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Dakota Gardener: Have you planted your garden yet?

We are rounding out the month of May already! Is anyone else wondering where the month went? May is the month for planting gardens. Somebody asked me just last week, “Have you planted your garden yet?” When I get asked this in mid-May, I tend to chuckle to myself before I give my spiel on ...

Dakota Gardener: Let’s start a berry patch

Nothing tastes better than fresh, ripe berries from the garden. When I was a child, my family grew berries for the farmers market. While harvesting, I ate about half of the berries. My motto was “one for me, one for the market.” They were irresistible. Homegrown berries are absolutely ...

Prairie Fare: Nostalgia is sweet, but so is moderation

“Do you remember the packs of candy cigarettes?” a dining companion asked. “Oh, yes. What about the pink bubblegum cigars?” another added. “Of course. How about the little wax pop bottles with colored syrup?” a third mentioned. I remembered all of these. I recall thinking it ...

Dakota Gardener: The birds and the bees and the trees!

A few years ago, I picked up beekeeping as a hobby. To be honest, I’m not a very good beekeeper. Mostly, the bees keep themselves. The honeybees, along with myriad native insects and even a few bird species, are critical partners in helping trees reproduce. In general, the trees produce a ...

Forage Matters: Cover crops, grazing and nitrogen fixation

I am often asked, “Can I graze cover crops?” The answer is yes, you can. Sometimes a label we give something pigeonholes it for a specific purpose, making it difficult to think about its use in other ways. When cover crops became a hot topic a few years ago, I tried to relabel them as ...

Prairie Fare: Protect your skin: Simple steps to prevent skin cancer

“What’s on your cup?” someone asked me. I showed him the sun safety decal. It featured a cartoon sun wearing a broad-brimmed hat and holding a bottle of sunscreen. I was hoping people would notice its colorful text: “Protect Your Skin.” We’ve been sharing these reminders in honor ...