Crop

For those who garden in small spaces, whiskey barrels are the best thing since whiskey. A barrel sawn in half at its waistline makes a sturdy planter about two feet in diameter and 16 to 18 inches tall. There are plenty of pots and planters on the market, elegant enough for the choicest lily, but this homey container never seems to lose its appeal. Its depth makes it ideal for a mini-vegetable garden, with plenty of room for roots. Six half barrels on a terrace provide more growing space than a 3-by-6-foot bed. If your barrel comes without...

LENNEWITZ, Germany — Many Europeans see American farming and its reliance on genetically modified crops as more Frankenstein than Farmer in the Dell. Now, the opposition here to U.S. agricultural practices is threatening to become a major battle in discussions starting next month that could sweep away trade barriers between the United States and Europe. Many here worry that a trade pact would ease regulations that have made it difficult for genetically modified crops and products to reach European...

My strawberry bed is struggling a bit, its fruits marred by a rainy spell that spattered them with mud. Their bottoms show signs of rot. They need a mulch. Mulch will do almost any crop a favor, but strawberries especially. In dry weather, it prevents soil moisture from evaporating. In wet, it keeps plants cleaner and stands in the way of soil fungi eager to explore stems, fruits and leaves. It can insulate crops that over-winter — as strawberries do — in frigid weather.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have signed four of the seven players they selected in the NFL draft. The Giants announced Friday at a rookie camp that defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins of Ohio State, defensive end Damontre Moore of Texas A&M, safety Cooper Taylor of Richmond and running back Michael Cox of UMass had signed contracts. Hankins was drafted in the second round, Moore in the third, Taylor in the fifth and Cox in the seventh. Offensive tackle Justin Pugh of Syracuse, the...

The Post picks the top 10 teams so far: 1. Philadelphia (1-0) The defense especially stood out in a 38-10 dismantling of Carolina. 2. Pittsburgh (1-0) Victory over Titans was costly, as S Troy Polamalu is out three to six weeks. 3. Baltimore (1-0) If QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice are for real, Ravens could be real scary. 4. N.Y. Giants (1-0) The return of DE Osi Umenyiora paid dividends in Week 1. 5. Indianapolis (1-0)

THE DROUGHT that struck the United States in 2012 affected about 80 percent of agricultural land, making it the most extensive such weather event since the 1950s, according to the Agriculture Department (USDA). Consumers will feel the impact of last year's smaller harvests in the form of higher grocery prices this year. Yet the increases will be relatively modest — a half-percentage-point increase in food price inflation, according to USDA economic projections. This is a tribute to the American farm sector's productivity.

To a garlic lover, the more the better. But not all garlic is created equal. Garlic powder in a jar can't compare with fat, white garlic cloves — whole, chopped or pressed. Better still are cloves from garlic bulbs just harvested. They're pungent, but with a fresh, almost sweet flavor along with the heat. Could anything beat that? Maybe garlic scapes, the succulent flower stems that hardneck garlic sends up in midsummer, a feast in their own right. And then there's green garlic.

Keen gardeners and enterprising local farmers have another month of harvesting oddball veggies such as parsnips, leeks and Brussels sprouts, but for Kenny Harris, the last great popular crop of the year is the sweet potato. This tender root crop swells just as the first frosts arrive. It is the perfect dish for the Thanksgiving table, valued as much today as in early America for its storage qualities, culinary versatility and ability to warm our hearts when the chill sets in. But for Harris , who farms in three...

As the season changes and the school year gets into full swing, retail habits change, too. That ceiling fan you needed in July isn't that necessary in October, and prices go down when demand is low. That's why planning your purchases with the consumer calendar can save you big. We've written about what to buy in the summer months and how you can save on paint, gym memberships and jewelry in June and July. But with cooler weather and holidays approaching, there's a new crop of goods you can save on. We looked at Consumer...

This year's historic drought is turning the spotlight on an obscure form of aid for America's farmers: federal crop insurance. With crop losses soaring, farmers are headed toward some $18 billion in losses, and taxpayers might foot up to $10 billion of that, according to Vincent H. Smith, an economist at Montana State University who has studied crop insurance for nearly two decades. That is on top of the $9 billion this year that the federal government provided farmers to help them afford crop insurance...

As a drought spreads across the country, Prince William County, most of Fairfax County and a sliver of Loudoun County are under a moderate drought designation, National Weather Service meteorologist Carrie Suffern said. For most residents, the drought means brown lawns and wilting plants. For farmers, a drought means decreased production and increased expenses. Although neighborhoods have replaced much of the county's farmland, agriculture is still a way of life for many, especially in the...

The historic drought of 2012 is intensifying in the most parched areas of the American heartland, roasting much of the corn and soybean crop, scorching the grasslands and pastures essential for cattle grazing, and threatening to send food prices surging in the United States and abroad. More than a fifth of the contiguous United States rates as being in an "extreme" or "exceptional" drought, according to official statistics released Thursday. And it's hot out there: Government ­meteorologists say this has been the hottest year...

Kancharu Pawar, a 51-year-old farmer, gazed despondently at his soybean crop. The plants are only just poking out of the soil, even though it is halfway through the four-month rainy season. "It should be two feet high by now, but it's not even coming off the ground," he said. "There is no growth in the plants. There is no rain. " India's monsoon rains, which run from June to September, so far are a fifth below average levels. Western India has been worst...