Seeing rising sky-high prices of food, maybe it’s time to step up and grow some of your own produce this year. You don’t need raised beds (although they’re great), as many smaller varieties of vegetables and herbs fit nicely in containers or tucked into your landscape.
This is a collection of stories submitted by community members. You can contribute too.
If you live in the Wenatchee Valley or nearby areas, chances are you have seen some stunning displays of native plants.
WENATCHEE — The Flywheel Investment Conference is accepting applications from Washington state startups looking for funding. Companies can apply to compete for a $150,000-plus investment award during the Flywheel Investment Conference on April 16 in downtown Wenatchee.
On Jan. 25, the 2020 Women in Agriculture Conference will offer women in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii a unique opportunity to gather in 34 different locations for a one-day event featuring knowledgeable speakers, inspiring stories, networking with other producers and…
Learning by performing acts of service is a beautiful thing. I cannot think of a more powerful way to exercise our empathy muscles and in doing so discover how great it feels to be doing something for others.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Hatcheries in winter are just as busy as in summer, but in different ways. At Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (LNFH), the eggs of August have transformed, growing through the alevin stage, when they have yolk sacs on their bellies and can’t swim well, into tiny fry.
LEAVENWORTH — Lindsay Camp has been at the helm of Kodiak Cubs, the Cascade School District’s preschool, for six years. The preschool has evolved immensely during her tenure.
The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center embarks on a new decade by hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions.
The WSU Master Gardener Foundation is excited to welcome you back to an in-person plant sale at Pybus Public Market this year. The sale takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30. Master Gardeners will welcome you to a forest of tomatoes, peppers, other vegetables and herbs that have been…
We all have blind spots. We see the world from our own experience, education and background and deceive ourselves into thinking that our perspective is correct and the viewpoint of others is faulty. That’s why it’s important to seek out different viewpoints and consider evidence that counters our thinking.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
Swing by the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery boat launch on a July Saturday and you can easily count over a hundred vehicles in the parking lot. Large groups launch tubes, paddleboards and inflatable kayaks, finding relief from summer heat in the cool, snowmelt water of Icicle Creek. But …
It’s gratifying to see the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, one of the most effective community-enhancing organizations in the region, has updated its logo, upgraded its website and changed the tag line to “Good Grows Here.”
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
I would suspect that you know the term “Cabin Fever?” When people are cooped up too long they just have to do something! It’s often related to a long cold winter. Well I’ve been experiencing something similar this summer and I think it should be called “COVID Crazy.”
Here’s how Give NCW works:
CHELAN — The Chelan Valley Housing Trust (CVHT) invites the public to attend a “S’more Affordable Homes” house burning party Nov. 16 on the corner of North Emerson Street and East Chelan Avenue when Chelan Fire and Rescue will do a controlled burn of the existing home to make way for the tru…
Chelan-native Zoee Stamps is embracing college life at the University of Iowa as part of UI REACH (Realizing Educational and Career Hopes), a program designed to expand the horizons and potential of individuals with learning challenges.
Rufus Woods
Publisher Emeritus
NCW — What would you do differently than Gov. Jay Inslee to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community?
Even though people can still complete the Census, the form is based on your residency as of April 1, 2020, known as Census Day.
WENATCHEE — Wenatchee School District’s award-winning Mariachi Huenachi, under the direction of Ramon Rivera and Eduardo Cortes, will travel to Fairbanks, Alaska, to perform in the Encanto Northern Lights Concert.
“Wow, how time flies,” was Rev. Linda Mayer’s observation as she announced Jan. 8 that the next weekly service would be her last as priest of the historic St. Andrew’s Parish in downtown Chelan.
Last weekend, a sad anniversary in our nation’s history was overshadowed by the release of the video that captured the beating of Tyre Nichols. The five former Memphis police officers who were charged in the motorist’s subsequent death took precedence over the seven Challenger astronauts who…
WSU Master Gardeners
February is a month of special days. It’s Black History Month. It’s mid-winter break month to get away for some skiing or sunshine. The midpoint of this 28-day month is Valentine’s Day, followed by Presidents’ Day. And, of course, it all kicks off with Groundhog Day on Feb. 2.
Our garden writers’ enthusiasm about propagating plants is obvious if you’ve been reading our recent weekly columns.
Others might call it simply a coincidence, but I’d call it a Godwink.
It is more than magic watching a seed develop into a plant. It is the delightful introduction to life we can share with children, and all of us with green thumbs thrill to the germination of seeds and the promises they hold.
This month our nation pauses to look up to a man who was looked down on for the majority of his brief life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was only 5 feet, 6 inches tall. But his stature as a civil rights activist still renders him a giant 55 years after his death at the age of 39.
WENATCHEE — The WSU Chelan-Douglas Master Gardener plant clinic has resumed weekly in-person clinic hours at the WSU Extension office, 400 Washington St. in Wenatchee. Diagnosis clinic hours are 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays. In the spring, clinic hours will expand to include Monday hours.
There are really two main types of plant propagation: sexual, which is by seed, and asexual, which can be broken down by what plant parts and methods are used.
NCW — The deadline to register for the next WSU Master Gardener basic training course for Chelan and Douglas counties has been extended to Jan. 18.
Last summer, my 5-year-old and 3-year-old granddaughters were watching the Disney movie “Encanto” repeatedly. As a result, long after the show was over, they were still singing the lyrics to the music. One of their favorite songs was “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
Winter solstice has passed, and the days are getting longer. Now is the time to get out your saved seeds, or order new ones, and prepare to propagate vegetables and flowers for your garden.
As we wind down the year and prefer the warmth of indoors, this is a good time to contemplate garden projects that make life easier and improve the landscape.
When Philip Van Doren Stern’s 4,000-word short story “The Greatest Gift” failed to impress a prospective publisher, the writer and Civil War historian decided to print it himself. He sent it out as his Christmas card to family and friends in December 1943. The story had to do with a desponde…
Given that December is the darkest time of the year with a little more than eight hours of sunlight, who cannot appreciate the delight of flowering plants? It is satisfying to give and to receive plants this month, but sometimes cut flowers are a wise choice.
I have used peat moss as my primary go-to potting soil base in most soil mixes for years, as well as a major soil amendment for improving the mineral soil matter in landscapes. It works amazingly well because it is lightweight, holds soil moisture extremely well and is readily available.
Earlier this fall, I was attending a leadership summit in a suburb of Chicago. Following our sessions one afternoon, I went for a power walk before dinner. Adjacent to the conference center was a cemetery. Because reading old headstones in a graveyard is one of my favorite pastimes, my aspir…
If you plan to grace your home with a live Christmas tree this holiday season, Washington state is a good place to be. Our state is one of the Top 10 producers of live Christmas trees, with nearly 400 tree farms.
With that large Thanksgiving feast now a memory, perhaps getting out and cutting some greens for a wreath-making party are in order. Making your own holiday wreath isn’t complicated or expensive, and most of us have access to greenery, whether pine, cedar, fir or other evergreens such as hol…
Oct. 31, 1994. It’s a day our family will never forget.
A perfect gift for a gardening friend is a soil test. Commercial soil tests indicate various levels of basic nutrients in the soil. Mostly, they calibrate the fertility of the soil to guide the gardener’s use of fertilizers.
Ahhh, the smoke is gone, there’s a crispness to the air, and there’s more than a foot of snow at the summit of Mission Ridge! You know what that means: Fall is finally here. What better way to celebrate the changing of seasons than to tackle a fun and exciting outdoor project: creating an ou…
Winter gardening in northern climates can be a challenge for even the most experienced and successful summer gardener. But a successful winter garden can feel like a more rewarding accomplishment. Imagine harvesting produce from your own garden for the Thanksgiving feast or having an early v…
Last month was Breast Cancer Awareness month. But for the past 25 years or so, October has also been observed as Pastor Appreciation Month. Churches throughout the country look for tangible ways to recognize pastors and priests for the contribution they make in our lives.
A stroll through the Community Education Garden (we shorten it to CEG) is enjoyable any time of year. This transition month toward garden dormancy means structural elements take center stage rather than plants.
Fall is one of the best times to enhance your landscape with trees and shrubs. The temperatures are cooler, so plants can put more energy into creating roots.
Searching out your ancestors by “doing” genealogy has become a popular pastime. For many, there is an emotional and intellectual reward that can come with discovering the identity of their ancestors.
WENATCHEE — Alatheia Therapeutic Riding Center prepared its facilities for winter last Thursday with help from Numerica volunteers. The credit union organized the project in celebration of International Credit Union Day.
The other day I came across my student pictorial directory from Fuller Seminary. Of course, I looked for the page where my face was pictured. I was amazed at how much I’ve aged in 45 years. The fact is this: Inside I feel I’m still that 25-year-old pastor-in-training. I’m guessing you know w…
Soon the leaves will be falling and, as you rake, you can suddenly see some branches with issues that need to be addressed. Just in case you are tempted to go grab the pruning loppers, early fall is not the time to prune anything.
