Plattsburgh, NY, Apr 06, 2011 — A group of Plattsburgh residents interested in keeping a limited number of backyard hens will hold a public forum next Tuesday night to the discuss the pros and cons of raising urban chickens. Some of their reasons for keeping chickens in the city include fresh eggs, a source of organic garden compost and gaining a closer relationship to the food they eat. It's illegal in the City of Plattsburgh to raise livestock, including chickens. But cities throughout the state, including Buffalo, Rochester, Saratoga Springs and New York City allow residents to raise chickens in their backyards. Todd Moe spoke with forum organizer Anne Lenox Barlow, who is an avid gardener and local food advocate.  Go to full article

Gouverneur, NY, Aug 09, 2010 — Be it goats, cows, maple syrup or funnel cake, the St. Lawrence county fair has it all. Sarah Harris visited the fair in Gouverneur, ate too much funnel cake, braved the rides on the midway and sent this audio postcard.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Mar 30, 2010 — In the North Country, we have lots of ways to know when spring has finally sprung. The snow melts, the robins return and sheep get sheared.

Susan Heberling, of Potsdam, captured this season's shave and a haircut in an iconic image that's on our web site right now. It's the photo of the day.

Heberling told Jonathan Brown that--at the moment she snapped the picture--the ewe didn't seem bothered at all as shearer Roger Hastings went about his work.  Go to full article

Sep 08, 2008 — The North Country has a big presence in horse-racing, from a top thoroughbred breeder in Ray Brook, to the group of friends in Sackets Harbor who raced into the record book with a horse named Funny Cide. Their success on contemporary tracks draws from a long tradition of racing in the region. This week, we'll wrap up the summer by telling some of their stories. For many fans in the North Country, the sport of choice has always been harness racing. That means sturdy, standard-bred horses pulling drivers in stripped-down racing carts. You can still see cutthroat competitions at county fairs from Malone to Westport. But harness racing has fallen on hard times in recent years. As Brian Mann reports, new efforts to bring the sport back have meant bigger purses and also new controversy.  Go to full article

Jul 31, 2003 — There's an up-and-coming livestock trend in the region. Alpacas are common in the high plains of Peru, Chile and Bolivia, where people have used their fleece for clothes and their dung as fuel for centuries. They haven't even been in the U.S. 20 years, but their low environmental impact, cold weather tolerance and high-priced fleece make them an increasingly popular choice for farmers. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Skye Rohde reports.  Go to full article

Mar 04, 2003 — The town of Dekalb Junction, just southwest of Canton, is known by treasure hunters as the antique capital of St. Lawrence County. But every Wednesday, bargain hunters of a different kind park their 4x4s and trailers all along Route 11 for Seymour's Commission Sales weekly livestock auction. David Sommerstein stopped in and sends this audio postcard.  Go to full article

Sep 20, 2002 — A recent report finds that the U-S Department of Agriculture needs to work more closely with Customs inspectors in order to stop foreign animal diseases from hurting livestock in the U-S. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Lester Graham reports.  Go to full article

Jul 18, 2002 — David Sommerstein takes us on an audio tour of the St. Lawrence County fair in Gouverneur. The fair runs through Saturday night.  Go to full article

Apr 03, 2001 — The foot-and-mouth outbreak afflicting overseas livestock has left New York farmers and agriculture observers waiting nervously to see what the impact will be on the state's farm scene. Since the foot-and-mouth cases were identified in England, food inspectors and customs officials have tightened controls at borders to ensure the disease isn't accidentally brought here. If there is an outbreak in the US, officials say there would have to be widespread slaughter of livestock much as has been seen in Britain in recent weeks. As Todd Moe found out, North Country farmers are taking the risk of foot-and-mouth disease seriously.  Go to full article

Jan 23, 2001 — Martha Foley and Karen Smith, spokeswoman for the New York State Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative, discuss the future of the Adirondack North Country region’s dairy cattle and livestock grazing program.  Go to full article