Dutchess County Fair - Legacy of Agriculture & Community

How Birchland Acres Built a Farming Legacy in New York

Host Suzanne Rajczi visits Birchland Acres, a 15-acre Dutchess County family farm dating to the 1800s, and speaks with Michelle and Jeff Hicks about their diversified operation raising Black Angus and crossbred cattle, pigs, and poultry. Jeff shares the farm’s evolution from a larger property with pigs, a slaughterhouse, dairy cows, and horses to today’s beef focus, while Michelle explains breed origins, associations, EPDs, frame scores, box beef standards, crossbreeding, calving, and breeding methods including AI and sexed semen. They discuss daily and seasonal farm work, pasture and winter management, costs and land needs, and their commitment to raising the meat they eat. The conversation also highlights their roles supporting 4-H/FFA youth and the Dutchess County Fair livestock sale, including how auctions work and how proceeds support kids and scholarships. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:27 Birchland Origins 02:21 Pigs and Slaughterhouse Days 04:46 Horses to Cattle Shift 05:43 4H Selection Day 07:43 Steers and Fair Sales 09:41 Angus Breed Basics 11:37 EPDs and Standards 14:38 Crossbreeding for Beef 15:44 Calving and Weaning 18:17 Breed Colors and Longevity 21:53 Pigs and Chickens 25:19 Raising Farm Kids 28:18 Daily Chores and Seasons 33:36 Breeding and AI Explained 35:07 Sourcing Bull Semen 35:45 Sexed Semen Explained 37:31 Embryos and Bloodlines 38:13 Real Costs of Cattle 41:09 Land and Acreage Math 43:10 Hay Feeding Economics 44:31 Organic vs All Natural 46:13 Seasonal Herd Cycle 49:01 4-H and Fair Leadership 51:25 Training Show Animals 57:02 Livestock Auction Basics 01:02:17 Advice and Wrap Up

Sweet Corn Ice Cream?! And Somehow It Actually Works | Cooper Lane farm

Host Suzanne Rajczi, visits Cooper Lane Farms with Katie Hines and Bob Ferris to explore the farm’s history and how it evolved from a former dairy property into an operation focused on hay, sweet corn, and local food education. Bob discusses hand-picked sweet corn, hay production and crop rotation, and the challenges and satisfaction of sustaining agriculture, including land conservation and changing economics. Katie shares her 4-H journey from Cloverbud through showing and selling Southdown sheep at the Dutchess County Fair, detailing sheep care, lambing, and animal stewardship for quality meat and wool. She also explains how she built Zo’s Ice Cream, emphasizing small-batch production, local sourcing, the “cow to cone in three days” model, seasonal flavors like sweet corn ice cream, and educational school programs connecting kids to where food comes from, ahead of the Dutchess County Fair’s 180th anniversary. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 02:34 Sweet Corn Work 04:27 Hay Fields Rotation 07:53 Animals and Aging 08:41 Katie 4H Journey 11:02 Fair Auction Lessons 14:57 Sheep Care Basics 18:55 Local Lamb Quality 21:21 Zoes Ice Cream Story 23:27 Local Flavors Ingredients 24:20 Sweet Corn Flavor 26:13 Sourcing Local Ingredients 31:52 Future of Local Farming 38:25 Advice for Young Farmers 43:11 Sheep Raising Basics 46:32 Podcast Wrap and Fair

Percheron Horses Explained: Power, History & Training

Step into the powerful world of Percheron draft horses and carriage driving in this episode of Monday Moments. Host Suzanne Rajczi, speaks with Frank Castella of Castle Carriage about the history, strength, and legacy of these incredible horses from their origins as medieval warhorses in France to their vital role in American agriculture. Frank shares how he trains draft horses using trust and consistency, breaks down hitch terminology, and explains how teams are built for parades, weddings, competitions, and even film work. He also tells the story of acquiring his first Percheron and building a life around these animals. A highlight of this episode is the inspiring Warrior Wagon Veterans Appreciation Project—an accessible, military-themed wagon Frank designed to honor service members. From 2014 to 2024, the project recognized nearly 600 veterans and public servants, blending agriculture, craftsmanship, and patriotism. If you’re interested in horses, farming, history, or honoring those who serve, this episode delivers. 00:51 Meet Frank Castella  02:02 Percheron Origins and Warhorses 04:47 Hitches and Horsemen Basics  06:30 Draft Breeds Compared  10:06 Size Weight and Farm Work  12:48 First Percheron at the Fair  16:07 Building Teams and Wagons  23:31 Training with Kindness  27:30 Trust Building Timeline  29:33 Breaking Cart Gone Wrong  32:09 Warrior Wagon Origins  43:36 Impact Honoring 600 Heroes  46:49 Hitch Roles And Training  49:03 Driving Cues And Control  50:25 Favorite Horses And Joy  52:33 Youth And Agriculture Future  56:47 Final Thanks And Fair Promo

Why Bees Are Essential to Our Food System

Discover the vital role honeybees play in pollination, agriculture, and our food supply in this episode of Monday Moments. Host Suzanne Rajczi sits down with beekeeper Michael   Vlei Forge Apiary, in Rhinebeck, NY, to explore the fascinating world of beekeeping in the Hudson Valley. From hive structure and bee lifecycles to raw honey production and pollination economics, this episode breaks down how bees impact everything from local farms to global food systems. Michael shares his journey from professional horseshoer to beekeeper, along with insights on hive management, swarming, winter survival, and transporting bees for crop pollination. We also dive into major threats facing honeybees today, including pesticides, habitat loss, weather changes, and varroa mites—plus how organic beekeeping practices can help. If you’ve ever wondered how bees make honey, how to start beekeeping, or why bees are essential to agriculture, this episode is for you. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast  02:45 Western Honeybee Basics  04:41 Pollination Economics  06:27 How Bees Navigate Home  09:45 Bee Life Cycle Explained  13:37 Winter Survival and Feeding  15:43 Swarming and Space Management  17:29 Hive Architecture Tour  20:28 Queen Marking and Stings  24:43 Hudson Valley Nectar Flows  29:17 Fairground Apiary and Organic Care  31:03 Mites and Bee Biosecurity  34:21 Dutchess County Fair  38:03 Bee Stressors and Habitat  40:00 Starting Beekeeping Tips  46:04 Real Honey vs Adulteration  49:10 Harvesting and Bottling Honey  50:59 Honey Varieties and Judging  56:45 Comb Honey and Wax  58:44 Helping Bees at Home  01:00:40 Stings and Protective Gear

How Maple Syrup Is Really Made with Soukup Farms (Hudson Valley Secrets)

Host Suzanne Rajczi visits Soukup Farms in Dover Plains, New York, to learn from Mark and Jennifer Soukup about their multigenerational maple operation and its ties to the Dutchess County Fair’s working sugar shack. They discuss the farm’s history from a pre–Civil War orchard to today’s 150 acres owned, 500+ farmed, and 3,000+ tapped trees, along with sustainable forest management and proper tapping practices. The episode explains how sap becomes syrup through reverse osmosis, boiling on an evaporator, and hot filtering, including the “rule of 87” and how weather-driven freeze-thaw cycles determine season timing, sap flow, and syrup grades from golden to very dark. The Soukups also highlight community education via maple weekends, school and bus tours, and value-added products like maple sugar, cream, candy, and sauces. 00:00 Welcome to Soukup Farms  05:00 Maple Varieties Explained 06:14 Jennifer Joins the Operation 07:14 Evaporator and Filtering 09:16 Reverse Osmosis Basics 10:35 Weather and Sap Season 15:10 Tapping, Tubing, and Workflow 20:44 Boiling Hours and Yield Math 26:02 Flavor Profiles by Color 31:08 Tours and Maple Weekends 34:16 Dutchess Fair Sugar Shack 40:37 Cooking with Maple Syrup 41:27 Real vs Imitation Syrup 43:51 Value Added Maple Products 45:50 Closing and Next Episodes