“Old iron.” That’s an affectionate term that farmers have for the old tractors and farm equipment of yesteryear. Those durable old pieces of equipment can serve as reminders of our agricultural heritage and how agriculture still serves our food supply. Today, we’ll meet a group of volunteers…

Barn-themed event venues are popping up in rural areas across the state with increasing popularity, but it is becoming increasingly evident that the charm and quality of original farm structures is difficult to match.

Have you ever wondered how Santa's reindeer can make that monumental journey on Christmas Eve? Let's look into some key facts about reindeer that may help us understand how they get Ole St. Nick on his appointed rounds over the world. 

Leaving the security of a career as a store manager for a farm equipment dealership to run a YouTube channel and blog doesn’t sound like a choice many people would make but it’s one Mike Wiles has found to be successful.

Four of the best of the best in the sport of rodeo hail from Kansas.

Sensible, strategic immigration policy better aligned with America’s changing demographics and employment needs could help revive stalled economic growth and spur more development of value-added processing in rural areas.

“The most dangerous sport participated in by man is rodeo bull riding.”

Fine dining options are few and far between in rural Kansas while homegrown ingredients abound. Once a year, From the Land of Kansas selects a region of the state to host a dinner featuring farm fresh ingredients prepared by a local chef. This year’s event at Summit Hill Gardens in Chanute f…

Fair season and heat put three key groups at risk of heat stroke: livestock, their owners and spectators.

Polls focusing on Generation Z, or young people born after 1995, highlight a number of concerning cultural trends like a greater likelihood of extended screen times and preferring cool new products over meaningful experiences. For Generation Z members in rural communities like Tucker Leck, a…

With the hottest months of the summer approaching, backyard poultry producers need to be prepared to help their birds during the hot weather. Heat stress is a problem for poultry when the environmental temperatures and humidity rise above their comfort zones. Producers should be prepared to …

Parades, carnivals, fireworks, food, family and friends are part of traditional 4th of July festivities. As we commemorate the independence of our country, consumers can add stable food prices as another cause for celebration. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation July 4th Cookout…

I am here, in the house, writing this column because we had another round of rain, and I cannot be out mowing hay. I said last summer I was not going to complain about rain, but here we are a year later, and it is hard not to. It appears the whole universe is against those of us in agricultu…

Third generation baker Jay Fernandez knows bread. His hands can shape and score rolls like a well-oiled machine. By touch he can intuit when to add more water or flour to get the perfect dough. But he admits to knowing virtually nothing about the wheat required to make his artfully sculpted loaves.

What once started as a dream to come back to the family farm and make things work became the reality success story for Blakley Family Farms.

When Howard, Kansas, 4-H and FFA member Hannah Whetstone steps from behind the curtain at the Kansas State Fair, her place in the spotlight is a direct reflection of her place weeks and months before — illuminated by truck lights as she spends every spare minute, day or night working with he…

At Aubrey Layton’s first show, her pig — a family pet bought for her younger brother — tore through the shavings on a wild run but the experience she gained in the ring inspired her to push for greatness.

When winter rolls around, Americans start craving baked desserts, many of which include pecans. Thanks to Miller Pecan Company, Oklahomans have access to locally grown pecans.

Last week, members of the Greene County Commission and county employees took a tour of agriculture to get a better understanding of the industry and its impact on the county.

If Welch, Oklahoma, FFA member Maddi Gilman knows how to do one thing right, it’s showing livestock. The 18-year-old woman first started showing when she was 9 and now it’s become a beloved hobby she doesn’t want to leave behind.

Have you noticed an influx in the number of solar panels around the Four States? From ground-mounted arrays to solar panels installed on the rooftops of homes, barns and businesses, it seems the Four State area is going green.

What began as a livestock and scrap steel business in 1946 has left a lasting legacy in Chanute, Kansas, as a hometown True Value store and Four State area feed, farm and metal building supply distributer. Cleaver Farm and Home, jointly owned by brothers Chris and Jason Cleaver, strives to g…

When self-proclaimed city girl Jamie Lindamood married her husband, Diltz and moved to the Lindamood family ranch near Eureka, Kansas, she quickly realized the gap in communication between her new neighbors and her Wichita friends. Determined to dispel myths about farm life and evoke change,…

When Clifford Hershberger began his Pleasant Valley Cattle Co. in the hills outside of Fall River, Kansas, the small but thriving operation consisted of just one animal — a bottle calf named Abigail. Today, with hard work and the support of five generations of farmers before him, Clifford’s …

The third annual Ozark Spring Roundup drew in agricultural enthusiasts and horse lovers to the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Missouri, last weekend.

In Mount Vernon, Missouri, Rockin’ D Leather brings to mind images of an Old West leather shop and saddlery, where Dean Woody makes custom boots as well as gun holsters, horse tack and other leather goods.

When Oklahoma’s highly ranked college football programs clash during the annual bedlam rivalry game, Adam Gribben has reason to cheer for both. As the owner of 1907 Meat Company, an artisan butcher shop in Stillwater, he owes a debt of gratitude to both institutions for getting him to where …

Childhood on the farm means perpetually dirty fingernails, a constant fascination with barnyard wildlife, and being connected to the source of meals on the most basic level. At Hickory Creek Farms in McCune, southeast Kansas kids get to experience farm life for a day — and it could alter the…

When “The Auctioneer” hit the radio waves in 1956, a Missouri farm boy definitely made an impression — and the song became the anthem for auctioneers nationwide. That farm boy — Leroy Van Dyke — was hurtled into the world of country music and has been balancing his love for music and agricul…

A unique Made-in-Oklahoma yogurt is showing up in select stores, restaurants and coffee shops around the region and introducing locals to a rare taste of old-style European dairy craftsmanship.

Fourteen years ago, Ken Stringer dreamt of a future hunt — his children and grandchildren gathered round, snow slightly packed underfoot, one of his faithful Brittany Spaniels at his side and the whir of pheasants in flight.

It’s all about a respect for tradition, an emphasis on family ties, a dedication to community, a high regard for agricultural pursuits — rural virtues.

Faithful community and student participation in the annual Adair, Oklahoma FFA labor auction resulted in a four-year average of a quarter of a million dollars and nearly 6,000 hours of community service.

From its inception, Cloud’s Meats has been all about family and the Cloud family plans to keep it that way well into the future.

The average consumer of agricultural products today is generations removed from farming and a rural lifestyle, a disconnect that presents many of the challenges production agriculture faces today. The ninth University of Arkansas Moms on the Farm Day gave urban mothers a chance to experience…

Looking out on the expansive pecan grove nestled in the Neosho River Valley, it’s hard to believe the fruitful trees were once abandoned. When Tom Circle bought the 120-acre orchard in 1990, he may not have expected the forgotten trees to become the largest pecan retail operation with a shel…

With most of the public generations away from the farm, some would say agriculture is at war — with misinformation, activists and regulations. So who is stepping up to bat for farmers and ranchers?

The Ozark Empire Fairgrounds will be flooded with visitors coming to attend the Ozark Fall Farmfest Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7, 8 and 9.

Miss Lani Ogle from Sarcoxie was named the 2016 Missouri State Fair Queen in a ceremony held yesterday, Aug. 12. Miss Ogle received the highest score of 54 contestants vying for the title in the two-day competition held in the Mathewson Exhibition Center. Miss Ogle will reign over the remain…

A rainbow of produce cascades through the Webb City Farmers Market as a parade of consumers sniffs, squeezes and scrutinizes its way from one end of the long, open-sided pavilion to the other.

Small town grocery stores anchor many rural communities, but they also struggle with high operating costs, purchasing minimums imposed by food distributors and competition from chain stores, according to surveys conducted by the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University.

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.02 billion pounds in June, up 5 percent from the 3.82 billion pounds produced in June 2014.