The Mohawk Valley Economic Development District (MVEDD), in partnership with local seamstress Lisa Smith, the Kirkland Town Library and Grow Amsterdam NY, has been awarded grant monies from the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) to host a series of educational community Homestead...

Over a five-year period beginning in 2015 and 2019, fire departments across the U.S. responded to roughly 347,000 home structure fires per year. Those data, courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association, underscores the significance of home fire protection measures. Smoke detectors are a key ...

Flipping through one of my favorite catalogs, the Vermont Country Store, I ran across some brightly colored aluminum tumblers and bowls, just like the ones that filled my grandmother’s kitchen cabinets. A wave of nostalgia hit me (as it often does), and I was transported back to the shade of a sprea...

As the summer heats up and areas grow hotter, the TurfMutt Foundation – which has advocated for the care and use of yards, parks and other green spaces for 15 years – reminds homeowners of the importance of trees and other living plants for mitigating the heat island effect. Trees, along with plants...

Fresh fruits and vegetables are full of flavor and can make for wonderful additions to anyone’s diet. But as many foodies know, it’s not always easy to find your favorite fresh fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. Various fruits and vegetables are more readily available at certain times of th...

The Catskill Center and the Congressman Maurice D. Hinchey Catskills Visitor Center are thrilled to announce the Catskills Adventure Challenge. This unique challenge offers outdoor enthusiasts a fresh and exciting opportunity to explore the Catskill Mountains while fulfilling their passion for adven...

Millions of people are interested in brewing their own beer at home. Craft brewing may start as a hobby or curiosity, and once successful, turn into something individuals do again and again. While it’s possible to eventually make money by brewing, most people engage with this hobby for the pride tha...

Planning to pick your own fruit this summer? Let’s review some U-pick fruit etiquette to keep in mind when you go. Fruit farming can be a tedious and labor-intensive enterprise. Aside from the environmental unknowns that nature throws into the mix, growing fruit requires tons of care, including plan...

The vastness of North America means there’s no shortage of places to visit and sights to see. Individuals who have caught the travel bug could spend much of their lives traversing the continent and still not see everything North America has to offer. But that doesn’t mean they can’t try. Summer vaca...

There’s no shortage of ways to impart flavor to foods when cooking at home. Smoking food is one method that has grown increasingly popular in recent years. Smoking imparts unique flavor to a wide variety of foods. Like other approaches to cooking, smoking involves a learning curve that may include s...

Whether you venture outdoors on a clear day or a cloudy one, it’s always important to protect your skin against dangerous sun rays. Skin cancer is on the rise. The National Cancer Institute estimates there were 100,640 new cases of skin melanomas and 8,290 related deaths in the U.S. last year. In 20...

The National Bison Association announced on July 1 the annual kickoff to July Bison Month, encouraging consumers to add this uniquely American, delicious, humanely raised, supremely healthy protein to their regular diets. The population of American bison once exceeded 30 million animals across North...

The decision to move is a very personal choice that is typically reached after considering a number of variables. Career opportunities, a better climate, superior schools or a desire to be closer to family compel millions of people to move each year, and those factors underscore how unique each indi...

One of the Grange’s core values is good stewardship of the earth and resources. Another is enjoying a good potluck. This summer, take the challenge to marry the two by organizing a sustainable potluck. This can be a rewarding way to promote environmentally friendly practices and potentially bring yo...

Thanks to social media and the growing popularity of self-sufficiency, canning and preserving is enjoying a renewal of interest. To me this is amusing because we’ve always been fans of this sort of activity. For over 50 years, Mom was an ambitious preserver of all things grown on our farm (and often...