Recently, there have been a number of lawsuits filed in the state of North Carolina against Smithfield Foods. In fact, there are over 20 nuisance lawsuits against pig farms, waiting in the coffers. Three have already been through the court system and Smithfield has lost all three cases. The lawsuits are nuisance lawsuits filed by neighbors led by an out-of-state…
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Learning never stops for teachers. Especially for 40 teachers located from all areas of Minnesota. They embarked on a two-day ag tour visiting ag businesses and farms in southern Minnesota. The bus trip, sponsored by Minnesota Soybean and Minnesota Ag in the Classroom (program to increase ag literacy), was the first-ever educational tour where teachers could learn about agriculture and…
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Ag in the Classroom activity for preschoolers. This is a short 10-15 minute activity. You can add in reading a book on YouTube such as Big Red Barn with the activity. Preschoolers love farm animals and they will truly enjoy this lesson. Here are the two handouts needed. What do we get from farm animals – Handout #1 (Pdf file)…
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Farm life is very different from my city friends’ lives. And it’s really hard to explain. Here are just a few struggles that I face that my city friends don’t know. 1. Mealtime is non-structured. Mealtime can be a struggle. Since there is no such thing as an 8-5 job on the farm, your evening meal could be anywhere from…
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I have been asked to post an update on our pigs. If you recall, a few weeks ago I talked about how very sick our pigs were. In fact, the worst we have seen in many years. And I am also going to give my two-cents worth on the tariff issue. Sick Pig Update The sickness all started about the…
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There are just some days that certain words and phrases drive us completely nuts. In fact, there are 10 words that drive farmers crazy. Let’s take a look at the list. 1. Factory Farm If I had to narrow this list from 10 to 1, this is the word I would choose. Drives me nuts. In agriculture, we know that…
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Perhaps one of the most common questions I am asked in regards to pesticides is, “Is Glyphosate Safe?” So let’s take a closer look at this topic. What is Glyphosate? Glyphosate is a herbicide introduced by Monsanto and used by farmers to help control weeds. Glyphosate is also known as RoundUp. On our farm, we have used glyphosate for many…
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My mom loved to cook and bake. This recipe was one she made often, not only for us to eat at home, but she often shared them with friends and family. My mom passed away almost two years ago and I thought maybe it’s time I share some of her recipes. Family favorites. The recipes I share will be simple,…
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In this world of 24-hour news coverage, it is hard to find a feel-good message. And it’s always good to hear an uplifting story, even in the face of a tragedy. And that is exactly what our small community experienced recently. Many of you may have heard of the devastating explosion/fire that occurred at an elevator in our community. I…
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A guest blog post by Kristeena Patsche I know I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again. Dating a farmer is something you really have to adjust to. It is not an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job and your date night or dinner conversations revolve a little too much around the latest and greatest equipment (that he wants…
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Death doesn’t stop the world from turning, even though we want it to so we can make sense of it all. My dad passed away about a month ago and my mom a little over a year ago. Figuring out life with no parents takes time. Time to grieve and time to self-reflect. It doesn’t matter your age – it…
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