Cattle farmers most certainly have a lot to be thankful for this spring. Compared to last winter, this winter was a breeze, and this spring is so far so good. If a cow had the ability to dial up the weather she would want when it came time to deliver her calf, a spring...
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Do you miss that old-time bluegrass? Many people associate bluegrass with Kentucky, but when I was a boy, the pastures in Rappahannock were full of bluegrass while the hayfields were brimming with orchard grass, the predominant seed and hay crop. Now, bluegrass in a pasture field is hard to find, and orchard grass seems...
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Most farmers in Rappahannock County farm their land by selling grass. Not the kind of grass that President Clinton didn’t inhale, the kind of grass that cows eat. The cows eat the grass and produce milk that their calf suckles. When the calf is big enough to wean, it is taken to the market...
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Cattle farmers have had a tough winter, but so have the foxhunters. Snow pack and the wet ground have kept riders, horses and hounds in a restless state. Although I am not a foxhunter, I have many friends and family members who are. My father was a lifelong foxhunter. He was raised on a...
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There is an unfortunate downside to conservation easement donations that is not much talked about. My purpose here is not to discourage landowners from donating easements, but rather to inform them of possible negative consequences. When landowners donate a conservation easement, they give away some of their rights as landowners. Usually they give up...
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By Mike Massie For the past several years the Rappahannock News has done a good job of reporting on what the newer farmers here are doing. I hope and expect the paper to continue doing this. However, I feel that the old-time farmers have not been heard from enough. The main issue that concerns...
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