“My mother’s dad dropped out of the eighth grade to work. He had to. By the time he was 30, he was a master electrician/plumber/carpenter/mason/mechanic. That guy was, to me, a magician. Anything that was broken, he could fix. Anybody anywhere in our community knew that if there was a problem, Carl ...

The CDC estimates 36,000 people are treated in emergency rooms annually for chainsaw injuries, and the average chainsaw injury requires 110 sutures to close. Although injuries resulting from chainsaw accidents happen anywhere from head to toes, most occur to the arms, hands and legs. Dan Neenan, par...

Millions of individuals across the globe are avid hunters. The passion many of those people have for hunting began on their first childhood hunting trip, and countless hunters fondly recall this milestone moment in their lives. If there’s a first time for everything, parents know that kids’ initial ...

Books are very popular gifts, no matter what the special occasion is. Genres that run the gamut from fantasy to nonfiction ensure there’s a book out there for everyone. But finding the right gift for a book-loving loved one may not be as easy as it seems. Avid readers may have personal book collecti...

As Americans prepare to celebrate the last days of summer this Labor Day holiday, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) would like to remind owners of some of the best ways to keep their animals healthy and safe. “When making any holiday plans, it is important not to o...

Whether one places a dollop in tea or drizzles some in a yogurt smoothie, honey is the sweet finish that can make various foods and beverages taste that much better. In fact, honey is perhaps Mother Nature’s most natural sweetener. While honey in any form can provide its share of healthy offerings, ...

Every so often I get the overwhelming urge to organize and de-clutter my house. A few months ago, however, something happened that changed my outlook on not only my annual organizing frenzy but my perception of “clutter.” I was visiting a friend who had lost her husband and she was in the process of...

Water quality is not something people think about all that much, especially in developed nations. Though it can be easy to take water quality for granted in countries with ample regulation and sophisticated filtering systems, there are times when anyone, regardless of where they live, should take st...

Just as summertime is synonymous with concerts and carnivals, autumn is a prime time for its own opportunities for seasonal entertainment, such as harvest festivals. Certain features overlap between summer carnivals and fall festivals, but the latter offers some unique offerings as well. The followi...

Do you think your local farmers market is one of the best in the country? American Farmland Trust (AFT) and the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) kicked off the 15th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration™ (AFMC) on June 19 – a significant milestone to celebrate the only annual ranking of the top ...

Pickled vegetables in a mason jar. Homemade salsa. Craft ketchup. Each summer, people use a variety of home food preservation methods to make their garden harvest last all year, and many of them involve acidifying food with vinegar. But with low-acidity vinegars becoming increasingly prevalent, cons...

Storms can strike at any time, so having the right outdoor power equipment on hand and keeping safety in mind is important, says the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). Home and business owners should think ahead before foul weather or a power outage occurs. “Any season can be storm season,” s...

It’s no accident that a person who dominates those around him is often called the “cock of the walk.” The same aggressiveness that makes roosters the effective leaders and protectors of the henhouse can also make them a pain in the butt, often intimidating not just the flock but their poultry farmer...

Fireflies evoke a feeling of magic and wonder; elegant blobs of light dancing and blinking in the summer night. Everything about fireflies hearkens back to a time long past. Imagine living on Earth 75 – 130 million years ago. Dinosaurs tromping and roaming. The air is hot and humid. There are no car...

The adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” dates all the way back to the 12th century. Though the saying is now nearly a millennium old, its message – that time is necessary to create great things – is as true in now as it was in 1190. Building great communities takes time, but that process is often esc...