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I SAT IN ON A SESSION LAST FALL at the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union convention in Denver, Colorado. As I listened to the farmers and ranchers talk about their experiences, I was struck by the open dialogue between them. They were from a spectrum of agriculture—cattle ranches, fruit orchards and row crop farms. But they were connected by their willingness to share advice and ideas with one another. Here at Farm & Ranch Living we want to help facilitate that exchange of ideas. This issue contains a few new columns designed to help you connect with fellow farmers. Those new to agriculture and in need of a little advice can reach out and ask a question; we’ll track down readers who have the answer. Find this helpful exchange of ideas…
GROUSE GUESTS I enjoyed the “Life with Mildred” story in your October/November 2017 issue. I had a similar experience with a grouse that stayed with us for nearly a year and a half. My neighbor also had the same type of frequent visitor. But it seems to happen more often than we realize. Another Vermonter, Vivian Miller Moore, penned a book, Paddy: A Ruffed Grouse Chooses Our Farm, about her winged friend. And Gardiner Bump, along with a few others, studied these curious birds in New York state during the 1930s. They chronicled their findings in The Ruffed Grouse: Life History, Propagation, Management. CATHERINE SWENSON RANDOLPH, VERMONT Dogs of Honor My two dogs, Sugar and Roxanne, are quite comfortable with being in the spotlight; they starred in your October/November 2017…
OVERHEARD We took the kids to a farm to see the animals. The cattle were grazing in the field. One of the kids noticed their ear tags and said, “Look, Mommy. They still have price tags on.” OLIVE SAYERS Youngstown, New York Faces of the Future The number of fresh faces in the under-35 farming crowd is growing for only the second time in the past 100 years. Meet up with some of these young ’uns at the Feb. 16-19 Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference in Reno, Nevada. regonline.com/YFRLeadershipConference2018 Rooted By Roots It may be a humble root vegetable, but Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack elevates to rock-star levels at the annual Holtville Carrot Festival. This California town proclaims itself the “Carrot Capital of…
PASSENGER CHICKEN Ryan Wheat, age 5, gave his chicken Callie a tractor ride at his family’s farm in Soldotna, Alaska. Callie rode around on Ryan’s head for quite some time, and Ryan really enjoyed it, says his mom, Amber Wheat. WHAT’S SO FUNNY? My granddaughter Jody Jensen lives on a large cattle ranch in northern Utah. She loves the rural life, is an expert rider, and she can rope with the best. Her favorite activities include branding and riding barrels at the rodeo. Here, she shares a moment of humor with one of her horses. BRENT JENSEN NIBLEY, UTAH FARMER IN TRAINING I snapped this photo of my 1-year-old son, Simon, with his grandfather, “Papa Ed,” checking out cattle. Grandpa has a herd of 200-plus beef cattle on Gingerich Farms…
NAMES: Hazel and Bernice BREED: Great Pyrenees AGE: 4 years HOME: Pecatonica, IL JOB: Goat guards STRENGTH: Cuddliness Here at Short Leg Farm, a lively herd of 42 goats fuels my artisan soap and cheese business. I named my company Gretta’s Goats in their honor. Hand-milking more than three dozen goats is a demanding and hectic job, but luckily I have my two Great Pyrenees dogs, Hazel and Bernice, to help keep everyone in line. I found this canine duo on a Tennessee goat farm when they were just puppies. Now the girls are 4 years old. Hazel’s and Bernice’s job is to protect the herd. Hazel is a born leader, and she is in charge. She is the first to spot a hawk or hear an odd noise. Bernice…
MAPLE STICKY BUNS My family has a small sugaring operation in our backyard. This recipe makes good use of the maple syrup we produce. Everyone loves eating these sticky buns year after year. PRISCILLA ROSSI EAST BARRE, VERMONT PREP: 30 min. + chilling • BAKE: 25 min. • YIELD: 21/2 dozen INGREDIENTS 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast 2 cups warm water (110° to 115°) 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg 2 tsp. salt 6-61/2 cups all-purpose flour 6 Tbsp. butter, softened 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 11/2 cups maple syrup Additional brown sugar DIRECTIONS 1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in water. Add shortening, sugar, egg, salt and 5 cups flour. Beat until smooth.…
