondents were what we called “emerging interest” farmers market shoppers. They value convenience and learning about food. This group was the most likely to see going to the farmers market as a fun activity.

Emerging interest shoppers were nearly evenly split by gender, with 52% women. Their average age was 44 years old, making them the youngest of the groups.

It’s not always a love of radishes that draws shoppers to these stalls. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Convenience, practicality and happenstance

We also identified three groups of consumers who were less interested in farmers markets than the highly engaged, health-focused and emerging interest shoppers, even if some of them do occasionally shop at the markets anyway.

About 16% of farmers market shoppers are people we identified as “convenience” shoppers. They are more likely to eat frozen dinners and buy takeout. They rarely cook meals from scratch using produce and other fresh ingredients.

About 43% of them say they never or rarely shop at a farmers market. Around 59% of them are men and 37% are people of color.

Tashana Small sells mac and cheese ‘cupcakes’ topped with pulled pork, Buffalo chicken tenders and Cajun shrimp at a farmers market on Long Island in 2023. Erica Marcus/Newsday RM via Getty Images

Roughly 17% of these shoppers fall into a “practical” category. They methodically plan their grocery shopping and are among the least interested in farmers markets, with more than half saying that they either rarely or never shop at them.

Practical consumers were close to evenly split by gender; 53% were women. Their income tended to be the highest of the groups, typically in the $60,000-$75,000 range.

We called the 12% of the shoppers in the final group we surveyed “uninvolved.” This group showed very little interest in farmers markets or any other food-related activities. About 3 in 4 rarely or never go to farmers markets. Nearly 70% of uninvolved farmers market shoppers were men and 76% were white.

When someone in the uninvolved group goes to a farmers market, they may be going out of happenstance or because someone in their life wants them to go – not due to any personal interest.

If you forget, you’ll miss it

We believe this information could help farmers markets better serve their customers and perhaps attract more shoppers.

People can, of course, go to farmers markets for more than one reason, and not everybody fits neatly into one of these categories. And everyone we surveyed had something in common: Forgetting to go was the biggest reason shoppers of all kinds didn’t make a trip to the farmers market in a given week.

Bret R. Shaw is Professor of Life Sciences Communication at University of Wisconsin-Madison. This article originally appeared on The Conversation and is shared through a Creative Commons License.

Question: Do you frequent area farmers markets? Why or why not? If not, what could be done to make them more appealing to you as a shopper?

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ( DEC ), adult male bears are usually the first to emerge and may have lost up to 30 percent of their body weight, while females with nursing cubs emerge later and may have lost up to 40 percent of their body weight. Bears are especially hungry in the spring due to depleted fat reserves and will search extensively for easily obtainable, calorie dense foods.

While bears have access to plenty of natural foods in the spring, they will readily use human food sources such as bird feeders, unsecured garbage, chicken coops, apiaries, or messy grills and pet food left outdoors. Continued access to human food sources can make bears bolder, which can lead to an escalation in human-bear conflicts around homes and residential areas. To avoid bear conflicts on your property, take a few steps to prepare in early spring:

• If you choose to feed birds in areas with bears, empty/remove your feeders and clean up spilled seed before early March. Let nature feed the birds from spring through fall.

• Make sure garbage cans are secured and stored in a sturdy building.

• Clean or remove all residual grease and food from grills and store all pet food inside.

• Consider installing an electric fence around chicken coops or apiaries to protect your flock and hives.

• If you are taking a trip to bear country, take a few minutes while planning your visit to review the basics of coexisting with bears.

• Remember that DEC regulations prohibit the intentional feeding of black bears.

DEC officials say that by taking some time to remove and/or secure food sources that might attract bears, you help keep bears away from people, homes and neighborhoods. This helps keep bears healthy, wild, and safe. Do your part and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

For more information on how to live responsibly with black bears, please visit DEC's Be BearWise webpage and BearWise.org.

The 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show’s opening day on Saturday started bright and early for many visitors.

Carrie Shreve of Derry Township and her granddaughter Macie Lilley, 9, of Harrisburg, arrived at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg at 7:30 a.m.

“It took barely anything to get in here. We parked in the main lot,” Shreve said. “I never missed a Farm Show in my entire life.”

The two started their day with a breakfast of champions — potato doughnuts and milkshakes — before following their annual tradition of taking in the opening day sights.

Visitors have eight days to attend the Farm Show, which runs through Jan. 17 under the theme “Growing a Nation.” Admission is free and parking is $15.

Judging by Saturday’s crowds, the show is off to a robust start. By mid-morning, the complex’s hallways were crowded with visitors. Outside, the main parking lots filled up as traffic was stacked, but moving along Cameron Street.

Read the rest here.

In the garden, herbs are forgiving plants. They aren’t fussy about soil pH, almost never need fertilizer, and can power through if you occasionally forget to water them.

But when the weather turns cold and their outdoor beds become inhospitable, I grow some of my culinary friends on a sunny kitchen windowsill, even as they become more needy.

I say “some” because herbs are tricky plants to grow indoors. Dill and fennel have large root systems, making them impractical contenders for indoor pots. Basil tends to grow straggly because it requires intense sunlight, which is just about impossible to achieve indoors. And the way lavender and chamomile spread makes them best left outdoors.

Rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme and bay laurel, however, will get by indoors if cared for properly. Parsley may grow well, too, but only if planted in a deep pot, provided with supplemental artificial lighting and fertilized regularly. Cilantro is hit or miss, but there’s no harm in giving it a try.

Read the rest here.

Kevin Deinert grows soybeans and corn and also raises cattle on his family's farm near Mitchell, South Dakota Kirk Siegler/NPR

Kevin Deinert farms the same land his great-great-grandfather did near Mitchell, South Dakota, about 80 miles from the Iowa state line.

"I'd be probably the fifth generation, I've got sons, that'd be the sixth that possibly would want to take over the farm," Deinert says over the hum of his tractor.

Lately it's a fight to just stay in business one year to the next, never mind legacies. Deinert is 38, in a thick, worn hoodie, his brown hair cut short. He climbs out of his tractor and onto the slush in front of four-story high grain bins.

They're still full of soybeans.

"Too full," he says.

Deinert is hoping to store them a few more months, hang on until maybe prices go up and there's a new trade deal with China, historically the Dakotas' biggest buyer.

"We haven't seen anything in writing, and until we do it's hard to get overly excited, we're optimistic," he says.

Read the rest here.