Author – The Durango Herald

Soil moisture may stay cold

I had the pleasure of being born and raised here in Durango – back when the family could fulfill all its shopping needs in the Town Plaza (Safeway, Montgomery Ward and TG&Y), Main Avenue got...

DATE: May 15, 2023 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Seed swaps, exchanges and sales can help solve sold-out woes

Back in 2021, and even lingering into 2022, there was a shortage of vegetable seed available to gardeners (and even farmers). All sorts of factors led to scarcity, and you could lay blame wi...

DATE: Mar 4, 2023 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Food and fun

A couple of years ago, after participating in KSUT’s spring on-air fund-drive, I thought it would be fun to have a radio show. Not a novel idea – there are plenty of great gardening radio sh...

DATE: Feb 1, 2023 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

For every season, there is a converse

During the winter solstice, I was sitting (on a beach) at roughly 21.6940 degrees N. Daylength was around 10 hours and 45 minutes. Compared to Durango (37.2753 degrees N), I had about 1 hour...

DATE: Dec 31, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

The hope for snow a recurring theme

The juxtaposition of the holiday season always messes with me – we speed up to reach the goal of slowing down. We rush to buy presents, wrap and/or mail those presents, decorate the house, m...

DATE: Dec 3, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

In season of giving, remember that community is vitally important

For the vast majority – if not all – of us, the end of the outdoor growing season arrived during the last couple weeks of October. For us, it was a light knock on the door, with temperatures...

DATE: Nov 5, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

At Apple Days, celebrate the versatility of this delicious fruit

Minus the minutes I laid on the couch yelling at the Broncos football team, I spent the better part of Sunday canning applesauce (and pickles and peppers). An early-fall tradition, I spend ...

DATE: Sep 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Could 2022 be the ‘Year of the Weeds’?

As the 2022 growing season comes to close (hopefully slowly), it is up to all of us to come up with the title. For example, 2021 was “The Year of the Grasshopper.” While not all stretches o...

DATE: Sep 5, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

A multitude of experiences await at the county fair

This will be my 16th fair as part of CSU Extension here in La Plata County. I could make a funny comment about “that’s a lot of turkey legs and funnel cake,” but to be honest, I do not think...

DATE: Aug 8, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Get the most from the rain when it falls

It really is quite amazing. Toward the middle of last month, I was proactively writing this article about the severe drought conditions we were facing. And while it is amazing that I was act...

DATE: Jul 4, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Like elements of soil, we are all interconnected

If you ever want to wander – and then tumble and roll – into a rabbit hole of internet intricacies, search for “soil food web.” You will get the token Wikipedia description, some research-b...

DATE: Jun 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: From the Extension Office

Use degree days to effectively control fruit tree pests

Two insects tend to be the most prevalent pests in our area’s fruit trees: the codling moth (apples) and the western cherry fruit fly (cherries). Both create “wormy” fruit, and both, once th...

DATE: May 13, 2022 | CATEGORY: Get Growing