Life’s secrets, according to you… Part 3

Our children are growing up in a world that has stripped away the need for any imagination. It’s all laid out for them. Every conceivable story from vampires to wizards to werewolves and back. Throw in technology and social networking, and everything is just one click away. We had “The Littlest Hobo,” “The Beachcombers” and […] Read more

First-season honey harvest

A colony of bees can be perfectly reasonable all summer, but with fall comes a decrease in temperature and an increase in bee hostility. My husband Ron and I experienced a little display of this (and reasonably so) when we went to dismantle their home and steal some of the food that they had worked […] Read more


Do good things come to those who wait?

An experiment was conducted in 1992 at Stanford University, in which four-year-old children were given a choice. A marshmallow was put in front of them; they could either eat the marshmallow now, or wait 15 minutes, after which they would be given two marshmallows. Researchers met the kids again as teenagers. What do you think […] Read more



Tomatoes — more than just great tasting

Tomatoes are probably the No. 1 reason our family grows a garden. If the fact that tomatoes are delicious isn’t enough to convince your family to add them to their menu, their healthy nutritional profile might. Many scientific studies have found substances in tomatoes to help with heart and prostate health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato […] Read more

Pioneer Harvest & Field Day

Jack Grad has been hosting his Pioneer Harvest & Field Day for 15 years. He has collected all of the original equipment for the multi-activity day that features plowing, discing, spring tooth harrowing, binding, threshing and potato cultivating. “There’s no end to looking for and finding equipment to bring back home and fix up,” said […] Read more


Power of target dates, timelines and action

There’s nothing more scary for farm families who are trying to gain control over their lives than to have no clue about what the future holds. I am chuckling as I write today because today is the first time that I have been gently asked over the phone if I would like the “senior’s discount” […] Read more

Leave baby wildlife in the wild

When it comes to newborn wildlife mother knows best, so people should never touch or move that newborn deer, elk or moose when encountered. People who find these newborns alone often mistakenly believe they have been abandoned, but usually they have only been left there temporarily by their mother, who will return. Intervening in these situations by “rescuing” the […] Read more


Shed some stuff and share the story

As I write this, we are in the final stages of seeding the crop. As you read this, I hope you are camping with family, or relaxing after a full day of haying or spraying. The busy season on the farm gets interrupted when someone is critically ill or dies suddenly. I am not trying […] Read more

Ted shares more emails

Welcome everybody! The presses have rolled again and I’m still catching up with more focus on emails. You’re now reading the Singing Gardener page in the July/August Grainews issue. It’s hard to believe, but we’ve reached the point of mid-summer. Where have the weeks and months gone? Reminds me of a sign I once saw along the T-Can. […] Read more