I’m putting the blame squarely on Mother Nature’s shoulders, but it’s happening again this year, despite my best efforts to prevent it. This gray tree frog recently emerged from hibernation on...

Can anyone honestly say they are really surprised that Old Man Winter isn’t quite done? As of this writing on the morning of April 17, there are 14 inches of snow outside driven by a strong northwest...

Late season snow storms always take me back to March 24, 1979 in the tiny town of Franklin in Jackson County. My feet were wet, and I was beginning to shiver as the three of us stood at the dark back door...

Experience is the teacher of all things. These words from Julius Caesar proved all too true recently when I tackled what I thought would be a simple task on the farm. The job at hand was to remove a...

Experience is the teacher of all things. These words from Julius Caesar proved all too true recently when I tackled what I thought would be a simple task on the farm. The job at hand was to remove a...

Being Wisconsin born and raised on a farm, I can honestly say that I’ve dealt with much of the worst that winter can offer. I have cut wood in snow up to my waist, pounded on frozen manure spreader...

The classic harbingers of spring are the return of the robins, the maple sap run or the first blooms to sprout from the thawing earth. But sometimes the signs of spring are actual signs of spring –...

While politicians and others way above my station and pay grade continue to debate, expound upon and expunge homosapien influence on the stratosphere, one thing I know for sure. The winter weather has...

A home should be a peaceful sanctuary for its inhabitants, a quiet place of comfort and solitude. But when you live in the country, sometimes your abode is sought after by critters other than humans. Rodents,...

So many Super Bowls have faded into my memory, but there is one Super Bowl Sunday that I will never forget. It was Jan. 20, 1980. Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers won, 31-19, after...

I have completed my quinquennial agricultural legal reporting duties with a week to spare. My 2022 Census of Agriculture – with a deadline of Feb. 6 – is in the books, a mandatory reporting requirement...

There are quite a few Chris Hardie’s in the world – or at least a few others that share the same name. Years ago when social media was new, I sought a few out and we exchanged some messages. But...