We just completed the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) 102nd Convention, virtually. It went as well as it could have; there were a few things that were a little wonky. By the way, wonky is my new favorite pandemic word and really is a good descriptor of most of what has happened because of the pandemic. But I digress. The annual meeting and convention was different, but it did bring a certain amount of normalcy in a time that is anything but normal.

How to Soften Butter, Fast! It happens all the time. I’m in the mood to bake, I’ve got a great recipe, all of my ingredients are on the counter, and then I read the dreaded words: butter, softened.

The events that unfolded last week in Washington, D.C., will stain the fabric of our democracy for the rest of our days. The images of insurrection in the Capitol are as much our legacy now as putting a man on the moon. It’s a stark contrast of what happens when we choose to embrace what divides us rather than what unites us.

Balanced Nutrition Helps Minimize Calving Difficulty The most commonly dreaded period in cowcalf production for spring calving herds is about to occur – calving out heifers. There have been many strides from a genetic perspective that have reduced the proportion of heifers that need calving assistance.

Let It Snow! As a kid growing up, we lived for “snow” days. That meant school was canceled, homemade donuts, and board games.

A holiday tradition is to give gifts of fruits and nuts (along with other products). Usually these are placed in an attractive basket, wrapped with cellophane covering, and brought (or shipped) to your house. It is important that the fruit contained inside is kept in cool conditions to maintain its quality for as long as possible. Thus, it is wise to disassemble the fruit basket as soon as you receive it and place the fruit in refrigerated storage. If all the products in the basket are tree fruits (such as apples, pears, oranges or grapefruit), you can place the entire basket in a cool place around 40 degrees F for best results. If the basket contains any bananas or other tropical fruits (with the exception of citrus), remove those fruits and store them separately. About 3-4 weeks is about as long as you can expect to store these fruits without some shriveling and loss of crispness.

Our country is wrapped up with the COVID virus and everyone is forgetting about colds and flu. A reminder to prevent any type of illnesses is to follow these 10 tips.

Farm dogs hold a special place in the day-to-day operations of many family farms and ranches. For my family, our dog serves many important roles. Very quickly after our dog Rosie Bo was brought home to the farm as a tiny puppy, she assumed the role of head of farm security. Over the last few years, she has worked hard to ensure opossums avoid our porches, deer stay out of our yard, birds are made aware of a strict no fly zone near her human’s house, and all shadows of the night get a good barking.

“I’m Dreaming of Prime Rib for Christmas Dinner, Just Like the One from my Favorite Restaurant”. If only I could make it like theirs, but the cut is so expensive and I would hate to ruin it.

10 Common Household Items You Need to Replace Sometimes I look around my house and think, ‘How long have I been using that! Maybe I need to replace it.’ Many items around our homes need to be replaced regularly, and a lot of them are pretty obvious. For instance, you know you need to replace a bouquet of fresh flowers when the flowers start to wilt.