Modern children have somewhat different ideas of what constitutes entertainment, especially when compared to youngsters from a generation or two ago. While it was once commonplace for kids to be out and about with their friends riding bikes and spending time in each other’s backyards – only returnin...

By this time of the year, it may seem like winter will never end. Many of us are eager to start gardening knowing that spring is right around the corner. While we can’t make the calendar pages turn more quickly, we can get ready for the upcoming gardening season while having some fun with friends an...

Cultivating the decay of kitchen scraps, yard cuttings, dead leaves and crumpled napkins destined for landfills infuses landscapes with new life. A well-managed compost pile promotes decomposition of those organic materials that eventually crumble into a nutrient-packed humus. That “black gold” is a...

Is February over yet? It’s been chilly here in the Finger Lakes and I am ready for spring. With the coming of spring comes all the spring sales, plant sales and in local farm stores the arrival of the chirping baby chicks for sale as well. My mom always said chickens were the gateway drug into farmi...

Snow is falling – my mittens are calling. Wearing mittens never gets old. Ya know why? They are warm with knitted soft fibers and someone’s love. Mittens also allow your fingers to share body heat, creating a warm microenvironment with the hanging thumb welcomed into the huddle when needed. A must w...

Gardening is becoming so much more than just a hobby. A growing number of homeowners say they feel it contributes to a larger life experience. This belief is helping the pollinator garden trend continue to blossom and evolve, including shining a spotlight on a little bird that’s creating a lot of bu...

There’s no place like home, especially when that home is a comfortable and safe haven. One of the ways residents find comfort in their homes is by maintaining the right indoor temperatures, which fluctuate along with the seasons. While there is much to be said about opening windows and doors to let ...

You may be familiar with its name from the bottle of astringent found in your home medicine cabinet or for sale on pharmacy shelves near rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. What you may not know is that the leaves, bark and twigs from American witch hazel, a small native tree, are used in the man...

Snow days always bring to mind Mama’s cozy pine-paneled kitchen and the familiar wintertime aromas of roasting peanuts, beef stew and cherry pie. Being cooped up in the house (except for outside chores and feeding) meant Mama had to get creative to keep us from driving her up the wall. She had a sur...