Nov 11, 2008 — If you're in the market for bull DNA, this Heard Up North is for you. Artificial inseminators criss-cross the North Country everyday, servicing dairy farms. In the back of the truck, they carry an injecting gun and a tank of liquid nitrogen that keeps bull semen chilled at negative 320 degrees. David Sommerstein caught up with one breeder while he was - literally - up to his elbow in a cow.  Go to full article

Feb 23, 2006 — It's the time of year when calf pens pop up across the North Country landscape. It's easy to forget that making milk is really about making baby cows. They don't call it "animal husbandry" for nothing. David Sommerstein's doing a year of stories on the ins and outs of life on a dairy farm. Today, dry and freshened cows, calving, and the reproductive business of a dairy farm.  Go to full article

Feb 23, 2006 — "Closed herds", like the cows on Bob Andrews' farm, are in a minority in the North Country. Lots of dairy farmers are buying and selling cows at auctions, picking up replacement heifers as their milkers age. Farms, like ones in Hopkinton and Madrid, have entire operations based on raising calves until they're ready to produce milk. David Sommerstein spoke with Joseph te Riele, a dairy farmer in Canton. He says a growing number of farmers send their calves to other farms after they're born.  Go to full article