2020 has been quite a year for all of us with all the changes that have been thrust upon us. This includes our farmers who supply fresh produce and meats to our local markets. With the health restrictions, many farmers had to quickly change from face-to-face market sales to online sales with...
Often people who have their own private water well forget how important it is to do an annual visual inspection of their well components and annual water testing.
It does not take long to do, and it might save you an expensive well repair bill.
As far as the visual inspection,...
Fields are turning to browns and golds and harvest has begun. With farmers across Illinois spending long hours in the fields, they and their farm families are shifting mealtime from the kitchen table to the field.
Being in the middle of a field without kitchen conveniences...
If you enjoy those sweet tender vegetables of spring, then you get another opportunity to enjoy them during the cooler temperatures of fall. The catch is that you have to plant them now during the month of August.
Why does a fall crop need to be planted in August? Daylight and temperature.
Here...
Spring has sprung, the weather is gorgeous, and everyone wants to get outside. However, social distancing measures prevent many of us from being in public spaces. We can’t gather with others, but we still care about our families and our community. What a perfect time to revisit the victory garden...
If you love having vases full of fresh flowers around the house, but not the price tag cut flower gardening is for you! A little planning now will have your home full of unique floral arrangements all summer long.
First off, what is a cut flower? A cut flower is simply any flower or flower bud...
One of the secrets to getting fruit out of your home orchard year after year is annual pruning during the dormant season. This early-spring task can increase fruit quality, reduce the occurrence of diseases, and improve tree health in the long term, but many people are nervous about pruning or too...
Grandma’s blue-ribbon apple-pie recipe may still be winning awards and your secret ingredient BBQ sauce never has any leftovers, but shifting from being a home cook to a small business requires a leap of faith and a big financial investment not everyone can make.
Luckily, Illinois’...
This spring has provided ample opportunity for DIY projects so here’s one more to add to the list.
Worm Composting!
For many, this might be unthinkable, but in reality, worm composting or vermicomposting is a great way to fulfill your mission to reduce, reuse, recycle...
Food science is so fun! Like overmixing batter to see "tunnels" develop because of gluten. Or turning cream into butter or ice cream. And especially dyeing with food and plant pigments. Pigments are the compounds that make up the colors in food and plants.
Egg dyeing with food and plants is...
