American Heart Month is in February – as is National Barley Month – and Ground Up is on a mission to share the heart-healthy qualities of barley flour with bakers and diners everywhere. Barley, an often-overlooked grain for bakers, is officially recognized by the FDA for its high soluble fiber conte...

When working in their sugarbush this winter, maple producers are encouraged to be on the lookout for signs of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). This wood-boring insect, native to southeast Asia, will kill many hardwood trees. However, its preferred host is the beloved maple. This highly destructive...

If asked to describe the favored foods of Valentine’s Day in a single word, “decadent” might prove the most apt descriptor. Foodies and non-foodies alike recognize that Valentine’s Day and chocolate are intertwined, making the day an ideal time to indulge in something rich. This Valentine’s Day, cou...

Everyone is familiar with Valentine’s Day (and know that the go-to sweet on Feb. 14 is chocolate). But there’s another day (and another way) to show your loved ones you care. January 25 is St. Dwynwen’s Day. St. Dwynwen was a fourth century Welsh princess who was rather unlucky in love, so she becam...

For some people, hot sauce is a hard no. For others, it’s a risky adventure. Yes, the taste up front may be thrilling, but then you end up reaching for a glass of milk and a tissue to dab your leaking tear ducts. Hot sauce does more than burn (in both good and bad ways). It’s a way to use some of th...

My grandmother loved seed catalogs. She would spend hours poring over the brightly colored pages, hunched next to her big white stove with the door propped open to warm her hands. She would debate the qualities of the vegetables pictured and ask her frequent drop-in visitors their opinion of a parti...

Today was a day of remembrance for my squirrel brain. As I nonchalantly tossed my old, faded “Dunkin Donuts” plastic travel mug with the black, “heat averting bump strip” in the recycle bin, a wave of emotions and memories rushed over me about the simple vessel that has conformed to my farmer grip f...

Sigh. The holidays are over. Christmas decorations need to go back in closets, the tree should come down and the hardwood in the living room is begging to be rid of glitter. Spare room linens and extra towels need to be washed – and it might take days to reclaim your kitchen. Let’s talk through a fe...

Resolutions to get fit might garner the bulk of people’s attention come New Year’s Day. But resolution season also marks a great time for busy families to commit to spending more time together. Hobbies can bring people together, which makes them an ideal outlet for families who want to spend more ti...

Looking for something bright to perk up your taste buds during the doldrums of winter? Look no further than this delectable recipe, courtesy of the Massachusetts Cranberries. Cranberry Spiced Braised Beef Makes 4 – 6 servings 2 T. olive oil or rendered bacon fat 3 lbs. boneless chuck beef roast, tie...

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. The U.S. EPA notes that radon disperses rapidly outdoors, which makes it a generally innocuous gas. However, radon can become trapped indoors, and it’s in those instances when the gas poses a potentially significant threat. How does radon get inside? T...

Humans are funny creatures – especially when it comes to celebrating a new year. There are different traditions around the world, but here in the USA, I think ours wins the prize for the strangest, if not most puzzling. After a month of feasting and making merry we suddenly, at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1,...

Post-holiday exhaustion is no joke. Everyone feels it in varying degrees of intensity, but the often days-long slump after New Year’s Day can be rough. Late nights preparing a house for guests and wrapping presents. Long, hot days of cooking for holiday feasts. A valiant effort to will yourself awak...

Country Culture’s assistant editor – a lifelong farm kid – reflects on the new year I’m sitting here on New Year’s Day at my grandparents’ kitchen table, looking out over the back pasture of 20 acres that crests down the hill behind the house. The farm in total is over a hundred acres – much of it w...

When I look back at my childhood and recall the passing of seasons – the peach trees blooming in spring, the waving grass of the hay meadows in summer and the changing colors of the trees in autumn – I miss the closeness of winter most of all and the exhilaration of the cold night air and the welcom...