Home & Garden

No Dirt, No Problem Straw bale Gardening I have a love-hate relationship with Pinterest when it comes to gardening. Copious pages of pictures with all sorts of beautiful gardens, creative landscapes, perfect rows of veggies guarded by Gnomes and the most amazing flowers that would make Martha Stewart jealous. This is the part I love. The inspiration. The part I hate? Probably the same part you hate, unobtainability. Unobtainable, until I stumbled across the concept of gardening almost any veggie with the use of little to no dirt. Light bulb flickers on- Admittedly, I've almost always had dirt (science teachers everywhere are cringing at the word dirt, so I'm sticking with it) to garden in. But the few years I haven't, I've successfully killed plants in pots. Straw bale Garden Epiphany Straw bales, not to be confused with hay bales, are ... Read more

Anyone can cook on a pellet grill. And, anything can be cooked on a pellet grill. From grilling roasts to smoking BBQ, pellet grills are really easy to use and really easy to maintain. In our How to Pellet Grill Guide, you’ll learn how a pellet grill works and how to keep it clean. You’ll also learn what foods are great for cooking on a pellet grill and understand if it’s hard to clean up afterward. It’s easier than you think. Get ready to pick out your favorite pellets and get started.  Convenient and easier to use than you think, pellet grills are affordable, safe to use, and easy to maintain. In this link, we explain the benefits of having a pellet grill and help you feel confident that anyone can cook on a pellet grill.        Video Transcription Why Should I Buy a Pellet Grill? ... Read more

When it comes to new trees, it's crucial that they are off to a good start, especially for those first couple years of growing. Most of that good start comes from how you plant the tree in the first place. Here are some things to consider when planting your new tree to get it to a great start: Depth for Planting New Trees How deep you plant the tree has a major factor in how your tree grows. If you don't plant deep enough or too deep, your tree won't get the nutrients it needs to grow. In fact, you should dig your hole so it's at the depth of the tree collar and no deeper. Looking for more ways to make your lawn spectacular? Check out tips for a better lawn here. Otherwise, your tree will have a stunted growth, like Cutter's grape tree when he tried "to establish a root system for it." What to do with Roots on a New Tree Speaking of root... Read more

The Best Buttermilk Pancakes Obviously, I am always writing about food. So what's it take? What's it take to make the best coffee and the best buttermilk pancakes in the Northwestern US and plate it all rustic? It takes a little local knowledge and some great food products we stock at your local 40 namely, Wheat Montana Buttermilk Pancake mix, butter pecan syrup and one of our locally roasted coffees. The local knowledge is how to plate it all rustic. The clay jars you see pictured here are all made in Hinsdale, Montana at Klind Pottery. What makes these the best pancakes and coffee in the Northwest? Let us, ladies and gentleman, begin first with the mixture de pancake. Watch this video provided by Wheat Montana which will explain what sets this buttermilk mix ahead of your general pancake mixes.  You will see that this wheat is grown... Read more

Is Carhartt Made in the USA? Read more

When you spend 12 hours a day in the same uniform, and when that uniform holds all your important tools where you need them to perform your job well—those clothes, and that tool belt, become more than simple “workwear”. Like any working profession, nursing is an industry where the fit and functionality of your uniform is paramount to comfort and usability on the job. When the clothes you wear become part of your job, finding the right pair of scrubs as a nurse can be like finding the “right” power tools on a construction site. Because of this, there will always be the “Milwaukee versus Dewalt” type of personal preference debate when it comes to "the right" scrubs, but no matter what, two key features in that "right" pair of scrubs are indivisible: Material: needs to be breathable, comfortable and resist stains. Fit and ... Read more

Tested by Locals: Carhartt Force Review Read more

So you got the latest pair of Tony Lamas or Ariats- the style is unbeatable, the quality unparalleled, I mean these should last for at least a year- but there is only one problem: they pinch your feet! Don't panic, you don't have to take them back, instead watch the video below and learn the ins and outs of stretching your new leather boots and getting that "built for me" feel.   Four Common Ways To Stretch Your Leather Boots Not all feet are created equal, and humans, like horses, will very often have two different shaped feet. This is just a gift of nature, so unless you're one of the lucky few born with the factory shaped shoe-foot, you are going to need a little help to get your boots broken in and fitting perfectly. And that's where we come in. #1: Wear your boots Until They Fit (This is not recommended, and could stretch you... Read more

By Sharah Yaddaw, and Danielle Downey, and Thomas Hopkins Keeping honey bees goes back over 9,000 years, and since then our ability to feed modern civilizations has been cultivated with honey bees pollinating our food as they gather theirs. These unsung heroes work tirelessly gathering honey to survive winter, and crop pollination is the vital amenity we receive from their toil. Pollination in the US is valued at about $20 billion per year. This includes many nuts, fruits, berries, vegetables, and animal feeds- like alfalfa- which are required for meat and dairy production. Bees themselves- queens, packages and colonies for sale- are a valuable product only available with good beekeeping. Just as we rely on bees to pollinate our food, most honey bees rely on beekeepers. As we feed more people with larger farms, the need for pollination ... Read more

It’s that time of the year—our North 40 stores are about to fill with a little extra noise and bustle, and you’re sure to hear a chirp or two when wandering the aisles. That’s because—you guessed it—the chicks are coming to North 40 Outfitters, beginning at our Spokane, Washington location in mid-February. Chose your local North 40 location from the list below for arrival dates Chickens in Idaho February 16th: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho February 21st: Lewiston, Idaho February 21st: Ponderay, Idaho Chickens in Washington February 14th: Spokane, Washington February 28th: Mead, Washington February 20th: Colville, Washington March 7th: Omak, Washington March 1st: Moses Lake, Washington Chickens in Montana March 1st: Havre, Montana March 6th: Great Falls, Montana Each North 40 store will offer a v... Read more

When Skunks Mate they are More Smelly We are more aware of skunks in spring and summer, but they're quite active February through March, a lesson my dog, Dida, and I learned the hard way. Though skunks sleep deeply for 3.5 months at a time, they are not true hibernators. Male skunks will leave their dens during warm spells seeking females for mates. Their mating season is typically February through March, but it really depends on winter conditions. Nocturnal by nature, males will travel up to five miles under the protection of dark. Skunks use their odor as defense, and are extra smelly during the mating season as male skunks will spray each other, plus disapproving females also spray males away. With no natural predators, skunks go about their business care-free as most wildlife is keenly aware of what that odor means. Dogs Don't Run Aw... Read more

  Available in a variety of different flavors such as; Cinnamon Sweet, Sweet Bar-B-Q, and Garden Dill, Savory Fine Foods Saltine Cracker Seasoning transforms regular saltine crackers into delicious party crackers. However, if you don’t want to mix and make anything, Yo-Yo’s Grab and Go Snacks are ready to eat.    Hi, I’m Dave Ferguson with Savory Fine Foods. We are new to the show this year and just wanted an opportunity to share with you what we have.   We’ve been doing a saltine cracker seasoning for about eight years now and our newest product is a graduation to those customers that don’t want to make anything. So, it is a prepackaged, ready to go, grab and go snack. Those are called the Yo-Yo's.   It is our seasoning placed on oyster crackers and we have five different flavors of it. We have two di... Read more