One of my best friends from my early childhood was Benita, who we all called “Bunny.” Her mother was the only one who called her by her given name. We had entered our teenage years in l945. This was a time for growing up quickly with WWII coming to an end.

Are you planning to get the most out of your crop this year, be it your garden, your pasture, your hay field, your corn or soybean field? Have you had your soil tested? Soil testing is a valuable step in accomplishing this goal. Soil testing is the only practical means to adequately determin…

I’ve always enjoyed meeting new people.

I’m going to continue my thread of plants to avoid or at least watch out for in 2020. These shrubs are some of the most common ones that I get questions about during the growing season. Either they are dying, disease ridden, or just not growing well in the location where they’ve been planted…

Following up on his James Beard Award-winning cookbook “Milk Street: Tuesday Nights” in 2018, Christopher Kimball’s latest book is “Milk Street: The New Rules,” which challenges us to rethink the way we cook.

"Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Submitted to the Democrat

Submitted to the Democrat

Submitted to the Democrat

Every year poisonings result in nearly 900,000 visits to emergency rooms. According to the Tennessee Poison Center, Wilson County had 1,598 calls to the center last year. The overwhelming majority of poisonings occur at home. Although exposure to hazardous substances is scary and dangerous a…

Most everyone reading this article has tall fescue on their farm. This grass has provided the forage for cattle in Tennessee and the southeast for the last 50-60 years. It has a reputation for being a very persistent, productive species that thrives well in our environment. In the early 1980…

As a horticulture extension agent, my job mostly entails answering questions of a plant related nature. This could be anything from identification of weeds, insect identification, or solutions to a disease in the landscape. I try to keep a record of all the questions that I get so that I can…

The metaphors are endless. As if we haven't heard, read, or quoted it enough, here I give you another. But this in no normal 20/20 in 2020 resolution list. Actually, it is. I wanted a set of goals for the year. From experience, I know I can't succeed unless A) the list is short AND B) I have…

Editor's note: Because of an editor's error, this column, which is part of a four-column series detailing Linda Alessi's marriage, is out of order.

Now is the time to get your asparagus ordered for your garden. Asparagus can either be planted by crowns or by seeds. It is much easier to plant crowns and they have the benefit of reaching a mature state faster. Crowns are typically 1- to 2-year-old roots of asparagus. Asparagus can be star…

If you picked the money, you're not alone. As we start 2020, many of us are making financial resolutions. Of course, saving more or paying down debt sounds great, but getting started can feel overwhelming. Don't worry -- the Federal Trade Commission has five ideas for things you can do to st…

The University of Tennessee Extension, Wilson County is announcing an upcoming Master Beef Producer Program. This program will be serve to meet the requirements for either Master Beef Beef certification. Classes will begin on Jan. 21 and will conclude by March. Nearly 12,000 Tennessee cattle…

Editor's note: Linda Alessi's column was inadverently left out of Saturday's edition.

I'm a sucker for matching outfits. I love family portraits of everyone wearing some coordinating form of denim/khaki/white combination on the beach, walking down a long, shaded trail, on a farm, sitting on a couch on a farm. Although, I will admit this one always confuses me. Isn't an open p…

I'm a sucker for matching outfits. I love family portraits of everyone wearing some coordinating form of denim/khaki/white combination on the beach, walking down a long, shaded trail, on a farm, sitting on a couch on a farm. Although, I will admit this one always confuses me. Isn't an open p…

The holidays are upon us. The presents are wrapped and under the tree. Little ones eyes twinkle at the sight of what is to come and parents revel in the anticipation of the season.