Valerie Boese

If you have ever longed to grow your own fruit, growing grapes is an excellent place to start. Grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years by home gardeners around the world, and you can do it too. They’re easy to grow, and they don’t require you to be an expert gardener or own a […]

There are several types of berries that you can grow with little effort, in your back yard, that will provide plentiful berry crops year after year.

Raising chicks is a relatively simple undertaking; however, it can be challenging when young poultry becomes ill. Young poultry up 12 weeks of age is susceptible to one of the most life-threatening chick diseases, coccidiosis.

Best Tomatoes to Grow for Farmers Markets Are you planning on selling tomatoes at the farmers market this summer? Now, is the time to get your seeds or plants on order. When choosing your tomato cultivars, it’s important to know your best performers, because a variety that performs well one year may not the next, […]

All chicken owners and breeders should be aware of the recent breakouts of Newcastle disease in California and Utah.  Two hundred ninety-nine cases of Virulent Newcastle disease have been reported since May 18th in California, and there was one case confirmed last week in Utah which is believed to be linked to three chickens that […]

Best Practices to Keep Your Chickens Healthy Owning chickens is becoming more and more widespread; people everywhere are keeping chickens from a small scale back yard to a full-scale business.  Raising chickens is a gratifying experience that brings enrichment, food, and for some a steady stream of income.  They are economical to own, easy to […]

 Grow a profit with farmers markets, start planning now, for a thriving farmers market. Now is an excellent time to order your seeds and plants to take advantage of early bird offers. Many garden seed nurseries are offering free seeds and discounts for orders placed before the end of February. Plus, ordering now increases the […]

  What is an Aronia Berry? The aronia berry “chokeberry” has become a popular and valuable shrub to add to your landscape. Aronia is a shrub native to the United States. They are called chokeberries because when you eat them, they have an astringent, sweet-tart flavor that makes your mouth dry. They are good neutralizers […]

  History of Popcorn Have you considered growing popcorn in your garden? Homegrown popcorn is easy to grow and has a superior flavor over store-bought popcorn. Popcorn is native to the Americas; probably one of the oldest snacks, Native Americans showed the English how to pop popcorn in the 16th century, and evidence shows that […]

  Chicken Craze There is a chicken craze taking place, backyard flocks popping up everywhere, seems to be the trend. Many folks in rural and in city dwellings are establishing their own backyard flocks. Cities are changing their ordinances to allow people to own chickens. With chickens being reasonably inexpensive to own, folks everywhere are […]