Tips

Rotate crops to help keep soil healthy. (Jim Sipes)

Buying larger cuts of beef and slicing them into steaks at home can save you at least a dollar or two per pound. Freeze individually or serve when entertaining a group.  

To get that delicious steakhouse steak at home, try simply seasoning it with salt and black pepper and grilling for 13 minutes on a charcoal grill or 11 minutes  on a gas grill.

Grilling is a great technique for cooking beef. It provides maximum flavor and optimal tenderness. Some of the best cuts for grilling are strip steak, flank steak and rib-eye. 

To freeze sweet corn, you need to cook it first. To keep from over-cooking it, cool it quickly in cold tap water, then ice water. Strain excess water, then bag, seal and freeze.

"If you take care of your animals and the land they live on, they will produce a healthy and nutritious product in return.” (Kent Condray)

To steam veggies on the grill, make a foil packet with double layers of foil. Then add vegetables, seasoning and water. Fold and seal the packet and cook over indirect heat.

To enjoy safe and savory ground beef, remember to use a thermometer as color won’t always indicate doneness. Cook ground beef to a minimum of 160F.

For a kick, flavor vinegar with fresh herbs. Bruise one cup of leaves for every two cups of white wine or delicate vinegar. Allow to steep for two weeks.

Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods daily. Together, milk, cheese, and yogurt provide nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus,...

Sifting flour is only necessary if a recipe calls for it. But you’ll always want to stir flour to "loosen" it before measuring.

Always keep vegetable oil on hand. This versatile, healthy kitchen staple is made of soybeans, is a good source of vitamin E, contains Omega-3s, and has zero trans fats.

Does someone in your family have a nut allergy? Try soy nut butter. It's a great substitute for peanut butter!

Fresh cuts of pork, like roasts, chops and tenderloin, can be kept well-wrapped in the freezer up to six months. Well-wrapped ground pork can be kept for about three months in the freezer.

When shopping for pork, try the same cuts that you like for beef. They have similar names because they come from similar part of the animals. (And you can prepare them the same ways!)

When cooking meats, safe internal temperatures should be: Poultry (ground and cuts): 165 degrees; other ground meats: 160 degrees; beef, pork and lamb: 145 degrees.

Cook pork as you would cook your steak. Not sure how you prefer your steak? Grab a meat thermometer and try cooking pork to 145 degrees, followed by a three-minute rest time.

Add more protein to your bread by mixing 7 cups of wheat flour with 1 cup of soy flour. It doesn’t change the baking qualities of the flour and gives your bread a longer shelf life. 

Make the sweetest and juiciest corn on the cob in four easy steps! Add sweetness of sugar and tang of lemon juice to boiling water, add the corn, remove from heat after 2-minutes and enjoy!

Keep a little pink in your pork! Cook it to 145 degrees and then let it rest for 3 minutes. (That’s the USDA recommendation!)

Milk costs about 25 cents per 8-ounce serving. Dollar for dollar, dairy is one of the most affordable protein and nutrition sources available.