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Life stories writ small
In our region's lakes, ponds and rivers, the rhythm of life beats with more urgency as summer moves in, even for the smallest creatures.
Jul 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Pasta perfect
Pasta salads yield to the inspirations you'll find in our pantries.
Jul 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
‘Henry V’ production proves simplicity can still be quality
The one thing any Shakespeare play doesn't need in order to be successful is extraneous sensationalism. The Bard's text alone often makes the plays so dense that any effort to heighten them with elaborate or ornate design elements can seem like depreciation. With language so beautiful, characters so rich, and dramatic turns so engaging - all Shakespeare needs for a quality production is a talented and dedicated cast, supported by equally worthy direction. With Milwaukee's Quasi-Production' staging of Henry V, a vast array of talent has assembled to create a simple but highly engaging depiction of the solidarity of soldiers, the beauty of love, and the power of unity.
Jun 3rd, 2009 by Michael Madden
Minding the rules
Building a consensus in the kitchen
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Farmers markets help nourish local economies as well
Supporting local growers comes with many benefits for food consumers
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Fine wines
Tapping the Dairy State's 150-year-old winemaking tradition
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Environmental illness in your life
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: What is it, and could you be suffering from it?
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Love bites
When you live in a rural area, or even a small town, there is almost always at least one dish in your cabinet that is freshly washed and simply awaiting return to its rightful owner.
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Salad grains
For quick and versatile summer salads, you can’t top this trio: couscous, quinoa and bulgur
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
The shape of hope
Running headlong into the future - with optimism
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
Cool it
The right foods can help keep you cool this summer. Foods grown in the summer are often rich in water content and easier to digest, which helps to keep our bodies cool.
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
News you need to know
Researchers, farmers hope bee population continues rebound from colony collapse Will this year be a good one for bees? Time – and analysis – will tell if our country’s bee population will continue to bounce back from lows suffered two years ago. Bee colony collapse has not been in the news much since the sumemr of 2007, when 35 states reported Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The news was alarming: pollinators (which includes bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds, bats and the wind) are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. In Wisconsin, cranberries and apples are among the agricultural crops almost totally dependent on honeybee pollination. The loss of 50% or more of adult worker bees was a wake-up call that demonstrated once again how little we knew about how we affect nature. Since 2006, Wisconsin has participated in the Bee Alert Survey and agreed to voluntary request inspections of hives in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Apiary Program offers inspections beginning in May and going through July and resuming in the fall. The inspector will find the queen, look for varroa mites, foulbrood diseases, viruses and any other pests or diseases. Some early signs of CCD are: • An insufficient workforce to maintain the brood • The workforce seems to be made up of young adults • The queen is present, appears healthy and is usually still laying eggs • The cluster is reluctant to consume food provided by the beekeeper, such as sugar syrup and protein supplements • Foraging populations are greatly reduced or non-existent Since local bees alone can’t effectively pollinate huge acreages of crops, migratory beekeepers from Florida, Texas, Mississippi and California haul about 40,000 hives or colonies into Wisconsin to help pollinate fruit and vegetable crops. Local farmers often rent the visiting hives for pollination. Although the mingling of local bees with migratory bees may be beneficial to the gene pool, it can also spell disaster when a very serious die-off of honeybee colonies spreads across the country. Since no one knows the exact cause of CCD, there are only precautionary guidelines for beekeepers to keep their colonies safe. They include: • Not combining collapsing colonies with strong colonies • Storing equipment where bees won’t have access to it when CCD is found • Treating with certain bacterial agents and not others Timothy Fulton, president of the Wisconsin Honey Producers Association says: “ There seems to be a number of factors that are affecting CCD. One of the most important aspects is nutrition. Bees need a variety of proteins from a variety of flowers. Having a population just available for alfalfa, for example, weakens their systems.” He also mentioned viruses, mites, certain insecticides and mold. Last year was a good year, with very little die-off. It is uncertain yet what the bee population will be like as of this writing since they are just beginning to stir from their […]
Jun 1st, 2009 by Malcolm McDowell Woods
