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From the sale barn

Market report from May 18 Belleville saleBELLEVILLE - Here is the break down from the Belleville sale: Dairy cows good - $1,250 to $1,500 per head Dairy cows #2 - $1,000 to $1,200 per head Bred heifers #1 - $1,250 to $1,600 Bred heifers #2 - $850 to $1,150 per head Open heifers #1 - $900 to $1,150 per head Open heifers #2 - $600 to $800 per head Feeder pigs - $34 to $62 per head Beef cows - commercial - $70 to $78 per cwt Beef cows - canner cutter - $63 to $69 per cwt Beef cows CC - low dressing - $55 to $62 per cwt Beef cows - shells - $30 to $50 per cwt Holstein slaughter bulls - $94 ...

Looking back – Rodney Farrell finds patriots among his ancestors

REEDSVILLE - Tracing family roots has long been a pastime for many, and retired teacher Rodney Farrell, of Reedsville, has taken it to a whole other level."Currently I have 2,150 ancestors identified in my tree," he said.Farrell said genealogy research was something he always wanted to do, and after retiring, he set out to see what he could discover."You have to be a detective," he said. "You get a lot of head scratching moments when looking at records."Farrell's research isn't just for himself though, it's also for his grandchildren, whom he hopes will "honor and appreciate their ...

Keeping your stomach healthy and happy with probiotics

While we may think of our digestive system as simply breaking down the foods we eat and then getting rid of the waste, it is more. It is truly a complicated system that plays an important role in our overall health.The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) is home to a wide array of bacteria. These bacteria help the GI tract to do its job as a barrier that allows nutrients to be absorbed while keeping toxins and disease-causing microorganisms from entering into the body. In fact, about 70 percent of the body's immune function is in the GI tract.We have long recognized the positive effects ...

Dairy Princess says goodbye

May is a bittersweet month for me as it will be my last month as the Juniata County Dairy Princess.I have been honored to be the face and voice of this amazing industry representing farmers and the dairy industry as a whole.I met some wonderful people throughout my reign as I attended various functions and promotions. Some of my favorite places to visit were the elementary schools, the nursing homes, the Juniata County Fair, sporting events and Skills.The young and old alike always looked forward to my visits and made my efforts so worthwhile. The endless memories will stay with me ...

School days

McALISTERVILLE - A rotting tree in a field owned and farmed by Tim Varner inspired him to tell the story of the building that once sat in that tree's shade.Varner farms the fields in Dunn Valley, Fayette Township, Juniata County. He knew when he purchased the property many years ago that an old schoolhouse sat on that hill under the ash tree.It had a historic demise, so he was told, when one day it caught fire in the middle of class. His aunt had been a teacher there, and his wife's grandfather was also a teacher in the school that educated the children in the valley.One day recently ...

Local women visit home for female veterans

COATSVILLE - The Mary E. Walker House, located on the grounds of the Coatesville VA Medical Center, is a 30-bed transitional residence for homeless women veterans.This home is one of only three in the country for female veterans. The facility is named in honor of Mary E. Walker, who served during the Civil War and received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Walker is the only woman to this day to receive this honor.The mission of the home is to offer a safe environment where female veterans, many of whom have problems with alcohol or drug addictions, can stay. These women are given a ...