The baler greased and put in the shed. The insulated boots dug out from the cellar. The barn battened down and winterized.

All hail to the countryside when it comes to candy on Halloween. There were only a few houses on the roads in either direction – most of them relatives – but, boy, would they fill your bags up.

Recently, I went back to Berlin to visit an old friend. The German capital is a vibrant, international city known for its eclectic clubs and a willingness to accommodate all types of eccentricities and counterculture.

It is no secret farming is a difficult enterprise. Present economic and political conditions have made it even more challenging, particularly in the dairy industry.

I started noticing a lot of people looking back in my direction. At first, I assumed they were looking at my girlfriend, which filled me with that natural mix of jealousy and pride.

If you’re reading this, you know something I don’t: who won the World Cup. (Is it Brazil? Don’t tell me it’s Brazil.)

Southern Italy can be a tough place to live. My girlfriend is a hardened product of its streets. She rode the public bus two hours to school each day while ignoring the perverse catcalls of nefarious men (and once a slap in the face from an old woman).

A dodgy-looking drifter in a visor hat gives Kevin Costner a tiny lime tree and insists, “This one is for free.” Kevin Costner stares at him blankly and then epically states: “Nothing’s free in Waterworld.”

The grazing season is in full swing and dry conditions persist on some Western ranches. Every dry period results in a different set of circumstances, so a variety of resource (forage, cattle and capital) management options should be considered.

“Now look at the sitting room. Big sitting room, big sitting room. Very comfortable. Look at the couch there. Go ahead and sit on it. And look at the light. Lots of light, those windows. Now look at the kitchen.”