Opinion columns

Columns

Too much of a good thing isn't a good thing

"Last year at this time, when we already were watching the U.S. Drought Monitor turn redder and redder every week, we would have danced with joy to see even one of the storms we've had this year. But right now, at this minute, can it please stop?"

A black and white photo shows wilted crops among cracked soil during the drought of the 1930s.

Columns

Ag policies from the Dust Bowl era may not be perfect but the fragility of topsoil hasn't changed

“People in cities may forget the soil for as long as 100 years, but Mother Nature’s memory is long, and she will not let them forget indefinitely."

May 17, 2022 05:30 AM

A golden retriever stands on a gravel road.

Columns

Walking Nova the golden retriever is either a wild goose chase or a drag

Every walk with Nova is a new adventure and provides me with not only cardio exercise, but also training in patience and sometimes, resistance work.

May 16, 2022 05:30 AM

An older man dressed in blue with tan suspenders, to the right, talks to a young woman in a t-shirt and jeans and a young man holding a small child. In the background is a red Massey Ferguson tractor pulling a grain cart.

Columns

How 'normal' is your farm family?

For me, the word "normal" commonly comes up when talking with a family. People usually say something like, “We’re kind of a normal family,” or “We’re not really a normal family.”

May 14, 2022 05:30 AM

Latest Headlines

Columns

Blue Tin Ranch grows agritourism business on an old family farm

With a solid business plan, hard work and enthusiasm, agritourism can be an option to stay on a farm and create added income, all while providing others a connection to agriculture.

May 13, 2022 05:30 AM

By Katie Pinke

Jan Sanderson, 66, owner of Sanderson Gardens of Aurora, S.D., starts his season in the early summer with asparagus and rhubarb crops, then goes to strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins, before shifting to rhubarb and horseradish root crops. (Forum News Service/Agweek/Mikkel Pates)

Columns

Waiting for rhubarb amid the gloom of spring and remembering the kitchens of old

The appetite for rhubarb upside down cake, sauce and pies grow stronger even as the plants’ first leaves struggle to emerge in the cold and gloomy weather, Mychal Wilmes says.

May 10, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes

A bank at left, with the words Dakota Heritage Bank on the side of the brick external wall, has vehicles parked outside of it. A cafe in the distance to the right also has vehicles outside.

Columns

Small towns are still open for business, thanks to those who believe they're worth it

Losing the bank in town seemed like it could be the beginning of the end for the community. Instead, it revealed that there are still some business leaders who believe in small towns.

May 09, 2022 05:30 AM

By Jenny Schlecht

Columns

Modern ag is a big tent with many occupants

Modern ag really is a big tent, and there's room inside for many kinds of farming operations.

May 06, 2022 05:30 AM

By Jonathan Knutson

Columns

Lessons of cruel spring storms through history stick with you

Late-winter blizzards are most cruel, Mychal Wilmes says.

May 03, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes

Columns

Upcoming gardening season lifts the spirits

Knowing that it soon will be gardening season has helped get me through the ice, snow, rain, hail and wind that has been the reality of the past two weeks of northern Plains living.

May 02, 2022 05:30 AM

By Ann Bailey

A dirt road runs through two fields. The one on the left is a green crop and the one on the right is flowering sunflowers.

Columns

How can you tell which heirs might sell your land?

In regard to farmland, parents often feel pretty sure they know who would keep and who would sell land. Their observations are based on how children have valued money in the past and how they spend money in the present and the future generation. They may also assess spousal influences and other family-related issues.

May 01, 2022 05:30 AM

By Myron Friesen

Columns

Landkamer: Building more equitable access to USDA resources

"To help our nation thrive in the wake of the pandemic, we need rural communities filled with jobs, businesses, good housing and opportunities for growth," Colleen Landkamer writes. "That is where small and midsize meat processors can help uplift rural economies."

April 27, 2022 10:35 AM

By Colleen Landkamer

Columns

Cutting seed potatoes served as a respite from farmwork

Mychal Wilmes found his dad to be as relaxed as he ever was when he was sitting on the porch cutting seed potatoes.

April 26, 2022 05:30 AM

By Mychal Wilmes