Ever eat a pine tree? That was the question posed by Euell Gibbons in his 1970s-era cereal commercial. “Many parts are edible,” advised Gibbons, the author well-known at the time for his … more

A strange thing happened in my garden a couple of nights ago. Now you should understand my garden is 32 five-gallon buckets of various kinds of vegetables and a few smaller containers of green beans. … more

REGIONAL— Drought conditions continue to build across Minnesota, despite on-again, off-again rainfall in recent weeks. According to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, … more

What’s in a name? When it comes to the common name, “popple,” it can mean one of three distinct tree species in northern Minnesota. My parents grew up in northwestern Minnesota so … more

REGIONAL—More hunters in northeastern Minnesota will be limited to bucks-only this year than at any time in the past several years. Last winter’s tough conditions, with extended deep and … more

LAKE VERMILION— With rain steadily pelting the lakeside tent at Fortune Bay Resort Casino on a recent Wednesday morning, Phil Bakken announced to the 40-plus kids in attendance that the 2023 … more

For the second year in a row, the wild fruit crops around the area are bordering on abundant to exceptional, at least in many places. And this year, June’s early heat has left most berry crops … more

REGIONAL— Drought conditions continue to build across Minnesota, including here in the North Country, despite some recent rains. That’s according to the National Weather Service Office in … more

Living on an island takes a great deal of planning and consideration. I certainly wish I had done that and not gone on the seat of my pants method. Still, four years later, I’m still here and … more

My gradual transition from gardener to small-scale farmer took another step forward recently when the U.S. Post Office in Tower called early one morning just over a month ago to tell me that my … more