by Joan Ruskamp | Aug 30, 2022
I have had a love for animals and a desire to live on a farm since I was a child. Little did I know my adult life would be spent caring for animals on a farm as I raised a family with my husband. For the past 41 years I went from knowing very little about raising...
by Anne Meis | May 2, 2022
The world is focused on the environment and carbon reduction as never before. CommonGround volunteers Kelly Witte, Joan Ruskamp, Wendi Emanual, Rene Blauhorn, and I were onsite at Earth Day Omaha in Elmwood Park Saturday, April 23, to meet and greet...
by Ruth Ready | Apr 27, 2022
Prescribed burning. It may sound like an oxymoron, but a prescribed burn is a valuable tool for farmers and ranchers as they manage grass and rangeland for grazing. By definition, a prescribed burn is a planned fire; it is also sometimes called a “controlled...
by Ruth Ready | Dec 29, 2021
“Upcycling.” Most often we think of this word in connection with home furnishings or clothing. On our farm we think of upcycling whenever we get our cow herd out on cornstalk fields after harvest. As soon as possible after our corn is harvested, we put up temporary...
by Deb Gangwish | Aug 25, 2021
Although I am not a life-long farmer, I am fortunate to have had intimate experiences with where my food comes from. I spent most of my childhood on an acreage outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. I remember issues of Mother Earth News being devoured by my parents, so my...
by Joan Ruskamp | Jul 28, 2021
My family: My husband, Steve, and I recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. I am also celebrating over 40 years of life as a woman in agriculture – a farmer. During my childhood years, I yearned to live on a farm with no real understanding of what it meant to be...
