country

On Saturday, May 20, the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas County will host their Annual Spring Plant Sale at the Viking Plaza Mall in Alexandria. At 9 a.m. there will be a presentation on Texture in the Garden, followed by the sale starting promptly at...

The annual harbinger of spring has arrived. The spring lawn care questions have begun in earnest, specifically, when to start treating for crabgrass. If you want to preemptively strike out against this menace, the following information should help in your home lawn defense.

Gardening season is just around the corner, and University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas County want to get you off to a great start. They will offer a series of informative gardening sessions free of charge without pre-registration. These lunch-time sessions...

Knowing when to water and how much to water is a challenge for any gardener. Too much water at the wrong time and place can cause fungal disease. Not enough water in the right place can lead to stunted, stressed plants susceptible to disease and insect infestation. To get your garden...

The sights and smells of spring in conjunction with the increase of daylight hours brings excitement and optimism for me as I fine tune my equipment for spring planting. In my younger years, I would never have thought that the smell of fresh-cut hay, newly tilled earth or even a cleaned...

The short growing season has limited local strawberry production, but there are newer, day-neutral varieties that may just provide the solution to extending the strawberry harvest. A workshop addressing these varieties and more will be held on Thursday, April 20, from 6:30 to 7:30...

Minnesota Farmers Union has scheduled multiple meetings that will be held around the state of Minnesota that will discuss important issues affecting farmers and rural communities. One of these meetings will be held on Thursday, March 30, at 1:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Courtyard...

The University of Minnesota Morris Organic Gardening Club will host a barn dance featuring Rupert's Land Band and contra/square dancing on Friday, March 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Oyate Hall in the University of Minnesota, Morris Student Center. The cost is $2. Children get in free....

Just as rural communities are the backbone of America, farm mothers play a vital and integral role on the farm, with their families, in their communities and across the entire agriculture industry. To honor the significant contributions these women make in their communities and beyond,...

University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners of Douglas County invite the public to their annual Let's Get Growing workshop on Saturday, April 8, at the Alexandria Technical and Community College Office and Information Technology Center. Register between 8 and 8:40 a.m., visit...

National Ag Day is March 21. In honor of this, the staff at the Douglas County FSA office would like to thank all the farmers and ranchers that make agriculture such a vital part of communities here in Douglas County. Agriculture is alive and well in Central Minnesota. Douglas County...

When it comes to selecting flowers to plant in my garden, I am always looking for scented varieties that bring the fragrance of the garden into my home. So many beautiful cultivars have had their sweet aroma bred right out of them. I am always disappointed upon discovering that a...

Deadlines seem to bring out the best in some of us and, at times, the worst in some of us. Without deadlines, we would not have the motivation to chase after our ambitions or our accomplishments. Completing tasks attached to deadlines gives us a sense of accomplishment and a peace...