Hello from Abingdon, VA and welcome to this New Year, 2017.
The month of December allowed for many nagging tasks to be, at last, silenced. Brochures were updated, schedules created, and the hoop house carrots were thinned for the final time. Spinach and lettuce are continualy harvested and the snap dragons seek to be cut with their delicate blossoms, a stark contrast to the world of winter. The GYO Grower’s Manual is getting it’s annual revision and contracts are being revisited. This is the time for “busy work” when daylight is stingey and the cold forces our heads to hang low.
One task that wasn’t nagging in the least was the seed order for GYO. Which was a personal first and one that allowed for the consideration of all possibilities. There are so many aspects of ordering seed that aren’t considered until one is ordering for a full spectrum of gardeners. What is the best pepper for the kids in our community gardens? What are the best varieties of beans for market gardeners? Are green zebra tomatoes too tricky to tell when ripe? What are two heirloom varieties that a beginning gardener could save for seed?
Once the order was compiled, the review process began with pulling out surveys from last season to ensure that any recommendations were taken into account. The shocking thing was not “more delicata” or “more rattlesnake beans”, but “greater communication”, “weekly emails”, “growers group”. What people want is more face time with more people. Gardeners want to access other gardeners and pick their brains on a shared struggle. What a beautifully simple thing to request.
It reminds all of us to look forward to new friends, old friends, and the stories created. Stories of people from the garden.
**If you haven’t already, don’t forget to eat your greens, black eyed peas, and hog jowl for good luck in the New Year**
No photos from “busy work”, so here are some photos from an ASD planting:
Working with Emily L. of ASD to help Vietnam Veteran Mike, plant persimmon and hazelnut at his Bristol farm.
Making black gold.
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