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Market & Garden Report: Battling Bugs

July 30, 2010
By Guy Hand
A Blister Beetle in Hand

What do you do when your garden is invaded by bugs?  If you’re an organic gardener, a plague of pests can test your convictions.  Do you patiently pick the bugs off, accept serious losses or pull out the big chemical guns? In this installment of the Market & Garden Report correspondent Guy Hand visits an organic gardening class struggling to balance idealism with practicality when pests threaten to...
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Market & Garden Report: Raw Milk

July 23, 2010
By Guy Hand
Raw goat milk

Raw milk is a controversial food.  Proponents say it is healthier and more flavorful than processed, pasteurized milk.  Yet many states outlaw its sale, saying raw milk...
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Russian Bear Cafe, Eagle

July 22, 2010
By Guy Hand
Renee Davies / Idaho Statesman Borshch, a Russian beet soup, is a favorite at the Russian Bear Cafe. The soup consists of cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onion, beets, and spices. Although the soup is served hot, restaurant owner Oleg Mironov said this does not affect its popularity in the summer. "When it's really hot outside, there are still people that want it," Mironov said.

Among borshch aficionados, the origins and essential ingredients of this Central and Eastern European beet soup are as varied and hotly contested as chili at a chili contest. There’s...
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New Pest Found in Northwest Fruit Crops

July 20, 2010
By The Northwest News Network

SEATTLE – Destructive fruit flies were detected for the first time in eastern Washington. The Asian red-eyed fruit flies were spotted in five major fruit production regions. They damage...
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Lavender Blossoms into a Growth Industry

July 17, 2010
By The Northwest News Network
Photo by Tom Banse

This weekend, around 30,000 people are expected to descend on Sequim, Washington for that small town’s 14th annual lavender festival. Organizers boast it is North America’s biggest celebration of...
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Market & Garden Report: The Art of Watering

July 16, 2010
By Guy Hand
Photo by Guy Hand

One of gardening’s most fundamental chores — watering — is also one of its most vexing.  Even seasoned gardeners struggle with the question of when and how...
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Chandlers Steakhouse, Boise

July 15, 2010
By Guy Hand
Katherine Jones/Idaho Statesman Chandler's Steakhouse is a place for special occasions, and Lindsey and Shane Riffle chose Chandler's to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary. "This is my favorite place," says Lindsey Riffle. She was debating about whether to get the filet mignon. "And then there's the lovely chocolate dessert to look forward to, too," she said.

I suspect that more pin stripes and jewels drift through Chandlers Steakhouse on an average evening than any other restaurant in the Valley. Beyond the bar’s backlit glassware, the...
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Cherry Thumpers? Changing The Way You Eat Northwest Cherries

July 13, 2010
By The Northwest News Network
Ripe cherries wait to be picked in a orchard outside of Prosser, Wash. A new contraption nicknamed the cherry thumper may drastically change how those Northwest fruit get to market.

PROSSER, Wash. — The legend of John Henry pits a “steal driving man” against a steam drill. John Henry wins the contest but in the long run, machines have...
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“Eating Local” on Outdoor Idaho

July 12, 2010
By Guy Hand
Photo by Guy Hand

This Thursday, Outdoor Idaho will air a show on Idaho’s vibrant local food scene.  It’s a story that Idaho Public Television producer Thanh Tan has been working on since last summer...
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Market & Garden Report: Mulberries

July 9, 2010
By Guy Hand
Box of fresh picked mulberries

It’s berry season.  Area farmers’ markets are chocked full of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.  But there’s one berry at the Capital City Public Market in Boise that...
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