Ring-necked pheasants stride across open fields and weedy roadsides in the U.S., southern Canada and the Finger Lakes area of New York State. They have graced our landscape since 1892 when they were successfully established on Gardiner’s Island, near the eastern end of Long Island. By the 1920s they...

Personalization is the name of the game these days, from our clothing styles to the curated advertisements the algorithms give us on our social media apps of choice. If you can set the light bulbs in your home to the colors you want, shouldn’t you also be able to build a greenhouse made specifically...

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is reminding you that local maple is always in season. There are many local maple producers in Chautauqua County and across New York State. Chautauqua Grown, a source for all things local foods in Chautauqua County, is availabl...

There are people out there, like my dad, who believed “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” He used his grandfather’s pitchfork for a number of duties on our little four-beefer operation, and despite its age, it worked wonderfully. There are others that like to jump on the latest technology, those “ear...

Like cows, goats and even tomatoes, there is a wide variety of pigs breeds to choose from, should you decide you want to add these animals to your homestead. Almost unanimously, one breed rises to the top in popularity, and with good reason. The American Yorkshire pig grows to a large size, is relat...

As a small-scale farmer, gardener or homesteader, you’re always looking for innovative and sustainable ways to improve your land and increase productivity. Check out some of the benefits of incorporating willows into your farm. Willows are versatile and fast-growing (up to 10 feet per year) trees or...

It’s that time of year when the groundhog has retreated back into its burrow, but the temperature tempts us with the possibility of spring. We all know there’s still plenty of snow and cold weather yet to come. On those days, when the world outside is gray and dreary, the walls surrounding us can se...

It feels a little like celery is often overlooked. It’s simply a side for buffalo wings. It’s chopped up and put into a little bit of everything, from hearty chicken noodle soup to the holy trinity of Creole cooking (onions, peppers and celery). It’s even tossed in to tuna sandwiches for a little cr...

Even as the meteorologist says another storm will be dumping snow on parts of the Northeast soon, spring is just around the corner. Garden supply and feed stores are putting out seeds, potting soil and trays, and in some of those stores you can hear little peeping sounds. It’s always fun to look at ...