Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land)

Gardening Learning Curve

I remembered long ago in high school when I went to actually test my hand at gardening, all I needed to do was scrape the sod off of the area where I wanted a garden and plant, right? Never mind that we had clay for soil, that I had never read a gardening magazine or book, and that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I was pretty sure it couldn’t be that difficult. I chose a spot, roto-tilled the sod, and transplanted some purple irises which were growing out in the shelterbelt, which, of course, grew quite well, because the old irises grow anywhere along with yucca, coneflower, and asters.

I’m victorious! Now I order from every garden catalog I got, taking little note of zones or water needs or growing conditions. I’m not going to mention how much money I lost on testing the hardiness zone for trees and perennials. And that’s just the plants!

Every spin-ny, flower-y, bug-gy, sil-ly garden ornament the stores sold showed up in my gardens. It looked like a dollar store had thrown up in my yard. But I persisted. I started reading gardening magazines and books. I learned about amending the soil, compost, zones, and growing needs—all the important things a successful gardener needs to know. As the garden grows, so does the gardener, they say. I’m here to say the reverse is equally true.

Many years later, the cheap tacky stuff is all gone (some people may have a different opinion), and I am slowly finding my voice in the gardens that surround my house. Each year, I get rid of more grass and replace it with more color and vegetables. I subscribe to the wabi-sabi Japanese theory that there is beauty in imperfection. I like rustic, handmade, repurposed garden art (maybe I am too lazy to throw it away). If something breaks or rots, that’s fine. Nothing lasts forever, nor is it meant to. My gardens are not perfect by any means. Perfect is perfectly boring.

Real Estate (Farm & Ranch Land)

Growing Hemp the New Agricultural Hemp

Farmers will soon be growing hemp legally in Minnesota thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, but challenges remain on how the state will implement industrial hemp as an insurance crop.

The state must submit a plan on how it will regulate hemp growth, which needs to include how the state will keep tabs on where hemp is grown, tested and disposed of to insure farmers aren’t growing point strains of marijuana for recreational use.

There are many different varieties of the cannabis plant. Industrial hemp — refers to the non-psychoactive (less than 1% THC) varieties of Cannabis sativa L. Both hemp and marijuana come from the same cannabis species, however, are genetically distinct and are further distinguished by use, chemical makeup, and cultivation methods.

Hemp can be grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be incorporated into thousands of products. Its seeds and flowers are used in health foods, organic body care, and other nutraceuticals. The fibers and stalks are used in hemp clothing, construction materials, paper, biofuel, plastic composites, and more. Hemp is found commonly in twine and cord, sisal is from ground Agave leaves (that is why sisal baling twine is becoming expensive, because it is control by a few large farming operations in Bazil).

Sadly, all of the raw hemp materials were imported from other countries. Hemp is an attractive rotation crop for farmers. As it grows, hemp breathes in CO2, detoxifies the soil, and prevents soil erosion.

Hemp requires much less water to grow — and no pesticides — so it is much more environmentally friendly than traditional crops.

Home Improvement

The Welcoming Entry Lights

Done right, exterior entry lights makes the most of what you’ve got, complementing your home’s architecture, increasing security, and helping guests navigate their way to the front landing.

That said, it can be a real challenge to select the perfect fixture. Just stroll down the lighting aisle of any home store, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the countless styles, finishes, bells and whistles—and that’s before you look online.

Start by evaluating your space to determine the type of fixture (or fixtures) that best fits it, whether wall-mount, ceiling-mount, or, in very large entries, a combination of the two. In every case, the overall goal is to cast a wide pool of light that illuminates the entry, banishes dark corners, and casts a warm glow that’s easy on the eyes, making your house the one that says “welcome.”

A porch light is just one piece of your home security solution. You should incorporate it into a smart home automation security system for enhanced safety and control. With a complete system, you can use an app to monitor and control both indoor and outdoor lights, plus security cameras and locks.

You can also build your own system by integrating smart home products with a home automation hub, turning your lights on went you come home or turn the light off and on went you are on vacation giving the illusion that someone is home.

Before electric lights became widespread in the 1890s, gas lighting was the norm. Today, whether for historical accuracy or for the atmospheric glow they impart, these fixtures are popular once again. They come configured two ways: as “gas mantle,” where the gas terminates in a wire- or ceramic-fiber cloth for a steady white light, or as “open flame,” a softer candlelight flicker similar to a 25-watt bulb.