Build It Up Blog
The Build It Up Blog includes entries from our gardners discussing their gardening journey and guides from our program staff regarding when to start your seeds, when to put transplants in the ground, when to fertilize, and more!
Gardener Story: Norris Family
When I was young my grandfather farmed for a living and started the farmers' market in Boone, NC. While I was able to help my grandparents in the garden during the summer and sell produce on the weekends, I was not old enough to glean the knowledge and skills of...
Gardener Story: Cindy Armstrong
I come from a long line of brown thumbs, so when I heard about this program to help beginner gardeners, I was quite excited to apply for a chance to learn. I was chosen to be one of the few who would participate in the Build It Up program and I am grateful. My yard,...
Gardener Story: The Kopp Family
From it's HUMBLE beginnings to its BOUNTIFUL state, our family garden has been a source of joy, learning, and blessing for us all. Our family has always had something growing in a pot or two wherever we've lived...an we've lived in many states. When we relocated here...
Gardener Story: George and Cathy Carey
My wife Cathy and I are in the middle of our second year with the Build it Up garden program. The program was highly recommended to us by some friends who had participated in the past. We were not disappointed. We had been wanting to have a productive...
Gardener Story: Hannah Kiger
This is our second year in the Build It Up program. Last year, my husband and I focused on expanding our number of raised beds. But this year, bolstered by all we learned last year, we decided to be more ambitious and try some new things. We tilled an in-ground bed...
Shauna Donovan
The 2022 growing season has brought with it all kinds of exciting new adventures! Initially when I heard about BIU, I thought, “I’m not a new gardener so I don’t know that I would benefit from this all that much.” Boy, was I ever wrong! I have been gardening for about...
Gardener Story: Heather Buntich
As I googled what to do with unripe butternut, I silently cursed the squash bugs who had invaded and murdered my beautiful vines. I have 23 unripe squash lying in what now seems to be their grassy grave. Frustrated with the waste of it all, I perked up when I found...
Gardener Story: Ashley Chambers
I began gardening 3 summers ago (not including the many little plants I was gifted at various points and always ended up killing). It wasn't until last fall that I got a desire to really try. When I went online and into books, there was so much information that I felt...
Gardener Story: Nicolle Family
We as a family have really enjoyed the Build it Up program. Our family has gotten to work together to plant a beautiful garden and learn about organic crops, food preservation (canning, dehydrating, freeze dried and fermenting), and how much land it takes to feed a...