Foster County Independent - The Official Newspaper for Foster County

“Our crops look really good.” That was the positive report of one Foster County producer at the end of July. “Our corn has tasseled,” the man continued. “I always say if that happens before...

“Our crops look really good.” That was the positive report of one Foster County producer at the end of July. “Our corn has tasseled,” the man continued. “I always say if that happens before...

Last week I noticed potatoes blooming in some of the community garden plots. The next four to six weeks are critical to prevent the development of potato scab, the most common disease affecting...

I was walking through chest-high grass in a pasture last week, heading towards a dugout that I’m monitoring for livestock water quality. I heard a small splash as my foot hit the ground. Just a...

The NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab is a tremendous resource that relatively few people know about. The lab has been serving North Dakotans for more than 40 years, helping to identify pest and disease probl...

Thank you to many volunteers whose efforts made the 2022 Foster County Fair a success. A total of 126 4-H’ers, including 37 Cloverbuds, exhibited projects at the fair. The exhibits included 373...

My wife and I recently spent a wonderful evening enjoying pie and ice cream with a group of friends. While we were together, I had my first opportunity to taste haskap and aronia berries. I understand...

The Carrington REC received 11.9 inches of precipitation between April 1 and June 20. That is 6 inches above normal. McHenry received even more rain, 14.9 inches, during the same period. That amount...

The community garden project is taking shape, despite the challenges of wet weather. Twelve gardeners signed up for the 10-by-20-foot plots this spring. Some of the applicants didn’t have suitable...

“The worst planting conditions of my lifetime.” That’s how one Foster County resident recently described the past two months. “What about the spring of 2020?” I asked. “We had corn in the...

When my mother-in-law, Marge, moved into assisted living, she discovered a beautiful white peony growing just outside her window. The showy blossoms were something she looked forward to each spring....

What a difference a month can make! After experiencing its driest ever March, Foster County had one of its wettest ever Aprils. Two major storms hit our country in April, bringing rain, snow, cold...

I look forward to carrying our geranium from the basement, where it has been all winter, and placing it again on the steps outside our home. Those brilliant red blossoms make our front door much more...

I recently received an email from Mark Manoukian, who is the county Extension agent in Phillips County, Montana. The email read like this: I have three cattle producers in North Central Montana...

My wife and I looked out the window during supper last month and watched as yet another strong gust shook our neighbor’s trees. “It was never this windy when I was growing up,” Melissa said. It...

Foster County producers recently elected representatives to four of our state’s commodity groups. The new representatives and the councils to which they’ve been elected are as follows: Jeremiah...

"From now until 2060, we're going to have to produce as much food as we've produced in the last 500 years," says Jerry Hatfield in the 2018 documentary "Living Soil." Hatfield is the retired director...

My mother-in-law, Marge Jacobson, owned and operated the flower shop in Langdon for 31 years. She passed away last February, aged 95. Sometimes our lives go in unexpected directions. In 1967, Marge...

North Dakota law authorizes producers of agricultural commodities to establish councils which support their specific industry through research, promotion and education. To my knowledge, the first...

Winter wheat, soybeans and grain sorghum were the common crops in northeast Kansas when I was growing up. A field of corn was a rare sight. The corn varieties at the time didn't perform well during...

Winter wheat, soybeans and grain sorghum were the common crops in northeast Kansas when I was growing up. A field of corn was a rare sight. The corn varieties at the time didn't perform well during...