The right tool for the job is essential to working safely and efficiently. This is as true in the workplace as it is in the garden. Novice gardeners may not know where to begin in regards to which tools they need. The following are eight items that can serve as a solid foundation for beginning garde...

Autumn is so often the season that we think about being thankful. It’s no wonder, with harvest season in late summer through early fall, Thanksgiving in November, running water and reliable heating in our homes, that spring is not exactly a thankful season for most people. Take a walk around whereve...

If you’re looking to raise pigs on your acreage, it can be helpful to do a little bit of a deep dive into respective breeds so that you have better context and have a better idea of what you’re committing to. Check out this article from the University of California-Davis for some generalized pig and...

From salads and sauces to your favorite entrée, fresh garlic and garlic powder add a unique spark to any dish and should be a mainstay for every kitchen. Celebrate it on April 19, National Garlic Day! Planting and Growing Garlic – The Farmer’s Almanac recommends using seed garlic from a local suppli...

When planning this year’s vegetable garden, consider companion planting with flowers and herbs. It’s a rewarding way to attract pollinators, manage pests and promote biodiversity in your garden. The practice will improve your soil’s health and the quality of your harvest. As an added benefit, you mi...

You may have heard of jumping worms, sometimes referred to as “snake worms.” Worm castings that resemble coffee grounds on the soil’s surface are likely the first thing you’ll notice. Jumping worms pose a threat to home gardens, agriculture and woodland areas. Their presence disrupts the soil struct...

It’s finally spring. Daffodils have emerged, their buds anxious to open. Soon tulips, perhaps the most anticipated flowers of spring, will grace front yards and town squares. Tulips are so plentiful that sometimes we take their presence for granted. They’re common flowers, but how much do you really...

We all know the benefits of compost at this point. It improves soil health, structure, drainage and water holding capacity. It reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides in your lawns and gardens. Bigger picture, it reduces odors, methane and polluted water at landfills. What’s not to love? If ...

Many gardeners find ways to invite beneficial insects into their spaces by planting native pollinator plants, mulching and avoiding pesticide use. Another way to support a healthy beneficial insect community is a bug hotel. Bug hotels provide a variety of nesting options for insects that we want to ...

It might be a bit early in our neck of the woods to be celebrating this, but April 5 is National Dandelion Day. Regarded by many as either bright harbingers of spring or annoying pests, dandelions are found just about everywhere. Dandelions, however, aren’t indigenous to North America. They were bro...

Wood ashes are a surprisingly useful byproduct of winter heating. In addition to household uses such as making soap or adding traction to driveways, wood ashes can be used to amend your garden and lawn soils. Wood ash, like limestone, is high in calcium, and can raise soil pH to provide the most opt...

One of the best ways to be successful at beekeeping is to re-queen your colonies every year. Queens work just as hard as all the worker bees, because a single queen can produce up to 3,000 eggs a day, 90% of which become bees. You’ll want the right one in each of your hives. Queens are usually good ...

We’ve all been there. We’re driving somewhere, windows down, enjoying that fresh air when suddenly it hits you – that pungent manure odor. It can be bothersome, no doubt, but there’s a reason we humans have been using as fertilizer basically as long as we’ve been agriculturalists. Although manure is...

Spring may be upon us, but winter is reluctant to let go. In the meantime, we’re all eagerly awaiting the time when we can head back to our gardens and get them into shape for the coming growing season. If you didn’t do so during garden downtime in January and February, now is the time to order seed...

If spring isn’t in the air it must be on the mind because everywhere I go I am seeing spring sales, plant sales and in the local farm store I am hearing the chirping of baby chicks for sale as well. My mom always said chickens were the gateway drug into farming – once you get a couple you will soon ...