Timelines. I LOVE timelines!

I was so excited when I tripped across this timeline of American Agriculture. I think timelines are a great way to share LOTS of info in a way that helps put things in an order that makes it easier to understand and remember. A portion of the USDA’s timeline that spans from 1776, source: USDA Be sure to check out the entire timeline here: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/history-american-agriculture.pdf  I was looking for a…

Samples from Penn State's wood collection (MIke Houtz)

XYLARIUM

So what do you do when you find something interesting that a colleague or friend might shed light on? I was doing a little research in historic digital archives, looking for something else entirely, when I came across this passage: I reached out to Dr. Charles Ray (Faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Director of the Penn State Xylarium and Wood Collection) and Sarah Chamberlain (Faculty and Curator…

Churning Butter

You’ll need heavy whipping cream and a clean jar with tight fitting lid. I like to use a cup of cream in a quart (4-cup) sized canning jar. Some important things to remember: Let cream sit out on the counter to warm up to room temperature. Use a large enough jar. Fill a container only 1/3 full, so there is space to agitate the cream. Hold on to the jar…

Materials for button yo-yos. Photo (CC BY 2.0) by Rita Graef

Button Yo-Yo

Have you been trying to find ways to keep family connected and busy these last few days, weeks? Maybe it feels like months? Here are a few “Quick Bits” to try with things you can find at home… A Button Yo-Yo is one of my favorites! Find a button with two or four holes centered through the middle of the button. A button with a shank will not work. And…