With the nice weather approaching us, not only do we humans want to be outside more but so do our pets. Along with that comes some dangers that can affect our pets while being outside – some more obvious dangers than others. First and foremost, make sure they always have plenty of fresh and clean wa...

By now, even if you don’t practice composting, you know what it is and how it works. Compost itself is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30% of what we throw away, and could be composted instead, according ...

As April focuses on gardening with kids, it makes me think about the fun my sisters and I have with houseplants and perennials. I come from a long line of gardeners, some from necessity, some for the beauty and healing qualities of gardening. My maternal grandmother was an avid gardener and had a sp...

Individualized coaching coupled with an app for tracking could help families greatly reduce some types of food waste, in turn helping combat climate change. That’s a finding from a recent study co-led by Brian Roe, holder of the Fred N. VanBuren Professorship in Farm Management at the Ohio State Uni...

April is Kids Garden Month and what better time to share your love of gardening with a child? From learning what it takes to grow your food to spending time with family to encouraging a child’s curiosity, gardening has many benefits. Starting with small projects based on your child’s age, ability an...

Not sure of Mother Nature’s motive in delivering some spring snow during “March Madness,” but I appreciate opening the door and getting a delectable whiff of onions simmering. It can only mean one thing – French onion soup is in my future. In a seemingly daily ritual of asking the computer random fa...

I’ve been around sewing since I was a child. I come from working class and farm stock – being able to sew was a part of life for my grandmothers, great-aunts and beyond, as it was for so many others of a bygone era. My great-aunt was a product of the Depression, a time where resources were tight and...

With more than 98% of Americans having little to no direct connection to farming or ranching, now, more than ever, there’s a need and opportunity for the agriculture community to tell its story. In honor of National Ag Day, the New York Beef Council is sharing one story of a New York beef producer w...

In the north, we have a few options for natural sweeteners. We have maple products that we can make in spring; we have sugar beets; and we have honey. Harvesting honey is about more than just the sweet, sticky gold stuff, though. It’s about properly taking care of some of the most important organism...

In “Super Troopers,” Thorny and Rabbit chug it straight from the bottle. In the movie “Elf,” Buddy pours it all over his spaghetti. Americans love maple syrup in all its sticky sweetness as well as other maple products from cotton candy to maple crème to those yummy little maple candies. Do you have...

Occasionally my seven-year-old granddaughter comes in to work with me. One day she asked if she could set up her own desk so she could do some work too. We used an empty desk and got her set up with some office supplies, printed out a sign that said “Kenza’s Desk” and put up a few decorations. She i...

Without getting too deep, we may have missed out on a lot of things over the past two years, but one thing we definitely can’t get enough of is quality time spent with our best walking buddies – our dogs. February 22 is Walking the Dog Day, and even if the weather isn’t ideal where you are, grab tha...

Love Your Pet Day is Feb. 20, and while it seems like an easy enough thing to do, there are good, healthy ways to show your love best. I’m always being told “When I die, I want to come back as Tracy’s dog.” I know it sounds morbid, but if you knew how my fur babies are treated, you’d understand. The...

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow (shocker!), so that means six more weeks of winter. With that in mind, here’s some very helpful information, just in case: There’s a snowstorm predicted. Whatare some foods I should have on hand if I think I’ll be housebound for a few days? Generally speaking, bread ...

It’s never a bad time to learn a new skill, and as we settle into month three of winter, maybe you should try your hand at canning. January is Canned Food Month, and while some people’s first thoughts are the cans at the grocery store, we know you, Country Culture maven. You’re a home canner. But ma...