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...
Build It Up
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...
Gardener Story: Emily Searcy
One of the most rewarding things about gardening is enjoying the fruits of your labor - that first ripe organically-grown tomato that you started from seed, nurtured under grow lights, hardened on the porch, strung up from trellises, and then watched and waited as it...
Gardener Story: Jaime Jones
This is our second year in the build it up program, and we are grateful for the experience. This program has given me a reason to get into the garden every day, even on the days I don't feel like it. Some days I don’t do much but water and watch. The birds and...
Gardener Story: Audra Holmes
We are now part way through our second year of the Build It Up Backyard Gardeners Program. What does the second year mean for us? Confidence. Confidence that we can grow food for our family. Confidence that we can tend a garden. Confidence that we can cook and eat...
Gardener Story: Kitty Michael
I have been knocking my head against a wall to think of something to say. I am Kitty, a second year BIU participant. I am, like many of you, still feeling very uncertain of myself even as a second year gardener. Am I doing this right? Did I pay enough attention in the...
Gardener Story: Kirstin Blackburn
Anxious hopeful anticipation. That’s what I always feel at the May stage of the gardening season. You’ve prepped the soil. You’ve pulled weeds, added compost, and dug holes. You’ve made your garden plan by researching and selecting your plant and seed varieties....
Gardener Story: Justin Delp
We are so excited for the garden this year. We loved starting our garden last year and we’re excited to try new things with it. We have already expanded it by two rows so we can add some fruits and some flowers.Another big change we made that will make a big...