Articles written by Jeff Gale

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Field and Garden: Local foods provide opportunities

My wife and I bought a pig two weeks ago. Actually, we bought half a pig. Our niece’s children are enrolled in the 4-H swine project. The brother and sister duo own several sows, and they’ve devel...

 

Field and Garden: October snow slows county corn harvest

What a change of weather Foster County experienced from the beginning to the end of October. We started the month with a near record high of 89 degrees on Oct. 1, and temperatures remained warmer...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    October 30, 2023

Field and Garden: Will El Niño bring a mild winter?

It’s likely you’ve heard news reports saying that El Niño conditions have developed for the first time in three years. El Niño typically causes our winters in North Dakota to be warmer and...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    October 16, 2023

Field and Garden: Crop harvest underway as gardens end for season

f you think we’ve had a lot of foggy weather this fall, then you’d be right. By my count, the National Weather Service in Bismarck issued seven dense fog advisories in September and two more in...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    October 2, 2023

It's National 4-H Week: 'I love 4-H'

In 1915, Marius Malmgren’s corn crop yielded 209 bushels per acre, more than four times the national average of 45 bushels per acre. Malmgren was just 14 years old at the time. He was a member of a...

 

Field and Garden: Is your lawn ready for winter?

The days are getting shorter, and temperatures are dropping. It’s time to get lawn and garden chores wrapped up for the year. The good news is that raking leaves can be crossed off your “to do...

 

Field and Garden: Warm weather aids corn and soybean drydown

A storm system passed through Foster County late on Sept. 4, bringing 0.5 to 1.7 inches of rain to the area. Rainfall amounts were greatest in the northeast part of the county where rain was...

 

Field and Garden: The great pumpkin weigh-off and questions

Please bring your pumpkins, whether large or small, to the city park on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the final Carrington Market in 2023. I’ll be there with a scale to see who grew the largest pumpkin in...

 

Field and Garden: Moisture conditions vary as crop matures

“Have you found aphids in your soybean fields?” I asked the farmer. “I haven’t looked,” was the reply. “But if there were any, last night’s rain would have washed them off.” I was...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    August 28, 2023

Field and Garden: Community garden update, and questions

Thirteen gardeners planted 24 plots in Carrington’s community garden this year. It’s been fun watching the gardeners experiment with new crops and new techniques. One technique that really worked...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    August 14, 2023

Field and Garden: 4-H camp offers fun, educational activities

“Ready, set, go!” said the small, red-haired girl as she tightened her grip on the foot-long four-by-four, holding it tightly against the shop floor. Her blonde-haired counterpart had already...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    August 7, 2023

Field and Garden: Corn, soybeans and pastures all need rain

Great potential. That’s what many Foster County farmers are seeing as they look across their fields. Corn and soybeans grew rapidly this summer due to warmer-than-normal weather in June. One produce...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    July 31, 2023

Field and Garden: Blossom end rot, white grubs and cucumber beetles

There’s a 50/50 chance that we still have 60 frost-free days ahead of us. That’s enough time to plant and harvest some garden crops. Plants grow more slowly as the days grow shorter and the...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    July 24, 2023

Field and Garden: Improving climate resilience on farms, ranches

“My students have accepted the fact that our climate is being affected by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” said the university instructor. “They want to know what we...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    July 17, 2023

Field and Garden: Consider planting juneberries

“Do you like juneberry pie with or without rhubarb in it?” asked my friend as we bounced across a pasture in his pickup truck. It’s funny he should ask, I thought to myself, because that...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    July 10, 2023

Field and Garden: Workshop increases practical skills, career awareness

Do you need to replant? That was one of the questions I asked ten youths who recently attended Junior Crop Scout School at the Carrington Research Extension Center (REC). The young men and women had...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    July 3, 2023

Field and Garden: Warm temperatures, timely rain boost corn, soybeans

The old saying “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change” has been applied to many places, and it was certainly true in Foster County during the week of the fair. Temp...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    June 26, 2023

Field and Garden: Proper watering reduces disease in plants

My African friend taught me a lesson last year about the proper way to water a garden. I was going down a row of green beans late one afternoon with a watering wand in hand. It was a hot day, and I...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    June 19, 2023

Field and Garden: Recent warm weather boosts growth of some crops

Several of us were visiting about the weather last week, when the man next to me said, “The onion forecast predicts we’ll have a wet July.” Thinking that I hadn’t heard clearly, I asked the...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    June 12, 2023

Field and Garden: Project Safe Send accepts lawn & garden pesticides

Foster County gardeners have a great opportunity this summer to get rid of pesticide bottles and packets that are lining the shelves of our garages and garden sheds. Project Safe Send will be...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    June 5, 2023

Field and Garden: Another challenging start to the growing season

“How is seeding going?” I asked the farmer. “Not bad” was his reply. “We’re about done with the fields where conditions are good. But now, all the remaining fields are wet.” Too much...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    May 22, 2023

Ag in the Gym highlights North Dakota agriculture

"Is this Ag Day?" a student asked as I passed down a hallway at the elementary school recently. I had a poster display slung over my shoulder and a tray of large plants in my hands. "Yes, we're here...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    May 8, 2023

Field and Garden: Homeowners are asking if their trees will survive

The National Weather Service got it right in January when they forecast a cold, wet spring in our region. Daily temperatures in Carrington averaged 13 degrees below normal in March and April, includin...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    April 24, 2023

Field and Garden: Plots available in Carrington Community Garden

Are you interested in gardening, but don’t have a suitable site? Do you already have a garden, but need additional space for corn, squash, melons or some other crop? If you answered yes to either...

 
 By Jeff Gale    Features    April 10, 2023

Field and Garden: Farmers, ranchers face another challenging spring

"There was a blizzard in early May 1950," recalled my friend Melvin Schramm. "Nothing had been done in the fields when I arrived home on May 23 to help with planting." The Schramm farm was located...

 

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