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Prairie Fare: What are your favorite, least favorite vegetables?

“Have some Brussels sprouts,” my husband said to our kids when they were much younger. “They look like little green brains.” Well, that certainly was an enticement, I recall thinking to myself. I gave him “the look.” All the Brussels sprouts remained on our kids’ plates ...

DAKOTA GARDENER: The Birds and the Trees

I love feeding the birds in the winter. We set out several different types of feeders in the backyard and get a variety of birds: blue jays, black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, four different kinds of woodpeckers. It’s a pleasure watching their dance. The woodpeckers go for suet and the ...

Prairie Fare: Consider a resolution to recycle more often

“Mom, I used to pull all-nighters to get projects done,” my older daughter said matter-of-factly. “We are going to finish this.” I wanted to take a break from reorganizing our cupboards. My daughter was behaving more like she was my mother. “But I’m tired,” I whined ...

Managing difficult insect pest on houseplants

A sticky substance on plant leaves, plant stands, and the floor are often the first clue alerting gardeners to a problem. If a closer look reveals bumps on the upper and lower surface of leaves and stems, it means scale insects have moved in to dine on your houseplants. Severe infestations can ...

Dakota Gardner: Gardening in the Winter

Gardening catalogs are arriving in the mailbox and my inbox is flooded with emails from seed companies touting the newest vegetable cultivars. I’m starting to get the itch to get my hands dirty, but my garden is covered in 6 inches of snow. What can a gardening addict do? Grow ...

PrairieFare: 5 questions about cold temps and our health

One morning my eyes snapped open at the sound of a familiar rumbling engine outside my window. I glanced bleary eyed at my alarm clock. The time was 5:25 a.m. I thought my neighbor was snow blowing. However, the sound was directly under our window. I usually do not jump up at such an ...