Hooked on button beauty

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Clay collector helps 1930s hobby live on
The staircase in Marie Petry’s farm home in rural Clay County is adorned with an assortment of framed groupings of mounted buttons.

Pepper spray will protect marigold flowers

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Q: Do rabbits or squirrels like eating marigold flowers? If so, is there something I can do or spray on them to deter this? (e-mail reference)

Add more fruit, veggies to diet

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The other day I was giving a presentation to a group consisting mainly of businessmen. I asked them a few questions about nutrition and fitness to get an idea of their general awareness of current recommendations.

Sugar industry benefits from U.S. farm bill

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The region’s economy and sugar beet industry are better off because of the new U.S. farm bill, Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and sugar beet officials said.

USDA says floods cut corn acres

Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa – Farmers will harvest nearly 9 percent fewer acres of corn this year than last year, in part because of Midwest flooding which has damaged a portion of the crop, the government reported Monday. The result likely will be continued high corn prices, which likely will drive up some food prices.

Cliff Schuette

Working with wood

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Man prefers flawed pieces when carving wine boxes
While some people will stay away from flawed wood pieces, Cliff Schuette says he is drawn to them when he makes wooden wine boxes.

Safety on menu after freezer accident

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“Wow, we’re having lots of meat for lunch!” my 4-year-old daughter exclaimed.

Blue-green algae harm to livestock

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Producers should be on the lookout for green to blue-green scum or a gelatinous mass on the surface of their livestock’s fresh water supplies.

If crop fails, producers face decision to plant again

Forum Communications Co.
If a crop fails early in the growing season, producers may follow with a second crop if enough of the growing season remains. However, if the failed crop was covered by multiperil crop insurance, the decision to replant is not as clear.

Arborist should examine ailing maple trees

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Q: I have two silver maples on my property that are 25 to 30 years old. This spring, they both had lots of flower buds and then grew a lot of maple keys at the ends of the branches.

Binford Bull Ride

Saved by the bull

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Binford’s rodeo on new roll
The yearly rodeo in Binford, N.D., a tradition dating back to the 1960s, was on its last legs four years ago.

Salmonella outbreak raises food-safety fears

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When I teach food safety classes, I often ask my students which foods they associate with particular foodborne illnesses. They usually associate chicken or eggs with salmonella.

Spray plum trees when in full blossom

Forum Communications Co.
Q: We have several fruit trees in our backyard. One of them is a plum tree. For the first time, we have lots of plums on the tree. The problem is that the plums keep falling off as soon as they get close to maturing. The almost ripe plums also have little worms inside.