Opinion columns

Columns

12 ways to embrace the culture of agriculture and rural America

"The culture of agriculture in the holiday season and throughout the year needs preserving and to continue into our kids and future generations," Katie Pinke says.

Columns

Let us know what you want to see in Agweek

If you take our Agweek survey, you can get entered to win a $500 Visa gift card. Plus, you'll be giving us valuable insights into how we can keep producing the ag news you care about most.

December 01, 2022 05:30 AM

Columns

Fruitcake and mishaps surround memories of the season

Mychal Wilmes remembers how his mother's baking was a balm even when things went wrong.

November 29, 2022 05:30 AM

A gravel road with grass and tries on either side.

Columns

Giving thanks for agriculture

Ann Bailey explains why she's thankful for agriculture in professional and personal life.

November 28, 2022 05:30 AM

Latest Headlines

Columns

Proud 'farm son' looks at farm wives' varied, essential roles

No two "farm wives" are the same, Jonathan Knutson writes. But their contributions to an operation's success can be many.

November 26, 2022 05:30 AM

By Jonathan Knutson

Columns

How can you contribute 'To Make the Best Better' through 4-H engagement?

Katie Pinke looks at the positive impact of 4-H on youth.

November 25, 2022 05:30 AM

By Katie Pinke

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Columns

Protecting livestock from disease is an important job

Mychal Wilmes reflects on "metal illness" and other things that can hurt livestock and the livestock industry.

November 22, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes

In the foreground is a metal fence, with icicles hanging from it. There is snow on the ground and clinging to vegetation. In the background, a group of well-conditioned red heifers look on from inside a corral.

Columns

Ranchers weren't ready for the snow, but they're doing what they need to do anyway

"It's pretty easy to forget that the rest of us can stay inside and not deal with these things only because there are people who willingly go outside every day and do the work. When you pull a package of hamburger or a steak from your freezer, remember the ones who raised the cattle and say a little prayer for their safety and well-being."

November 21, 2022 05:30 AM

By Jenny Schlecht

A man, a woman and two small children kneel and stand next to a soybean field.

Columns

Examining some 'would you rather' questions about farm succession planning

Life is full of "would you rather" questions that we're answering all the time. Myron Friesen lays out some about how you'd like to plan your farm estate.

November 20, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

Columns

Multi-generation trivia night wins for a rural school and community

To connect teens with adults, Northwood Public School along with a community healthcare partner held its first Multi-Generation Trivia Night with 14 teams participating. Katie Pinke was a part of the last-place team and shares the wins she still experienced between friends and three generations of her family.

November 18, 2022 05:30 AM

By Katie Pinke

A tractor and grain cart sit in a farm yard near a ready-to-harvest corn field.

Columns

1980s farm crisis led to big changes on farms and in communities

Mychal Wilmes examines how his brother and other farmers survived -- or didn't survive -- the 1980s farm crisis and what changes agriculture, ag lending and rural communities have seen since then.

November 15, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes

Columns

Lessons a veteran farmer taught his daughter

One of the most significant lessons my dad taught this farmer’s daughter was to lead by example.

November 14, 2022 05:30 AM

By Ann Bailey

Columns

Rural economics have fluctuated with grain alcohol uses from bootlegging to ethanol plants

Ethanol production is by many measurements the best economic development tool in rural America outside of farming, Mychal Wilmes says. But he also revisits the impact Prohibition had on rural areas.

November 08, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes