Gardener Story: Pietrowski Family
During my childhood, my parents always tried to have a very small garden, but we never seemed to have the time or the ability to expand beyond tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers. Once or twice, they ventured into melons and pumpkins, but we weren’t very successful.
As an adult, I always had a goal of growing a beautiful garden full of food I could provide for my young son but was often very overwhelmed with planning and figuring out what to plant. That is why I was so excited when I was notified that I had been accepted into the program. I asked my parents if we could do the garden at their house and asked them for help in planning, planting, and harvesting. They were more than happy to be a part of this venture, so this is definitely a family project! I have really enjoyed this amazing learning opportunity for not only myself but my 5-year-old son, Jaxson. I find him often up in the garden, just looking at all the things we are growing, touching the plants, and asking so many questions.
It is a very fulfilling feeling being able to provide good, quality organic food for my family. We have been raising chickens for eggs for about a year, and this just adds to our ability to provide for ourselves. Hopefully in the years to come, we will be able to increase the food production and the variety of foods we grow in the garden. We have already made notes of some things we want to do differently next year. We’ve done some canning and freezing of veggies and fruits in the past but hope to learn more about preserving the food we grow so we can enjoy our food all year long. We are happily spending more time outside together while tending to the plants and enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and dirt! LOL!