The Minnesota State Fair is a tradition for some, and those traditions are as varied as those who attend the Fair.

People go for the food, to see the animals, to ride the rides, to people watch, for grandstand shows, and for all the latest and most unique products.

You can find green living products to improve or build your home, new designs of old stand-bys, the latest machinary for just about anything, and oh so much more.

This year Absolute Construction and Remodeling will be at the Minnesota State Fair and we hope you’ll stop by our display.

To get all the information you could possibly want including when and where to buy advanced tickets, visit the MN State Fair Official Website.

You’ll soon learn that this year the State Fair runs from August 27th through Labor Day (September 7th), and the Grandstand is celebrating centenial with the following line-up:

Thursday August 27th

BonTaj Roulet, Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal

Performing Alone and Together

7:30 p.m.  $36.50

Friday August 28th

Jason Aldean with special guest Eli Young Band

7:30 p.m.  $29.00

Saturday August 29th

Kidd Rock and Leonard Skynyrd

7:00 p.m. $66, $56 & $41

Sunday August 30th

Kelly Clarkson with special guest Eric Hutchinson

7:30 p.m.  $35

Monday August 31st

An Evening with Jackson Browne

8:00 p.m.  $38.00

Tuesday September 1st

Randy Travis with special guest Joe Nichols

7:30 p.m.  $32

Wednesday September 2nd

O.A.R. with special guests Slightly Stoopid and Brett Dennen

6:00 p.m.  $27.00

Thursday September 3rd

Casting Crowns with special guest Barlowgirl

7:30 p.m.  $30.00

Friday September 4th

A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor

7:45 p.m. $28 & $23

Saturday September 5th

REO Speedwagon, STYX with special guest 38 Special

7:00 p.m $34

Sunday September 6th

2009 Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest Finals

8:00 p.m. FREE with price of admission

Labor Day, Monday September 7th

An Evening with Jeff Dunham

8:00 p.m.  $38.00

I remember when regular gas was what you used in all your lawn mowers, boats, snow throwers, snowmobiles, ATV’s and other toys. These days unleaded gas is the new regular. From your engine’s perspective it isn’t as pure and has its own additives that can gum-up your carburetor.

You may know that you should winterize (or summerize) your gas engines with an additive like Sea Foam, but did you know that you should really be using these additives on a regular basis to help keep your carburetor clean and you engine running smoothly?

As you run any carbureted or fuel injected gas engine they build up carbon deposits. Adding a little Sea Foam to your gas will keep your engines running smoothly year around, even if they don’t run for months at a time.

If your lawn is like mine, and it has gone dormant, your lawn mower may be sitting for weeks before you use it again. If it doesn’t want to start, or is running roughly Sea Foam can help. You’ll need to clean out the gas line and possibly clean out the carburetor. If you can put new gas in that is best, and then treat that gas with Sea Foam.  Otherwise add it to the gas in the tank and cross your fingers!

Better yet, check out this Sea Foam How To You Tube.
Sea Foam is a brand name, and one that I am most familiar with, but there are other’s out there that can provide the same benefit. I do know that Sea Foam is EPA-registered and will not harm engine components, gaskets, seals, oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. It is a pure petroleum product that liquefies gum and varnish deposits, removing carbon deposits and freeing sticky valves.

Most boating stores, ATV dealers and hardware stores will sell Sea Foam and other gasoline additives.

If you use E10 Ethanol, check out the cautions at the Fuel Testers website.

With your help, Eureka Recycling can be awarded $20,000 from the SunChips/National Geographic Green Effect contest to grow their Composting at Home programs!

Vote up to once a day. Voting ends July 20.

For over 20 years, Eureka Recycling has been Saint Paul’s nonprofit recycler. Under a long-term contract with the city, Eureka Recycling provides recycling services to Saint Paul’s homes and apartments. In addition, Eureka Recycling is a leader in waste reduction education and advocacy.

“We entered this contest to help fund our work to strengthen the grassroots movement of composters in the Twin Cities and to spread the word about the environmental benefits of making dirt, not waste.”

Vote for Eureka at : http://greeneffect.nationalgeographic.com/  Their video is the one pictured with the woman next to the black compost bin.

 

 

Eureka Recycling  is one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the United States and a leader in demonstrating the best waste reduction and recycling practices not only for the Twin Cities metro area, but for the nation.

Your grass is green. Your lawn care techniques should be too!
Here are a few suggestions to keep your lawn nice and green.

• Use a push mower or electric mower! They are quiet and don’t pollute. Keep blades sharp and oiled.

• Set your mower to mow high. Long blades of grass develop deep roots.

• Regardless of your mower type, dry tips on grass blades indicated that your mower blade is dull.

• Leave clippings on your lawn to provide nitrogen and moisture. Mow often.

• Use a hand weeder not herbicides. Develop a tolerance for a few weeds and weed when your tolerance is reached.

• Focus on the grass, not the weeds. Healthy grass makes it tough for weeds to thrive.

• Research has shown that corn gluten  meal (available at most feed stores like Fleet Farm) effectively prevent seeds from sprouting, including seeds from many weeds such as crabgrass, chickweed, and even dandelions. It is effective only against seeds, not existing plants. Annual weeds that are already up and growing will not be killed by products made of corn gluten meal.  To learn more check out this link.

• If you have compost available, spread a ½ inch on your lawn as a fertilizer.

Let your grass go dormant during the hot dry months (like now).  The Lawn Institute has some great tips including:

‘Summer dormancy is a perfectly normal response to the stress of heat and drought.  It is important to make sure grass is as healthy as possible before dormancy begins and not to stress the grass any more once conditions become unfavorable for growth.  Grass should be maintained slightly higher before and during drought.  Grass should only be mowed as needed and mowing should be preformed early in the morning or late in the evening with a sharp blade to minimize stress on the turf. ‘

Xcel Energy is committed to reducing the impact of their business on the environment. As of the end of 2008 Xcel had a total of 1300 megawatts of wind energy capacity in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Most of this is located in southwestern Minnesota.

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Xcel is required by Minnesota law to reach a 30% renewable energy mix, and wind power is one way for them to reach this goal. An average home uses around 500 kWh a month. Based on this usage, converting to 100% wind generated electricity will increase your monthly bill by about $3.50 a month, or the cost of one large designer coffee.

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Xcel Energy has made a committment to increase their wind resources to more than double their current capacity by 2020. If you live in Minnesota, North Dakota or South Dakota and have Xcel as your electricity supplier, you can sign-up to have wind power supply some or all of the electricity provided to your home or business. Click on Windsource® program to be directed to the Xcel site where you can sign-up and support wind power.

 

Increased demand for renewable energy will help push projects forward and ultimately reduce costs. While property owners do have wind rights that they can lease to companies like Xcel, the wind itself is free. We really should take advantage of that whenever possible.