Wayward Springs

09/01/2026

Found all these eggs in the garden 😱

08/31/2026

Pepper season is heating up with Big Black Mama!

08/29/2026

So pretty! Just a few of our onions - Redwing.

08/27/2026

Register for one of the most exciting ag events of the year!

SDSU Extension welcomes the community to the 2026 Specialty Crop Field Day on Tuesday, September 15, from 4:30 to 8:00 PM at the SDSU Specialty Crop Research Field, South (86CG+4C, Brookings, SD 57006).

08/26/2026

Another cool predator that I found today! This graboid-like creature is a hoverfly larvae. No reason to fear him though unless you're an aphid on my pepper plants. They love the nasty aphids, God's way of keeping the world balanced.

They grow up to be hoverflies that are also beneficial pollinators (better than honeybees in a greenhouse). They are striped like wasp/bees but aren't capable of stinging. Great to have around!

08/20/2026

What's that creepy orange maggot thingie all over the peppers!?

Its the super-predator Aphidoletes hard at work devouring nasty little green aphids that are feeding on the peppers (up to 50 a day!). Aphids are a horrible pest, they could be controlled with chemicals, but predator insects are better for the environment and provide longer lasting protection than chemicals, cheaper and more fun to watch.

They paralize the aphids and suck out their insides.... unfortunately I don't have macro video capabilities to. Apture it for you.

08/17/2026

Picked a bunch of Red Savina is a famous strain of habanero selected for its unusually high heat and large, deep-red fruits. 1994-2006 it held the Guinness record for being the world’s hottest pepper, with reported heat levels around 350,000 Scoville Heat Units.

08/15/2026

Oh no! There is a whole family of fig eaters!! Another one after the first one was jailed!

08/15/2026

The perpetrator is behind bars! No more figs for him!

08/14/2026

Last night the fig eater was caught in the act!