By Bev Johnson Master Gardener In a word, DON’T. If you have a dog the size of a Shetland pony, with resulting sized poop, you may be tempted to compost it. After all, it’s free and you have to pick it up anyway. Forget about it!! Both dog and cat manure may carry organisms that can cause… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda Here’s a question for you: How many coffee cups should one household have? Or need. Or possess? As S. and I combine households, that question about the proper number of cups has arisen. I guess then so has the word “household,” which is one of those odd words that we take for… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I see a lot of vehicles broke down and on the side of the road in the summer months. This is when we have our best weather but I am not sure if people realize how hard the heat can be on a vehicle. Many look like they are on… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda It’s wood tick season. And it’s doctor season. Wood ticks because this is their time of the year in Minnesota, and doctors because there are new cases of Covid-19 in Minnesota. My nephew—he’s not really a nephew, he is by proper description a second cousin, being the son of a cousin, but… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Lilacs are usually tougher than woodpecker lips. They will grow in most any kind of soil and bloom every spring. They seem to thrive on being ignored. Often the only thing left to tell there once was a house out in the country is a lilac shrub blooming all by itself…. Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I know you talk about winter travel survival kits when it is that time of the year. But with summer upon us, can you talk about that and things motorists should have? Answer: Great idea! Motorists need to be prepared when traveling at any time or anywhere. Here is some information… Read More

By Ruth Koehler Special to the Dispatch It seems few in the general population are aware of the sport of Rolle Bolle, so here are a few facts. According to Wikipedia, the immigrants of Belgium brought the game of Rolle Bolle from Ghent in Belgium.  Today, Ghent, Minn., (pop 370) is often called the Rolle Bolle capital of… Read More

By Bev Johnson Master Gardener Therapeutic gardening is the practice of gardening as a means to promote better health and wellbeing according to Harvard Medical school. This article is based on info from their Women’s Health Watch flyer. Gardening is as effective on the body, mind, and soul as is traditional exercise. It’s an activity where you… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: I am excited for summer and doing some traveling. Can you talk about summer travel safety? Answer: Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial kickoff to summer. It’s when many cabins and campgrounds open and families begin summer vacations. It’s also a dangerous time on Minnesota roads and lakes with the increased… Read More

Bev Johnson Master Gardener Getting experts to agree on the definition of an heirloom is nearly impossible. Some say the variety must be 50 years old, the next guy insists it has to be 100 years old. Who cares? They do agree that heirloom tomatoes come from open pollinated seeds that reproduce true to type…. Read More