Oh fall, how we’ve missed you!

Can you feel it in the air? That cool breeze that sweeps through in the mornings and evenings bringing in fresh fall air? It’s an exciting feeling. As the temps start to cool, our gardens are ready for fall crops. We have already passed out fall plants including: broccoli, cauliflower, collards, fennel, kale and leeks. Fall seeds have also been distributed and many of our gardeners are looking forward to replanting some springs crops towards the end of September as cooler weather sets in.

Currently, we are amping up for our final Build It Up webinar workshop on September 14th. We will be talking all about season extension, cover crops and overwintering. It is a bittersweet time. While we prep our soil for the next growing season, we also say goodbye to our second year BIU gardeners. Hopefully they were able to learn the things they needed to continue growing a successful garden! Luckily, our first year BIU gardeners have the opportunity to join us again next year! Below I have attached a gardener story from one of our first year gardeners, Candy.

Gardener Story: Candy De La Fuente

“Hi there! My name is Candy and this is the first true garden experience for my family and I. My husband and I have always dabbled in a little gardening but have only had luck with tomatoes. We were so incredibly excited when we found out about Build it Up, and doubly so when we were accepted. In true Neeley-Fuente family fashion, we went big in the beginning and put in the effort of building three raised bed gardens. This was after going to many community workshops and doing the research. We have a slanted backyard which the raised beds have helped with. With our foundation down, we were able to incorporate all the supplies and knowledge gifted to us by BIU.

Thus far, our gardens have yielded what we consider a pretty bountiful harvest. Our yellow squash and bell peppers are doing fabulously and we’ve been able to enjoy them in some of our favorite meals like yellow curry and southwestern stuffed bell peppers. Our sweet potatoes and cucumbers are also doing really well. Also, our herbs have taken off!

Honestly, this COVID-19 pandemic has affected how much time I truly have to dedicate to our garden after running back and forth to the hospital all day. However, I love that although it may not be as much growing as I originally intended for us to do, our garden is still a family hub for us. It is a place that we check several times a week and exclaim excitedly every time we see something new sprouting. (We learned how broccoli grows!). Our garden is a beautiful little project where we can tangibly reap the rewards and it’s so uplifting through these times. I love that I know we can always reach out to Lexy, Rosie, and the BIU support system to make the best of our garden. I hope that we can continue to participate in the future seasons of BIU and are incredibly grateful for everything.”

       

Thank you, Candy, for sharing your story and some pictures from your lovely garden!

Thanks for reading!