It’s been called America’s secret fruit, forgotten fruit and for many, an unknown fruit. But for some of us, it’s a backyard fruit. When your husband forgets to transplant a seedling to the farm until it becomes a small tree, finding the native fall fruit no longer...
Water and wind are powerful forces of nature for which we can try to be prepared. Buildings can be built to endure hurricane force winds and dams can control water depending on the volume. Farmers monitor weather conditions and can adjust planting and harvest of crops...
I have never met a cow I didn’t like (especially if they’re black and white), but there were times when not all were in favor during my years of showing dairy. Summer days filled with training calves to lead, grooming, feeding and cleaning stalls provided lots of...
Amid the headlines of the ever-changing bird flu outbreaks in chickens1 and now, the spread to dairy cattle, one headline is still consistent: our food is safe. Poultry producers and dairy farmers work to ensure their products are safe by following safety protocols...
Farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture, local restaurants and markets remind us that many hands help put food on our table. But the reach and number of those hands extend beyond the local community. Today, our desire for year-round produce and food variety...
Eggs are in the headlines again! It is Easter and the lure of dying eggs and creating egg-centric dishes for holiday meals increases the attention. But it’s the cost that is getting the headlines this year. While we were spoiled for paying less than one dollar per...
“If everything goes as planned, there would be no story,” my husband often says. It also means that I would not be writing this story! Following our halfway Thanksgiving meeting point in Kona, Hawaii, with our niece (who lives in New Zealand), we headed to Kauai for...
Buying fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter was never an option or even a consideration when growing up on a farm. You just knew fresh tomatoes were the best off the vine in the summertime and relied on home canned tomatoes (or store bought) for winter days. But...
The sights and sounds of combines running across soybean and corn fields over the past couple of months signal its harvest time in the Bluegrass state and most of the country. Whether we’re harvesting corn, soybeans, apples or potatoes, most of what is gathered ends...
With Labor Day behind us, our summer quests (and sweats) start to fade, leaving us with memories, smiles and miles behind us. Like many, my travels this summer — from across the country to across the oceans — opened doors to new adventures and reminded me that while...