Small Farm & Direct Marking Handbook available for farm, food businesses

STATE – The Washington State Department of Agriculture has released the Small Farm & Direct Marketing Handbook for farmers who sell their agricultural and food products directly to consumers.
The handbook, announced at the annual meeting of the Washington State Farmers Market Association earlier this year, provides information about the resources available to farmers, how to [...]

IN THE GARDEN: Starting seeds

Along with last year’s increased interest in home veggie gardening, more people are now interested in starting their own seeds. Growing plants from seed can be fun for the kids, and saves money on plants. Like anything, there are tradeoffs to starting seeds versus buying starts. So consider the following if you’re wanting to start [...]

Welcome Valley’s Local Food Works receives $1,500 grant

by Brita Adkinson
DEMING – Local Food Works, a food production organization based in Welcome Valley, recently received a $1,500 grant from the Bellingham-based Community Food Co-op Farm Fund to assist their efforts in providing fresh fruit and vegetables to local families and individuals in need.
Local Food Works started in 2009 as a kitchen table organization, [...]

IN THE GARDEN: Are the plants confused?

by Chuck McClung
A lot of people have been asking me if the plants are confused by all the mild, spring-like weather we’ve been having. Crocus and heather have been blooming; daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips are all emerging. Roses, shrubs, and other trees are beginning to leaf out. This year I even started pruning some of [...]

IN THE GARDEN: New landscape assistance

Published Jan. 29, 2010
by Chuck McClung
Perhaps you’ve just bought a new home with no landscaping, or perhaps you’re just unhappy with your existing landscape. Since it seems we’re going to have an early Spring this year, jump on it! A nice, long Spring means more time for new plantings to get established before our dryish [...]

EVERYDAY LIFE: What of winter?

by John McKnight
I was squishing my way across my lawn yesterday when I realized it needs mowing. Not the mowing that was leftover because I didn’t get to it last fall when it needed that one last trim.  No, it needs the “too much new growth” mowing you’re not supposed to get until March.  Walking [...]

IN THE GARDEN: Mealy Bugs

by Chuck McClung
Mealy bugs are common houseplant pests. They look like little white, cottony, fuzzy things that can reside anywhere on your plant, the pot rim, stake, or even the plant tag. Like most houseplant pests, as opposed to diseases, they don’t immediately hurt a plant; they are “sucking” critters that slowly zap the energy [...]