DENVER — A hop farm on the Western Slope in Colorado is open its doors to the public, giving people an up-close-and-personal chance to see how this crucial ingredient is grown — and to taste it at the source.

For eight years, Billy Goat Hop Farm has operated a 32-acre plot off Highway 550 in Montrose, Colorado, where it grows up to a dozen different hop varietals. Though it has hosted a locally beloved beer festival since 2022, it is now rolling out new options that will allow drinkers to visit throughout the summer and fall.

Those include farm tours, a Friday night event series and even a campground where people can sleep among the bines (the long stems of hop plants). And yes, craft beer made with Billy Goat hops is expected to be served onsite to help give campers a sense of place.

By opening the farm to the public, co-owner Audrey Gehlhausen hopes to provide a glimpse not just into a farm that is important to the beer industry, but to the agriculture industry as a whole, especially at a time when independent farms are dwindling in Colorado.

“Creating a community space that’s welcoming for kids and dogs will hopefully help bring awareness to agriculture, where the ingredients in your beer are coming from, and hopefully be a pivot that can help keep us alive,” Gehlhausen said.

That is, in part, what inspired Gehlhausen and partner Chris DellaBianca to develop The Down At the Hop Yard Campground. The duo created 12 campsites along the perimeter of the hop trellises that can accommodate tents, cars, and vans. The campground features flushable toilets, potable water, hot showers and a communal fire pit.

While RVs are welcome, Gehlhausen noted that campsites do not have electric or water hookups, and there is not a dumping station. All sites can fit vehicles up to a maximum of 30 feet long. Reservations cost $25 per night on HipCamp.

Hop harvest typically takes place in early to mid-August, meaning the bines will be tall, lush and at their most aromatic by June or July, Gehlhausen said.

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Campers and day trippers can now book a tour of the hop farm any day of the week. Tours cost $10 per person if they include at least three people. Any fewer than that will require $30 per tour. Add on a beer tasting for an extra $5 per person. Tours are available by appointment only; contact Billy Goat Hop Farm directly to schedule a time.

If you’d rather just pop in for a beer, Billy Goat launched its open house series, Fridays at the Farm, on May 23. From 2 to 9 p.m. every Friday until October, the farm will have a food truck onsite and serve beers made with its signature hoppy product. It is also debuting new beverages — non-alcoholic hop waters and hard seltzers called Hop Drool — for thirsty patrons this summer.

Guests can bring their kids and dogs, and enjoy yard games against the backdrop of the San Juan Mountains. At least once a month, there will also be a live bluegrass jam.

Gehlhausen said Billy Goat hopes to add more special events, and that its signature beer festival, Fresh Fest, will return on Sept. 20.

By JESSICA DAMIANO

Many of us think of rice as a plant that grows in flooded fields, and that’s because the kind of rice we’re most familiar with — the long-grain, wetland variety called lowland rice — can be considered semi-aquatic, although it’s technically a grass.

Lowland rice would be challenging to grow in a home garden, but another, less common variety can be cultivated more easily in typical backyard conditions.

Duborskian rice, a Russian short-grained dryland, or “upland” rice, is a highly ornamental plant that can even be grown in containers, where its 2-foot-tall green and gold panicles will lend height and beauty to the center or rear of mixed planters.

But if grown as a crop, cultivating rice from your plants can be a fun activity for adventurous gardeners.

Start by making space

When determining how many plants to grow, consider that it takes approximately 10 plants to produce 1 pound of rice. Since each plant occupies only 1 foot of garden space, a 10-by-10-foot plot will hold 100 plants, which will yield roughly 6 to 10 pounds of rice in a season.

Harvested Duborskian rice is displayed in Southern Tasmania, Australia on March 8, 2025. (Linda Cockburn via AP)

In the absence of purchased starter plants, seeds are best sown directly into the garden in May or June in frost-free zones. Elsewhere, they should be started indoors four weeks before the danger of frost has passed. Expect seeds to germinate in five to seven days.

A 24-hour water soak before sowing will hasten germination. Indoor starts are best aided by a heat mat.

Four-week-old seedlings should be transplanted outdoors at the same time it’s considered safe to plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in your region.

Taking care of your rice plants

Select a sunny spot and enrich the soil with a generous amount of compost before planting.

Since the rice requires a high level of nutrients, fertilize every two weeks with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer.

Space plants 1 foot apart to ensure adequate circulation between them, as they will need to be pollinated by wind. You might also surround plants with netting to protect them from birds. Keep the surrounding soil free of weeds throughout the growing season.

Separating the rice from the chaff, and other steps

Your rice will be ready to harvest in about 105 days. You’ll know it’s ready when the seed heads appear dry but haven’t yet dropped their seeds. At that point, cut plants down to ground level and hang the stalks up for a few days to dry further.

Linda Cockburn holds a Duborskian rice plant seed head in Southern Tasmania, Australia on April 1, 2023. (Linda Cockburn via AP)

But that’s not the end of it. Rice will have to be removed from its stalks, and each grain’s tough outer shell, called a hull, will need to be removed. On commercial farms, they have equipment to do this, but since you’re growing rice at home, you will have to do it manually.

Tie the cut ends of the dried stalks together, then place a screen (an old window screen will do) over a wheelbarrow. Rub the seed heads against the screen until the grains fall off into the wheelbarrow. If this sounds too complicated, you can achieve the same results by beating the tied bunch of stalks onto a clean sheet that you’ve laid on the ground.

Once the grains have been separated from their stalks, scoop them up and remove the hulls in batches using a mortar and pestle (put the kids to work!) If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can hit them with a rubber mallet, but it’s a delicate balance to remove the hulls without crushing the rice.

The next step is to separate the proverbial rice from the chaff (the hulls). The easiest way to accomplish this is to use a fan to blow the light-as-air hulls away. You can’t eat the hulls, but they can be added to compost piles or used as mulch.

This undated image provided by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rareseeds.com shows harvested Duborskian rice. (Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co./rare seeds.com via AP)

If you’d like to save rice for replanting next year, put some aside before removing the hulls; they’ll need to be intact for the seeds to germinate.

To enjoy the fruits of your labor, cook the grains as you would any rice and enjoy it in sweet or savory recipes. It’ll be good, but not likely as good as the story you’ll be able to tell about that time you grew your own rice.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Tortellini is a winner when it comes to easy weeknight meals because it’s quick to prepare and lends itself to so many different dishes.

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You can toss it with red sauce or pesto, or use the tiny dumplings to bulk up a savory broth. For heartier appetites, you can bake the pasta in a casserole dish in a creamy cheese sauce topped with breadcrumbs for an Italian take on mac ‘n’ cheese.

Tortellini also works wonderfully in a warm or cold salad because the tiny pillows filled with meat, cheese or greens like spinach go nicely with crisp, seasonal vegetables and creamy or tangy dressings.

Plus, it’s relatively inexpensive if you buy bagged, dried tortellini instead of the fresh pasta you find in the refrigerated section.

For our latest installment of our bi-monthly budget meal series, we do just that — toss bagged tortellini with bite-sized pieces of asparagus and juicy cherry tomatoes in an entree salad with a lemony, Parmesan-heavy dressing that literally takes seconds to whisk together.

Bookending the dinner is homemade focaccia dusted with salt and rosemary (it’s easier than you think!) and a fluffy strawberry mousse that requires just three ingredients: sugar, cream and berries.

The bread takes a few hours to prepare because the dough has to rise twice, but it only has to bake for around 20 minutes — about the same time it takes to toss together the pasta and veggies. Even better is the final tally — just $14. 22 for two with leftovers, or a budget-loving $7.11 per diner.

Before we get into the menu, we need a little bit of backstory on tortellini, which is one of the most beloved pasta types in Northern Italy.

Some say Castelfranco Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy gave birth to this tender pasta stuffed with everything from ground beef to prosciutto to a mix of cheeses (the city holds an annual festival on the second Sunday in September). But Modena to the west and Bologna to the east also claim it as their own.

Whatever its geographical origins, tortellini (which means “little cake” or “little ring” in Italian) have been feeding the masses for centuries. In 1570, a rich pasta dish called tortelletti — made with capon breast, cow udder, beef marrow, fresh ricotta and warm spices like cinnamon — appeared in Italian Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi’s cookbook, “Opera.”

The curved shape of the pasta also is open to a couple different interpretations. One of the most popular is that it was inspired by the contours of a beautiful woman — perhaps Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty — who a peeping tom-innkeeper saw when he peered through a keyhole as she undressed.

‘The recipe that follows is much easier than Scappi’s tortelletti to rustle up after work, and a whole lot cheaper.

The biggest expense (no surprise) was the tortellini, which cost $4.98 for 12 ounces. But since I was only serving two, I needed only 2/3 of the bag, bringing the price to just $3.35.

Taking advantage of what was on sale, I paid $1.50 for a half-pound of asparagus and $2.38 for a 1-pound container of strawberries.

The focaccia, which produced eight servings, was almost ridiculously cheap as it required only a small amount of all-purpose flour, a single teaspoon of active dried yeast and just a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkled with salt and dried rosemary, it was so delicious that I actually made it twice to make sure my initial try wasn’t a fluke.

While I didn’t calculate the cost of the olive oil (which I buy by the gallon) or the basil (always growing on my window sill), neither would have added much to the total tally, especially if you substitute vegetable oil and parsley. (Tip: Those potted basil plants you see in the produce department are always cheaper than the tiny plastic herb containers, and if you plant it in a small pot, you can keep clipping the leaves as needed.)

I also used a shallot and handful of arugula I found in my crisper, along with a clove of garlic that’s always, always on hand.

At the last minute, I threw in some toasted pine nuts for extra crunch, but they’re so expensive these days (especially Italian), it’s totally fine to go without.

While I designed this menu for a weeknight dinner, it works just as well for a summer picnic or cookout since everything travels well and doesn’t have to be reheated. (Though you will want to keep the strawberry mousse chilled in a cooler.)

No-Knead Pan Focaccia

PG tested

Breadmaking can be intimidating for many home cooks. This recipe for homemade focaccia, a flat Italian baked bread, should chase those fears away. Both the ingredient list and the process is simple, making it a great recipe for bread beginners.

I made the dough twice — once in a food processor and again in my KitchenAid mixer using the paddle attachment. They worked equally well.

I used dried rosemary and coarse sea salt to top it because that’s what I had in my spice cabinet.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
3 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh or dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Place flour, salt and yeast in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse to combine.

Add water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until a rough ball of dough forms, about 15 (2-second) pulses.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Flour your hands, scoop the dough out of the food processor and form into a smooth ball. Place the dough in the oiled bowl and turn it so it’s coated on all sides.

Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it sit at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 2-3 hours.

Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet and rub it over the bottom and sides. Punch down the dough and place in the skillet.

Using your fingertips, coax and stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the skillet and reach all the way to the edges.

Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rest at warm room temperature until puffed and slightly risen, 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450 degrees.

Use your fingertips to gently dimple the surface of the dough. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough so that it pools in some of the indentations. Sprinkle with rosemary and flaky salt.

Place in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 400 degrees. Bake until lightly golden-brown, 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Focaccia is best eaten when warm, but is also good at room temperature. If the crust gets too soft, reheat in a 350-degree oven to crisp it up.

— thekitchn.com

Ingredients for a budget tortellini salad for two. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

Tortellini Salad with Spring Veggies

PG tested

Pasta is always a good choice when you’re trying to keep costs down. This recipe has dried spinach tortellini, fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes and a handful of baby arugula for a super-easy and filling spring meal.

Be sure to plunge the asparagus into an ice bath after it’s been blanched so it doesn’t overcook and stays bright green. If you happen to have pine nuts in your pantry, toast a few tablespoons and use as a garnish; if not, no worries — they’re an expensive add-on!

1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces packaged dried cheese or spinach tortellini
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Handful of fresh arugula or spinach, optional
Handful of chopped fresh basil or parsley, or combination
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional
Red pepper flakes, for garnish, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water.

Add asparagus to boiling water and cook until it’s crisp-tender, about 60-90 seconds, depending on thickness. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer to the ice bath.

Let cool, then dry with a paper towel and set aside.

Return water to a boil and add dried tortellini. Cook according to package instructions (about 10 minutes), stirring often. Drain tortellini and rinse with cold water. (This will prevent it from clumping together.) Drain again, leaving it just the tiniest bit damp.

Make vinaigrette: Whisk oil, lemon juice, shallot and garlic together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare salad: Place cooked tortellini in a large serving bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss well to combine.

Add tomatoes, arugula or spinach, basil, grated Parmesan, pine nuts and cooled asparagus. Toss to combine, then season again with salt and pepper and extra lemon juice if you want some additional zing. You also can add a few pinches of dried red pepper, if desired,

Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature.

Serves 2, with leftovers.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Fresh Strawberry Mousse

PG tested

This seasonal, three-ingredient dessert comes together in less than 10 minutes. It’s fresh and fantastic.

1-pound container of strawberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole whipping cream, cold

Rinse strawberries under running cold water, reserving 3 or 4 for garnish.

Slice remaining strawberries, then place in a blender or food processor along with the sugar. Process until it is a smooth puree.

Remove 1/2 cup of puree and set aside.

In a cold bowl, add cream and beat until stiff peaks form. (I used a KitchenAid mixer.) Gently (gently!) fold in remaining puree.

Divide reserved 1/2 cup of puree between 4 small glasses or serving dishes. Spoon the strawberry mousse on top, then refrigerate for 1 hour or up to over night, if desired.

Top with reserved strawberries (sliced or halved) and serve.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Leah Fabel, Oona Zenda, KFF Health News

ST. PAUL, Minn. — High school senior Joshua Yang understands sacrifice. When he was midway through 10th grade, his mom survived a terrible car crash. But her body developed tremors, and she lost mobility. After countless appointments, doctors diagnosed her with Parkinson’s disease, saying it was likely triggered by brain injuries sustained in the wreck.

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At 15, Yang, an aspiring baseball player and member of his school’s debate team, took on a new role: his mother’s caregiver.

Researchers estimate that Yang, now 18, counted among at least 5.4 million U.S. children who provide care to an adult in their home. As state officials eye federal Medicaid funding cuts that could drastically reduce home care services for those who are disabled or have chronic health conditions, many predict that number will rise.

That’s bad news for kids: Studies show that when young people take on care for adults with medical conditions, their health and academic outcomes decline. At the same time, their loved ones receive untrained care.

“It all fell to me,” said Yang, whose sisters were 9 and 10 at the time of their mom’s accident, and whose stepdad worked nights. His grades fell and he quit after-school activities, he said, unable to spare the time.

Early on, Yang found reprieve from a personal care nurse who gave them supplies, such as adult diapers, and advice on items to purchase, such as a chair for the shower. And for about a year, Yang was able to work for a personal care agency and earn $1,000 a month caring for his mom — money that went toward her medication and family needs.

But at the beginning of 11th grade, a change to his mom’s insurance ended her personal care benefit, sending him into a runaround with his county’s Medicaid office in Minnesota. “For a solid month I was on my phone, on hold, in the back of the class, waiting for the ‘hello,’” he said. “I’d be in third period, saying, ‘Mr. Stepan, can I step out?’”

A report published in May by the U.S. Government Accountability Office reminded states that National Family Caregiver Support Program grants can be used to assist caregivers under 18. However, the future of those grants remains unclear: They are funded through the Older Americans Act, which is awaiting reauthorization; and the Administration for Community Living, which oversees the grants, was nearly halved in April as part of the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump.

Additionally, if Congress approves proposed cuts to Medicaid, one of the first casualties likely will be states’ home- and community-based service programs that provide critical financial relief to family caregivers, said Andrew Olenski, an economist at Lehigh University specializing in long-term health care.

Such programs, which differ by state but are paid for with federal dollars, are designed to ensure that Medicaid-eligible people in need of long-term care can continue living at home by covering in-home personal and nursing care. In 2021, they served almost 5% of all Medicaid participants, costing about $158 billion.

By law, Medicaid is required to cover necessary long-term care in a nursing home setting but not all home or community care programs. So, if states are forced to make cuts, those programs are vulnerable to being scaled back or eliminated.

If an aide who makes daily home visits, for example, is no longer an option, family caregivers could step in, Olenski said. But he pointed out that not all patients have adult children to care for them, and not all adult children can afford to step away from the workforce. And that could put more pressure on any kids at home.

“These things tend to roll downhill,” Olenski said.

Some studies show benefits to young people who step into caregiving roles, such as more self-confidence and improved family relationships. Yang said he feels more on top of things than his peers: “I have friends worrying about how to land a job interview, while I’ve already applied to seven or eight other jobs.”

But for many, the cost is steep. Young caregivers report more depression, anxiety, and stress than their peers. Their physical health tends to be worse, too, related to diet and lack of attention to their own care. And caregiving often becomes a significant drag on their education: A large study found that 15- to 18-year-old caregivers spent, on average, 42 fewer minutes per day on educational activities and 31 fewer minutes in class than their peers.

Schools in several states are taking notice. In Colorado, a statewide survey recently included its first question about caregiving and found that more than 12% of high schoolers provide care for someone in their home who is chronically ill, elderly, or disabled.

Rhode Island’s education department now requires every middle and high school to craft a policy to support caregiving students after a study published in 2023 found 29% of middle and high school students report caring for a younger or older family member for part of the day, and 7% said the role takes up most of their day. Rates were higher for Hispanic, Asian, and Black students than their white peers.

The results floored Lindsey Tavares, principal of Apprenticeship Exploration School, a charter high school in Cranston. Just under half her students identified as caregivers, she said. That awareness has changed conversations when students’ grades slip or the kids stop showing up on time or at all.

“We know now that this is a question we should be asking directly,” she said.

Students have shared stories of staying home to care for an ill sibling when a parent needs to work, missing school to translate doctors’ appointments, or working nights to pitch in financially, she said. Tavares and her team see it as their job to find an approach to help students persist. That might look like connecting the student to resources outside the school, offering mental health support, or working with a teacher to keep a student caught up.

“We can’t always solve their problem,” Tavares said. “But we can be really realistic about how we can get that student to finish high school.”

Rhode Island officials believe their state is the first to officially support caregiving students — work they’re doing in partnership with the Florida-based American Association for Caregiving Youth. In 2006, the association formed the Caregiving Youth Project, which works with schools to provide eligible students with peer group support, medical care training, overnight summer camp, and specialists tuned in to each student’s specific needs. This school year, more than 700 middle and high school students took part.

“For kids, it’s important for them to know they’re not alone,” said Julia Belkowitz, a pediatrician and an associate professor at the University of Miami who has studied student caregivers. “And for the rest of us, it’s important, as we consider policies, to know who’s really doing this work.”

In St. Paul, Joshua Yang had hoped to study civil engineering at the University of Minnesota, but decided instead to attend community college in the fall, where his schedule will make it simpler to continue living at home and caring for his mom.

But he sees some respite on the horizon as his sisters, now 12 and 13, prepare to take on a greater share of the caregiving. They’re “actual people” now with personalities and a sense of responsibility, he said with a laugh.

“It’s like, we all know that we’re the most meaningful people in our mom’s life, so let’s all help out,” he said.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.