Farm and Dairy’s week in review: 5/30

Here are this week’s top stories from Farm and Dairy:

1. How to display the American flag

Did you know that the American flag must be flown at half-staff on Memorial Day until noon? Or that the union must be uppermost and to the flag’s own right when hung vertically or horizontally?

The U.S. Flag Code explains all of the rules for properly displaying the flag throughout the year. We’ve highlighted the most common guidelines for flag display.

2. Bird flu threatens fair season

The bird flu has affected as many as 37 million birds in 15 states. Now, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Minnesota are among states that have suspended poultry exhibits at county and state fairs in an attempt to stop further spread of the disease at the fairs. The bird flu hasn’t been detected in Ohio yet, so state health and agricultural agents are taking a conservative approach when it comes to agricultural fairs.

Two strains of the bird flu, H5N2 and H5N8, have been reported in poultry in the United States. H5N2 has been detected in birds in 14 states, while H5N8, the more deadly strain, has been found in four states.

3. Seven brothers? A remarkable World War II story

It isn’t uncommon for multiple siblings to serve in the military at the same time. During World War II, there are untold stories of families who gave up several of their sons to fight in the war, and the Pietkiewicz family from western Pennsylvania is one of them.

Seven Pietkiewicz brothers served in various places around the world during World War II, including Iwo Jima, the Battle of the Bulge and in Africa. Miraculously, all seven brothers made it home.

4. Water your vegetable garden for optimal performance

If the vegetable plants in your garden are wilting, have brown leaves, are growing slowly, aren’t producing much or just don’t taste right, you probably need to adjust your watering routine.

Online columnist Ivory Harlow suggests that for optimal performance, vegetable plants need an inch of water each week. She offers tips for conserving water as well as insight about the best times to water your plants.

5. Ohio timber framer connects generations through old barns

Rudy Christian of Burbank, Ohio, is a professional barn restorer. He has taken on the task of restoring a Crawford County, Pennsylvania, bank barn built in the 1840s.

The barn is owned by Dan Williams, a consultant for a civil engineering firm as well as an artist and painter, wants to restore most of the barn to its original condition. Williams wants to use the barn as a place for educational programs and a studio. Overall, he wants to connect today’s generation to the barn’s farming past.