So while we wait for our gardens to take off later in spring, we may as well go ahead and eat the wild and free greens that are so readily available all around us. Wild greens can be used to create vibrant salads, they can be juiced, given to chickens as a treat, or they can be used in a variety of other creative ways.
By Meisha Turner As we start the third year of building a garden at our home, we’ve definitely learned a few things along the way. Some things, we got right on the first attempt. Others… well, we’re still figuring it out. But, by now we’ve had a few opportunities to...
In these uncertain times, I believe the ability to grow our own food is a powerful tool for resilience—both for ourselves and those around us… Gardening is a big task, especially if you’ve never done it before. But the truth is, this program is designed for people like us — novices, dreamers, and doers who want to make a difference in their own lives and communities.
I have four kids, a four month old baby, a 3 year old girl and two boys, 5 and 8 years old. Part of my intention in joining this program was to learn enough about gardening so that we could start a successful garden this year and so the kids could feel more connected with the source of their food. I had no idea, but we got to learn so much more and became part of a supportive community that will be there long after we graduate.
Our family moved to the area about a year ago. That means we had to start our garden over from scratch. It also means we had to adjust to different types of garden bugs, both pests and beneficial bugs. Luckily, we learned about many of the local pests from one of the Build It Up workshops, and we had our Build It Up binder that contains so much useful information about identifying and controlling common garden pests. Despite having some losses due to pests, we now have a game plan for how to manage garden bugs starting in spring.
What summer vegetable tastes like no other, and is so incredibly delicious, because the real ones are grown and harvested only during the summer…the one season, out of the entire four seasons of the year, that we cannot wait until the first one ripens, and this juicy summer delicacy, finally does appear?
You guessed it…Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
Then our hardest battle yet came with the summer heat and dry weather. We had caught hundreds of gallons of rain water to help water the garden but it wasn’t enough for how hot and dry it was this year. Luckily we learned from the class that mulch works great to help hold moisture for the plants.
I felt so good when I saw our freezer filled up with vegetables from the garden, especially during the wintertime, I appreciated every bite of the food that came from the garden. I am so proud that I can share some of my food with the neighbors and friends.
The sequencing of BIU’s workshops unrolled in a helpful way, specifically when it came to the two workshops on Pests & Diseases. Those have been immensely helpful and we contact the folks who led those workshops almost weekly for a “HELP! What’s this bug/disease? How do we fix it ASAP?” style check-in. Each workshop helped us recognize the importance of the season and what you can do with it.
We have multiple food allergies that have propelled us into eating healthy, plant-forward and organic foods. This way of eating is extremely expensive so having a garden has allowed us to save exponentially.