I recently served as the beet thinner and harvester at a community garden where I volunteer. Some of our harvest goes to a local food pantry, while the helpers take home a share of fresh-from-the-garden goodness. Harvesting root vegetables like beets feels like a treasure hunt — you never ...

I perused the garage looking for my heavy-duty clippers. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my situation, but I had no one to blame but myself. I was mowing with a battery-operated push mower, and the area beneath the pine trees needed attention. Unfortunately, I managed to wedge the mower’s ...

A new type of farmers market received an inaugural run July 31, with more ventures expected to follow. Organizer Quinn Renfandt said the intent was to mix a traditional farmers market scene with a downtown/brewery vibe to create something new that doesn’t take away from existing farmers ...

I love zinnias. They are one of my favorite flowers. I interplant long rows of zinnias with my pumpkin and squash plants every year. Last year, as I was weeding the rows, I noticed a plant that had a striking difference from the rest. The plant was variegated. It had green leaves with strips of ...

“I need you to stay out of the kitchen for a while. I am pressure canning green beans,” my mom would say. I’d be stationed at the picnic table on the patio, trimming and slicing green beans. After the beans were cut in uniform lengths, I brought the beans to the front door for further ...

The other night, my husband and I went to the movie theater, which I can’t remember the last time we went to see a movie. The most popular snack at the movie theater is, of course, buttered popcorn. As we were munching on the popcorn, the idea for this column struck me: the popcorn ...