Cold Hardy Succulents to Plant for Year-Round Color

Dan Nursery Crops, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Some cold hardy succulents to plant for year-round color.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Succulent season doesn’t end when summer does. There’s a slew of these pretty plants that can take as much cold as winter can dish out. Plant them outdoors for year-round color. ‘Spring Beauty’ Sempervivum, also known as a hen-and-chick plant, is known for …

Growing the Unusual and Delicious Pink Lemonade Blueberry

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Growing an unusual and delicious fruit in your garden.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. In 1970, the USDA developed Blueberry ‘Pink Lemonade’. But when researchers brought it to blueberry growers, they were convinced because of its distinctive yellowish-pink fruit that gardeners wouldn’t buy it, thinking it was an unripe blueberry. Fast-forward to the 2000s: Growing research into …

Turning This Year’s Apple Harvest into a Tasty Beverage

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

How to turn this year’s apple harvest into a tasty, refreshing beverage.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.  Using all of the apples from your harvest can be challenging. Of course, there’s apple sauce, chopped salads, apple pies. But, there’s a tasty beverage that’s also really easy to make:  Hard Apple Cider. It’s one of the most readily …

Producers Urged to Respond to USDA Hemp Survey

Dan Hemp, Specialty Crops, USDA-NASS

USDA officials are urging hemp producers to respond to a survey, saying it is not too late be a part of the 2021 Hemp Acreage and Production Survey. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is collecting information. Bill Richmond with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service explains some of the data being sought in the current survey. The survey will set the benchmark …