It’s a late winter morning, and I’m overwhelmed. As I stand beneath the verdant green tree, close to 1,000 ripe pomelos tug on the branches, threatening to fall. I pluck a particularly stubborn fruit ...

Most people think of large acreage when they think about permaculture, but its principles can be just as successful in small home landscapes. Brandy Hall, permaculturalist and owner of landscaping ...

As climate patterns shift and water resources become increasingly precious, small-scale farmers face mounting pressure to optimize every drop. While typical conservation methods like drip irrigation ...

But let’s get this out of the way: These goats can’t set webs to catch their prey, they don’t possess super-strength, and they aren’t tottering around the barn on eight bony legs (as ...

In Washington’s Skagit Valley, the beginning of summer is largely marked by the first ripe, red strawberry. Just off of State Route 20 headed west out of Burlington sits the Skagit Valley location of ...

Tim Smith has a story to tell, but it’s stuck way down in his throat. Typically, this fourth-generation Iowa farmer is chatty and warm, but sitting at the kitchen table with his wife, Tina, his face ...

Polyester was once thought to be a wonder fiber. Both durable and efficient, with no need for farmland or vast amounts of water, it threatened to leave natural fibers like cotton in the dust. It turns ...

If you had millions of pounds of cheese—along with butter and dry-milk powders—where would you keep it? If you’re the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the answer is obvious: in a series ...

1. A shepherd’s life is most humble (the oldest profession) From the beginning of time, shepherds have been the proverbial “ditch diggers,” the down-trodden, the disrespected. Hence, even the angels ...

Donkey basketball, or donkey ball, is not uncommon at school fundraising events around the country. The game represents basketball in that it’s played on an indoor court (donkeys wear special booties ...

35 years ago today, thousands of farmers arrived in Washington D.C. for the second annual demonstration of the American Agriculture Movement (AAM). Some came on buses or planes, but most grumbled into ...

Recent studies suggest planting strips of wildflowers alongside crops boosts pollination and promotes higher yields. But these aren’t the only benefits. Adding wildflowers to your farm stabilizes the ...