Agriculture

A blanket of snow has the ability to brighten the dreariest of days. And despite school closures and tricky driving, a snow-covered landscape proves to be quite beautiful.

It’s not so bad for the plants either, so don’t be tempted to knock the snow off drooping branches.

Snow has an insulating effect that is particularly useful when we do have frigid temperatures.  Ground-level snow  actually will protect the roots and crowns of perennial and woody plants, but you may notice a little burn above the snow level when it comes to broadleaf evergreens.

When it comes to the home orchard, some planning is a good must. Some fruit is easier then others, and it is often hard to discern in the catalogs which apple variety, blueberry or persimmon will do well in Kentuckiana.

My No. 1 rule is the more information a catalog provides the better. Gathering as much information as possible is the key to success when it comes to fruit trees.

The first thing to know about the Shelby County Young Farmer's Association is that age is not a prerequisite. Gathered in a Shelby County High School classroom to share a Christmas potluck supper, the faces of the club show years of hard work outside.

There are a handful of young faces, too, many of them second-generation members. It's the older farmers who do much of the talking.

The surprising thing about starlings is that they are everywhere yet not from here.

It’s another story of one good intention going bad! Apparently back in 1890, in honor of a Shakespeare festival in New York City’s Central Park, 60 European starlings were released. The following year another 40 were released, and today the bird is one of the most numerous species in North America.