GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, March 19, 2026 —On the next Prairie Yard & Garden, host Mary Holm travels to Canby, Minnesota, to visit with Al Precht, a passionate fruit grower who has spent decades perfecting the art of the Minnesota apricot. “Growing Apricots, Apples and More,” the ninth episode of the show’s 39th season, airs Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m. on Pioneer PBS.
Precht’s interest in fruit growing began during his time in the Navy while stationed in California, when a chance encounter with a ripe tree in Napa Valley changed his opinion of a fruit he once disliked. After moving to a country home in 1977, he began experimenting with mail-order trees and later grew his own varieties from seed.
Despite challenges from Minnesota’s harsh winters and late spring frosts that can damage flower buds, Precht has cultivated several hardy varieties by grafting selections onto Manchurian rootstock. His orchard now produces apples, plums and other fruits.
Today, neighbors and friends visit to gather fruit for wine, jams and jellies, and Precht also shares his knowledge of vegetable gardening. His work demonstrates that, with persistence, even crops considered unreliable can succeed in northern climates.
Prairie Yard & Garden rebroadcasts Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Mondays at 1 p.m. following the initial air date on Pioneer PBS.
How to Watch
Viewers within the viewing area can watch the live program on 10-1, 20-1, 8-1, Dish, DirecTV and Mediacom.
In addition to station broadcasts, viewers in Pioneer PBS’s viewing area can also stream the premiere live at pioneer.org/live, on YouTube TV, Prime Video, Hulu Live or via the “Live TV” button on the PBS app and pbs.org.
Full episodes can also be streamed at pioneer.org/pyg, the PBS app, the Prairie Yard & Garden YouTube channel and pbs.org/show/prairie-yard-garden.
Support
Due to recent funding cuts to Pioneer PBS and other PBS stations across the nation, shows, particularly local programming like PY&G, that you love are in jeopardy. Consider becoming a member of Pioneer PBS or Friend of Prairie Yard & Garden to support the programs you love. For more information, including how to support Pioneer PBS, visit pioneer.org.
About Prairie Yard & Garden
Prairie Yard & Garden (PY&G) is a Midwest gardening program produced by Pioneer PBS. The show has been hosted by Mary Holm for 12 seasons. Mike Cihak also returns for his 31st season producing and editing the show. Production assistants Gorden McIntosh and Vivian Heltemes provide additional videography. PY&G is sponsored by Shalom Hill Farm, Heartland Motor Company, North Dakota State University, Friends of Prairie Yard & Garden and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966 Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. For more than 60 years, Pioneer PBS has amplified local voices and reflected the people, places and issues that matter most to our region.
Headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington and Fergus Falls, Pioneer PBS reaches more than one million viewers across western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northern Iowa. We are honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories. As we celebrate 60 years of storytelling, we invite you to help ensure these stories continue for the next 60 years and beyond.
Learn more at pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.
