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Columnists

Don’t confuse popularity with expertise when deciding who speaks for American ranchers

Don’t confuse popularity with expertise when deciding who speaks for American ranchers

  • Jaclyn Wilson

If there was ever a week that demonstrated just how quickly the political winds surrounding the American beef industry can shift, this was it.

You can’t outrun the bear

You can’t outrun the bear

  • Michael Baron

How do you guaranteed to make passing on your estate “equitable” between all the children? There are many ways to accomplish this.

When company was coming: What the farm used to teach us about talking to people

When company was coming: What the farm used to teach us about talking to people

  • Colleen Stegenga

"Growing up, few things beat the excitement of company coming to visit. Farm life can be isolating, and it was no different when I was a kid, but those visits were the cure."

Relish the flavors of autumn

Relish the flavors of autumn

  • Sheri Poore

From beets to cabbage, make use of garden abundance with these relish recipes. 

Lessons learned in Lyman County

Lessons learned in Lyman County

  • Jim Woster

"Life lessons originated with Dad and Uncle Frank Woster. Neither was aware that they were teaching while driving to Reliance or Kennebec, but with their nonstop chatter, they were doing just that."

Goodbye, Dolly

Goodbye, Dolly

  • Katelyn Winberg

I found Dolly Parton when she was at the end of her career. She was a living legend, instead of a stubborn country girl determined to climb the charts.

Comfort food or 'never eat it again'

Comfort food or 'never eat it again'

  • Brent Olson

"A friend of my sister's likes duck eggs. Every now and then we accumulate a dozen or so and she seems grateful."

Hayfield fiasco puts Boss Man in his place

Hayfield fiasco puts Boss Man in his place

  • Jaclyn Wilson

"If he had “constructive criticism,” he also had to acknowledge the good work, too. That’s a struggle for most ranchers, it seems."

Capped hocks common in show cattle. Here's what you need to know

Capped hocks common in show cattle. Here's what you need to know

  • Lainie Kringen-Scholtz

The observant cattleman or horseman look at every little detail when it comes to their livestock and horses. Swellings and asymmetries catch our eye quickly. Calcaneal bursitis or “capped hocks” are one of those that will make us all look twice. Here’s what you need to know.

August abundance for the table

August abundance for the table

  • Sheri Poore

Here's a jump-start on a fresh batch of reader recipes, using the final hurrah of summer’s garden produce.

Preparing for the busy season: Minding your mind, body and spirit before harvest hits

Preparing for the busy season: Minding your mind, body and spirit before harvest hits

  • Colleen Stegenga

There's a particular feeling that shows up on the farm every year around this time. The school supply lists start circulating, the light changes just slightly in the evenings, and somewhere in the back of my mind a quiet countdown begins: harvest is coming and summer is coming to an end.

The high cost of caring for your pets

The high cost of caring for your pets

  • Lainie Kringen-Scholtz

The cost of care for the lifetime of a dog can be anywhere from $19,000 to $55,000. Horses are astronomically more expensive to own. The lifetime cost of a horse can be anywhere from $300,000 to $925,000.

No succession plan? Why would family stay on the ranch?

No succession plan? Why would family stay on the ranch?

  • Jaclyn Wilson

"The older generation not only refused to have those discussions but also provided no thoughts on what the future could potentially look like. How discouraging."

Life estate tenants want to move buildings

Life estate tenants want to move buildings

  • Michael Baron

Dear Michael: I have an unusual situation. Years ago, I came back to farm with my parents. At the time, they thought it would be a good idea to set up a life estate with me as the remainderman.

Reverberations of an empty nest

Reverberations of an empty nest

  • Terry Woster

"When our youngest child left for college, I was prepared for the house to be a little quiet. I wasn’t prepared for the silence to fall over the house like a thick quilt."

Summer a time for family connection

Summer a time for family connection

  • Jim Woster

"I remember piling into our house for a meal and at bedtime, sleeping wherever there was a spot, including on the floor."

The friends that come and go

The friends that come and go

  • Brent Olson

"You watch kids grow up, become fond of them, then they graduate and they’re gone out of your life."

The 10 laws of agriculture

The 10 laws of agriculture

  • Jaclyn Wilson

"Law No. 1: Livestock know when you are in a hurry. They also know when you are wearing good clothes."

Strangles a highly contagious disease in horses

Strangles a highly contagious disease in horses

  • Lainie Kringen-Scholtz

There is no disease in equine medicine that is more annoying than strangles. The clinical signs vary from very mild to very severe, and it is highly contagious. Here is what you need to know.

Teaching young people about the business of farming

  • Michael Baron

Dear Michael: We have been farming with our son for about five years now. We had him on wages for a time but we recently shifted him to shares in the operation. That is when the trouble started.

Canning, freezing and coping

Canning, freezing and coping

  • Colleen Stegenga

"This work is preparation, and preparation is one of the most powerful tools we have for our mental health."

Jim’s near miss

Jim’s near miss

  • Jim Woster

"I told them we needed a few more weeks to think about it, and it was on the way home to Sioux Falls that whoever was quietly in charge, perhaps that higher power, hit me right between the eyes with reality."

Twenty-five years of irrigation data shows shifting trends at county-level

Twenty-five years of irrigation data shows shifting trends at county-level

  • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

New county-level data shows U.S. irrigated farmland grew by more than 3 million acres between 1997 and 2022—but the national number hides a much more interesting story playing out county by county.

Lunch vs. dinner vs. supper

Lunch vs. dinner vs. supper

  • Sheri Poore

When I was growing up, there were three meals and one substantial snack every day. Breakfast was in the morning, of course. Dinner was at noon. Lunch was about 4 p.m., after school and before milking time. And supper was the evening meal, after the cows were milked.

Do your research

Do your research

  • Jaclyn Wilson

"The farm bill write up is going on right now, and somehow mandatory country of origin labeling or MCOOL has reared its ugly head again." Jaclyn Wilson breaks down the points against mandatory labeling, but you should do your own reserach, too.

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