Why I'm not giving up, despite a harvest from hell
By Andrew Barsness | As profit margins shrink, farmers need to farm more acres in order to remain profitable. But like many other young farmers, I'm pursuing a different route, focusing on diversification, value-added products, and specialty crops.
Ready, set, harvest: fixing equipment & finding markets
By Andrew Barsness | It’s critical to get the crop off of the field and transported to a buyer or a storage facility when it’s in that Goldilocks moisture range.
An Ever-Changing Puzzle
By Andrew Barsness | The crops are thirsty. My farm is on the outer edge of the area affected by the severe drought in the Dakotas, and it’s been over a month without any significant rain.
Heart and Grain: Learning to farm from my mom and YouTube
By Andrew Barsness | When I started farming in 2011, I had no idea what I was doing or what I was in for. My naiveté spared me the appropriate terror and trepidation that may have deterred a well-informed individual
Heart and Grain: Big farms require big equipment. And lots of money.
By Andrew Barsness | Along with blood, sweat, and tears, farming requires a significant financial investment, and grain farming is one of the most capital-intensive types of farming.
Heart and Grain: Meet Andrew
By Andrew Barsness | My grandfather was still farming one 60-acre field when he died at the age of 87. Blind in one eye, partially deaf, and unsteady on his feet, he strung wire between the farm buildings to hang