By Jessica Carlson Master Gardener Intern Minnesota is home to some of the nation’s most inspiring public gardens. Whether you’re seeking structural ideas, bloom combinations, or creative uses of native plants, these destinations offer a visual feast! Make it a day trip, or stop on your way to that vacation destination. So you’ve wandered through flower-lined paths and… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda We had a large family gathering here on the farm some three weeks ago. It was late evening after a supper of great leftovers that had been left over from the gathering. About then, a bat came swooping over our heads. That’s not good. It gets worse. Another flying bat joined the party…. Read More

Henning Happenings Chad Koenen Summer vacation is a great reminder of the simpler things in life. There are family trips, extra time with your kids and a chance to enjoy some additional daylight after work. Summer vacation is also an annual reminder that many of us have no idea what the younger generation is doing… Read More

By Jessica Carlson Master Gardener intern In Otter Tail County, when Master Gardener Bev Johnson is mentioned, (and don’t forget Bunky) I immediately think of a relatable gardening article written with personalized garden wisdom, peppered with tangible, real-life instruction and useful information. I recall years of reading her article in our local newspaper dating back well into… Read More

Landmark Center Dan Broten The Landmark Center will host our annual corn, brat and burger feed next Thursday, Aug. 21 from 5-7 p.m. Please join us for a free-will meal including fresh Buehler’s sweet corn, grilled brats and burgers by Chef Doug, a selection of silent auction items, live music by Darren Quam and root… Read More

The Prairie Spy Alan “Lindy” Linda The term “mad as a hatter” predates Lewis Carroll’s character in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. (Where it was used.) It refers to the 18th and 19th-century hat-making industry in England, where hatters used a mercury nitrate to treat fur, exposing the workers to toxic fumes that caused mercury poisoning. This condition… Read More

Ask A Trooper Sgt. Jesse Grabow Question: It seems like we have been seeing a fair amount of rain along with flash flood warnings. Can you talk about what motorists should do if they encounter such a thing?   Answer: Flooding can happen when streams and rivers overflow, dams or levees break, snow melts rapidly, or during heavy… Read More

Garver’s Movie Review Bob Garver I have fond memories of “The Bad Guys” from 2022. The opening scene was an extended “Pulp Fiction” reference, which I was not expecting to see in an animated kids’ movie. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the movie, which was standard “villains eventually learn to… Read More

By Ruth Koehler Special to the Advocate There she sat:  My sister at 8 years old on our rocking chair, pumping her legs up and down as she cried and screamed.  We didn’t know what set her off as our family watched her carry on. It must have been dramatic since I can still see it in my… Read More

Master Gardener Bev Johnson Gardens are going crazy this summer. Vines are so long they look like they are heading for the nearest interstate. Tomato plants are topping their cages and weeds are flourishing. Time for gardeners to take control before they can’t get in the garden for all the foliage. Start with the vines…. Read More