Features

The area of Minnesota's landscape in severe to extreme drought diminished during February, dropping from 84 percent of the state's landscape to under 70 percent. This modest improvement was mostly due to above normal snowfall, especially across central and northern counties.

The beauty of a green, fresh-cut tree is one of the highlights of the holiday season. If you're among the millions of Americans who still treasure a fresh-cut Christmas tree, a trip to your local tree lot or Christmas tree farm is probably on your calendar.

Many of the foods found on a traditional Thanksgiving dinner plate are mainstays of Minnesota farms. Minnesota leads the nation in production of turkey, red potatoes and green peas and has contributed to great advancements in wheat, butter, honey, and fruit and vegetable production.

If you notice your lake or pond is covered with mats of green or looks like "pea soup" this July or August, it may be from an algae "bloom."

Rural Minnesota continued to attract new residents aged 30 to 49 between 2000 and 2010, according to a new study of U.S. Census data from University of Minnesota Extension.

University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener volunteers and the University Department of Recreational Sports / Youth Programs are collaborating for the third year to teach 9-13 year olds about the science—and fun—of gardening.

Many of the 1.4 million Minnesotans who hold fishing licenses might not realize how much fishing takes place before the state's May 12, 2012, opener.

All spring, Minnesota's baitfish farmers have been busy raising and harvesting hundreds of thousands of minnows, a popular baitfish used to catch walleyes, northern pike and muskies. Keeping minnows healthy is crucial to the Minnesota's $4.8 billion sport fishing industry, due to their ability to spread diseases.