Untitled Document Here at Illinois Times, we have a new full-time staff writer, which qualifies as a truly blessed event at our lean, mean little journalism machine. Her name is Amanda Robert, and she is just a kid, albeit an extra smart specimen of young adulthood. She asks a lot of questions and remembers the […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Homegrown tomatoes
Untitled Document There’s a lot of science behind the observation that homegrown tomatoes taste better than store-bought ones. “It’s not very hard to taste a tomato and decide whether you like or dislike the flavor,” says Jennifer Schultz Nelson, a horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension, “but what do you really taste? Tomato […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Breast cancers linked to chemical exposure
Untitled Document Is there any proof linking human breast cancer to exposure to chemicals in the environment, or do researchers think most cases of breast cancer are genetically inherited? A groundbreaking research study coordinated by the nonprofit Silent Spring Institute and recently published by the American Cancer Society found that synthetic chemicals have likely played a large […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Organic wine
Untitled Document What’s behind the trend toward more organic wines? The recent surge of interest in organic foods has indeed not escaped the wine business. According to the Organic Trade Association, an industry group representing producers and distributors of organic foods, U.S. sales of wines made with organic grapes reached $80 million in 2005, a […]
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Our horticulture miracle
Untitled Document Most of us enjoy a surprise, and for gardeners a horticultural miracle is especially exciting. Last week eight inmates moved a giant agave plant — 6 feet wide, 6 feet tall, and bearing a 25-foot flower stalk — to the University of Illinois master gardeners’ demonstration gardens. The container-grown plant, which is getting […]
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Take a walk in the garden
Untitled Document Gardeners love getting new ideas for sprucing up their gardens, and Springfield-area green thumbs will have the opportunity to get those ideas and talk with master gardeners in a garden walk scheduled for Saturday, June 23. The walk, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., will take place on a private 30-acre property at 917 West Lake […]
Posted inArts & Culture
When deer and rabbits attack
Untitled Document As the line between urban and rural settings continues to blur, human beings will undoubtedly encounter the wildlife they are displacing. Some, especially rabbits and whitetail deer, have adapted well to their human neighbors and may remain in close proximity. Fragmented forest areas, such as parks and forest preserves, may have contributed to […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dead seed goals
Untitled Document What is the “terminator seed” proposed for use in agriculture, and why is it so controversial? Since the dawn of civilization farmers have saved the seeds spawned by their crops and replanted them to grow more crops. Such is the natural science of agriculture that has provided food for thousands of years. But […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Embrace the dark side
Untitled Document What is “light pollution?” Is it really a factor in breast cancer? The glow of city lights blotting out stars in the night sky has frustrated many a stargazer, but recent studies have shown that “light pollution” — defined as excess or obtrusive light at night — can actually have serious health effects. […]
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Summer care of roses
Untitled Document On my way to work each morning, I have the pleasure of being greeted by the heavenly scent of Mr. Lincoln hybrid tea roses and Knock Out roses. Every garden should contain at least one rosebush — few plants compare, in beauty or in scent — but you should be careful when you […]
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Diesel danger
Untitled Document Are children breathing in dangerous exhaust fumes by riding the school bus? More than 24 million children ride the bus to school every day and as a result are regularly exposed to harmful diesel-exhaust emissions. Major components of diesel exhaust include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and tiny soot particles that carry substances […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Watering tips for vegetable gardens
Untitled Document Each vegetable has a critical time during its growth when lack of adequate moisture can be a serious problem. “Hot, dry weather leads to high moisture deficiency in vegetable gardens,” says Maurice Ogutu, a horticulture educator with the University of Illinois. Unless vegetables get adequate moisture throughout the growing season, he says, gardeners […]
