“If this is food, what have I been eating?” ~ Peggy Hill I reset my life a couple years ago, reassessed my priorities, mustered all our resources, and moved us back to the mountains. Next up was a safe, sustainable supply of food. I knew that much of what we were...

Our family was absolutely ecstatic and blessed to be a part of the 2023 Build It Up Program. As this was our first year, we have thoroughly enjoyed every facet of this most educational program. Although I am a newly retired teacher, having taught for forty-three...

Chickens, chickens everywhere! Last year was our first year gardening, and we learned quite a few lessons the hard way. What kind of foods to grow. The amount of foods we should plan on. How much space we actually need to grow the things we will eat. Most importantly...

We were so happy to be accepted into the Build It Up program this year. We had heard so many great things about the program and finding a place that promotes organic practices was a blessing. I grew up in SC with parents who gardened and both of them grew up on farms...

We look around at this beautiful home and land we have stewarded and are in awe of this path we have chosen. Last summer we embarked on our journey with Build It Up and learned so much during our first year of becoming more self-sufficient. We even managed to grow...

What a blessing the Build it Up Garden Program has been. I moved to Tennessee last October and by January I knew that I would be hosting a family from Ukraine who were arriving in the United States with just a couple of suitcases. More recently a student from Kenya...

This is our first year in the Build It Up program.  Our past gardens have never panned out very well.  The kids loved playing in the wild chaos, but we never managed a useful harvest.  After discovering a food allergy that restricts ALL commercial preservatives, I was...

Our family of 4 moved to East TN last summer with the dream of having our own garden to start feeding our family with. Without much gardening experience under my belt, I struggled with where and how to get started, what resources to use for research, and felt stuck at...

This was our first year gardening, not just in Tennessee, but in general. Back when we were living in California, I asked my husband to pull the hedges in front of our condo so I could plant some edible plants for the kids. It was very small scale and most things...