“Farmer Dave” Miller from rural Mount Vernon has been writing some entertaining commentary for the Mount Vernon Farmers Market newsletter. He and his wife, Mickey, are vendors and are among the many reasons you should check out the Mount Vernon market, if you haven’t already. The markets are 4-6 p.m. Thursdays outside the First Street […]
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Tag: birds
Viticulture: Japanese beetles and many, ...
CEDAR RAPIDS – Between the various vineyard diseases, voracious bugs, birds and other predators, I’m amazed that any grape can survive to maturity. At our most recent viticulture class at Kirkwood Community College, we learned about fungal diseases of grapevines, such as anthracnose or
Learn how to establish a purple martin c...
KALONA – Evan Gingerich counted 58 pairs of purple martins in a colony at his home last year. “They’re just neat to have around,” he said, citing the birds’ “cheerful chatter” and appetite for insects. Gingerich is one of the founders of an annual Purple Martin Workshop, now in its eighth year. The event is […]
How do you squirrel-proof a bird feeder?
My late grandmother – an avid birdwatcher – had a somewhat elaborate system rigged up to deter squirrels from her bird feeders. She could pull a wire strung through her kitchen window that attached a line to the feeder. The pulled wire would shake the bird feeder and scare off the little critters, at least […]