Subscribe Now

Winter might be the last thing you think of when you’re enjoying fresh summer produce, but with a little planning now you can enjoy fresh food from your own garden all year long. The key to a fall or winter harvest is to seed crop in July and August to achieve adequate growth by the [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 128 lakes in the Southern Plains Region (covering central and northern Texas, western Kansas and Oklahoma, and parts of Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico) to characterize the condition of more than 3,100 lakes throughout the area. What did researchers find?

Only 34 percent [...]

As part of the National Lakes Assessment, the U.S. EPA selected and sampled 137 lakes in the Temperate Plains Region (covering eastern North and South Dakota, Iowa, western Minnesota, parts of Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, western Ohio, central Indiana, Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin) to characterize the condition of more than 6,300 lakes throughout the area. [...]

Did you know there are about 2,000,000 farms in the United States?  Soil erosion, which can be a problem on farmlands, occurs in three different ways: wind, water and tillage – the agricultural preparation of soil by plowing or turning the land.  When soil is carried away from farmlands, phosphorus and nitrogen can be carried [...]

You might think the vegetables growing in your garden can’t get enough of the sun’s rays and warmth. But did you know that too much sun can hurt certain plans? Heat-sensitive crops like lettuce and spinach are susceptible to bolting, which can cause vegetables to taste bitter. Shade over a garden bed can create a [...]

Did you know that you can help the Gulf of Mexico without traveling beyond your driveway? Our region is part of the Texas Gulf Coast watershed, an area of land that drains rain water and river water into the Gulf of Mexico. When it storms here, rainwater carries pollutants like fertilizer from farms and lawns, [...]

Did you know that you can help the Gulf of Mexico without traveling beyond your driveway? Our region is part of the Mississippi River watershed, an area of land that drains rain water and river water into the Gulf of Mexico. When it storms here, rainwater carries pollutants like fertilizer from farms and lawns, motor [...]

Did you know that weather has a large influence on seedling establishment and crop growth? If you enjoy eating peas from your garden, you can plant peas early in the spring, plant another batch of peas a few weeks later, and both batches will be ready to harvest at  almost the same time.  That’s because weather [...]

Grasshoppers are an all-too-common invader of gardens across the country. They’re difficult to control because they are highly mobile and can do large amounts of damage in a very short period of time. You might think grasshoppers are just a summer problem, but there’s plenty you can do this spring to gauge what this year’s [...]

Looking for small, gentle livestock to raise on your farm this fall?  Consider goats!  Goats are the multifaceted livestock of today. There is a booming demand in the United States for goat meat and goat milk and also an interest in using goats as an ecologically safe form of vegetation control.
Viewer Tip:  If you want to [...]

Fall is the time to reap the rewards of your hard-earned fruit and vegetable crops. However, you can enjoy your produce for months after the harvest through good production practices, harvest handling and postharvest handling and storage. Harvesting fruits and vegetables at their proper stage, size and at peak quality will ensure the best quality [...]

As fall sets in with its cool, wet weather, a fungus called powdery mildew can impact your garden, flowers, and lawn. Powdery mildew and other fungal plant diseases leave produce inedible. The disease can remain dormant in the ground between seasons and crops, so vigilant management practices are essential to keeping your crops free of [...]

Plants already harness the power of the sun for food. Now you can harness that power to help your plants grow. All greenhouses collect solar energy, but solar greenhouses are designed not only to collect solar energy during sunny days but also to store heat for use at night or during periods when it is [...]

A greenhouse in the fall can give you fresh food beyond the typical growing season. To maintain this growing environment, the greenhouse must be warm enough to protect the produce. There are many ways to provide heat to a greenhouse, but one of the most economical and easy option is heating with compost.
Viewer Tip: When constructing [...]

You don’t want to say goodbye to your fresh flowers and produce just because the frost has hit. Hoop houses, which are inexpensive plastic-covered greenhouses, are a great way to extend your growing season at a lower cost than green houses. Hoop houses reduce risks and enhance the quality of your harvest, and also typically [...]

Extending the length of time you grow your vegetables and other crops can extend the profits you earn in a year while also giving you more fresh produce for your family. Season extension techniques help both hobby gardeners and commercial farmers prolong their growing season.
Viewer Tip: Site selection, soil, windbreaks and plastic structures can all [...]

Planting two or more vegetables in close proximity to each other is an easy way to get the most out of your crops. Plants that complement each other, such as carrots and lettuce or beets and onions, can provide cultural benefits to your garden. For example, companion planting can provide protection for sensitive plants, attract [...]

While most crops are planted in the spring, some important produce waits until fall to go into the ground. Due to the sensitivity of the plant, lettuce grows best in the moist, cool fall. And since it only takes 30 days to mature, there is enough time to produce the plant before the weather becomes [...]

Increase the health of your fields by planting a crop and leaving it for an entire season. The benefits of cover crops have been publicized for years. Although they are grown primarily to prevent soil erosion, cover crops can also contribute to nitrogen production, increase soil microbial activity, reduce insect pests and suppress weeds.
Viewer Tip: [...]

Did you know that it takes 500 to 1,000 years to build just one-inch of soil? Soils form slowly and continuously, thanks to a number of factors, including:

Climate: Temperature, wind and water “weather” or break down rocks and minerals that form soils.
Life: Burrowing animals, plant roots, tiny bacteria and fungi mix soils and chemically change [...]