I was super excited to be part of this year’s BUI – Cohort. I received four 4×8 raised garden beds, soil, seeds, and some starters.
The preparation and anticipation were fun and exciting. I love that the cohorts meet in Johnson City Community Center for workshops, discussions, and get-togethers.
I am looking forward to getting a sense of self-sufficiency and food independence. I also have backyard chickens, and I am part of a goat co-op.
My five-year-old helped set up the garden, putting the seeds and seedlings into the earth, giving him an appreciation of the food we eat and excitement to see the things grow and develop.
I didn’t have a lot of setbacks; most of the plants grew beautifully. For the future, though, I will consider succession planting more and the overall growth spurts of plants. For example, the turnip plants took much more space than I thought, overshadowing other plants such as beets and Russian kale.
I just planned my summer plants and am looking forward to my autumn crops, incorporating the lessons I learned from the spring planting.
~ Ante Ursic
