PHOTO: ShutterstockWe come to the end, my friends. We’ve covered some gnarly chicken ailments this year, starting with avian influenza, and you’ve made it this far. We hope you’ve not encountered too many of these afflictions in your flock, but pat yourself on the back for being a responsible flock-keeper.

Jill likes cooking, writing, painting, & stewardship, and studies gardening through MD Master Gardener & Master Naturalist programs. Chives grow from small, fleshy bulb-like roots called bulbets, and it& 39;s a rather simple matter to divide an established clump of them in the spring or fall.

PHOTO: Shannon Rand/FlickrNatural disasters such as hurricanes, winter and spring storms, wildfires and earthquakes happen, and you can protect yourself. Plan ahead to ensure the safety of yourself, your family, your livestock and your farm. A natural disaster is a terrifying experience for farmers in rural, suburban and urban areas.

Photo by Judith HausmanServe this mixture with some pita bread.To me, eggplant has always been a workhorse vegetable. So many cultures make use of it as a hardy blank slate, ready to take up silky oils and assertive spices. Its meaty texture and beautiful color add dash and flavor to many combinations, from ratatouille to baba ganoush to tempura.

IntroductionIn the spring of 2012, my beautiful (before Aulacaspis yasumatsui cycad scale) queen sago (Cycas rumphii) was beautiful no more. All the leaves were covered with scale, and the fronds were cascading, dying-like, all around the trunk. I am not showing you what the plant looked like as I am somewhat humiliated at the sight of it.

PHOTO: Ana HotalingTJ, CJ and Margie all hatched on the same sunny June day. Mama Hen Natalya hovered over her brood, teaching them where and how to eat and drink and caring for them like a good mother bird.The three little chicks spent every moment of their days and nights together. Before long, their fluffy down was gone and tiny feathers had started sprouting all over their growing bodies.