Ruth Ready

About Ruth

Scribner, Nebraska

My husband, Sid, and I farm near Scribner on land that has been in my family since it was homesteaded in 1870. We have four adult children and four grandchildren.  Sid and I have a no-till operation growing soybeans, corn, alfalfa and incorporating cover crops. The cover crops are fed to our small herd of Shorthorn cows. I also raise chickens and turkeys that we sell directly to consumers, along with the beef we produce. Sharing my food story from production to plate is one of my favorite conversations. 

News from Ruth

The Three Rs: How They Keep Our Farm Healthy

The Three Rs: How They Keep Our Farm Healthy

R is for resolutions and Ready (my last name) as well as “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Those three Rs are our resolutions for this year and every year on the Ready farm. Not only are they our resolutions, but they also lead to a fourth R, and that is “regenerate.” Reduce:...

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Prescribed Burning: Why Farmers Do It

Prescribed Burning: Why Farmers Do It

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...

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Ham Balls

Ham Balls

CommonGround volunteer Ruth Ready shares her recipe for Ham Balls with Pure Nebraska viewers. Ham Balls pound of ground hampound of ground beefpound of ground pork sausagecup cracker crumbseggscup milkcup brown sugarteaspoon dry mustardcup watercup vinegar Mix...

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What the New “Bioengineered” Label Tells You about Food.

What the New “Bioengineered” Label Tells You about Food.

Labels: we use them to organize and identify what is in a container. Sometimes we cut them out of the neckline of a shirt because they are itchy. In math or science class, it is important to put the label with your answer to a problem. There are so many types of...

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Upcycling: Cows Do It!

Upcycling: Cows Do It!

“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...

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Cranberry Quick Bread

Cranberry Quick Bread

CommonGround volunteer Ruth Ready shares her recipe for Cranberry Quick Bread with Pure Nebraska viewers. Cranberry Quick Bread Note: In the video, Ruth said 2/3 cup of unsalted butter. She meant to say 1/3 cup. 1/3 cup unsalted butter (softened)1 cup sugar1 teaspoon...

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Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone In)

Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone In)

CommonGround volunteer Ruth Ready shares her recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Pure Nebraska viewers. Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs (Bone In) 6 Chicken Thighs (bone in)Salt as neededChicken Seasoning½ teaspoon Paprika¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder¼ teaspoon Onion...

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

CommonGround volunteer shares her recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed dressing. She likes to top it off with grilled chicken breast. Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing 1/4 cup olive oil3 tablespoons red wine vinegar2 tablespoons honey2...

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Food Myths Q & A

Food Myths Q & A

 As a farmer, I not only think about purchasing and preparing food but producing it as well. I’m Ruth Ready, and my husband, Sid, farm near Scribner, Nebraska. In addition to farming, Sid is also a high school science teacher. We have four children and four...

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Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread

Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread

CommonGround volunteer Ruth Ready shares her recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread with Pure Nebraska viewers. Oatmeal Raisin Quick Bread 1 1/2 c. flour2 t. baking powder1/2 t. baking soda1/2 c. granulated sugar1/2 t. salt1 t. cinnamon1 c. oatmeal (quick or old...

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Regenerative Ag: For Better Soil And Better Food

Regenerative Ag: For Better Soil And Better Food

Dull as dirt??? Hardly. Dirt - or more accurately, soil - is far from dull.  As a farmer, I know soil is the most important part of our farm. Every decision my husband and I make about our farm’s soil has to answer “yes” to the question, “will this make our...

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