A good cleanup in the fall is well worth your while for a healthy, vital garden next spring. Get started by pulling up vegetable plants such as tomatoes, squashes, peas, and beans. Compost the disease-free ones; put sickly or blighted ones on the burn pile or discard away from the garden. Pull up and put away garden stakes and tomato cages. Don’t forget to clean up dead or declining annuals... and remember marigolds, calendulas and zinnias are easy to grow next year, from the seeds you save.

Apple picking season is one of the sweetest times of year and we’re fortunate to live in an area that offers quite a few “pick your own” fruit farms and orchards. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Apple Season – from fun-filled orchard exploration to preparing fall flavored treats at home.

With a national trend toward “back-to-the-land” homesteading, many Americans are growing their own food in their backyards. But what to do with this ample harvest when more food is grown than can be eaten in a single season?  When you run out of neighbors to give it to, canning your extra homegrown produce is the perfect way to enjoy your garden’s bounty all year long.

Waynesville resident, Carl Hughes, is not the kind of fellow who backs down from a serious challenge. As a construction supervisor for Chevron in Angola, Carl was familiar with malaria symptoms, having suffered through it eight times during his many trips abroad. But when his co-worker’s daughter died from the vicious mosquito-borne disease, he was dumbstruck. During a one-month break at home, he resolved to create an insect repellant which would stop the spread of malaria. His research and experimentation led to the creation of Whup-a-Bug.

Would you think it's possible to make a good fried sweet potato pie at home that is not loaded with saturated fat?

There’s a group of local gentlemen, some retired farmers, who have gathered at the potbellied stove of the Original Store every day for the thirty-plus years since the Cooper family reopened the Store. Known as “The Lunch Bunch”, these men talk about the weather, the state of this season’s crops, and to share the same lunch they’ve been enjoying together for over three decades. The essential items of their daily feast: a hunk of bologna cut off the round and a MoonPie for dessert… all washed down with an ice-cold RC Cola from the old fire-engine red Coca-Cola cooler.

Mt. Airy sock manufacturer, Nester Hosiery, and Mast General Store have led parallel lives since our companies began collaborating in the early 1990s. As family-owned, environmentally-responsible companies that go the extra mile to provide quality products for their communities and beyond, both Mast and Nester are proud of their American roots.

When the mercury rises, nothing’s better than fresh summer produce. A couple of great dishes and a cool breeze make a hot, lazy day just about perfect. Grilling makes mealtime a summer event. Expand your repertoire by grilling veggies like corn on the cob, zucchini, or create a shish kebab. Rubs and marinades are just as tasty on veggies as on your burger!

Whether you’re flying with your family on a big trip across the country or going on a quick weekend road trip to the beach, smart travelers like to pack light. Not only does it make packing easier, but it makes finding what you need when you reach your destination easy, too.

Taking the family for a summer road trip oftentimes includes the furry children. Kennels and pet sitters are costly and no one wants to leave the four-legged family members out of the fun. Your friends at Mast General Store are here to offer some tips that will help make your summer adventure a safe and enjoyable one for the furriest members of your family.