Gardens are growing this new 2021 season.  We have such a great showcase of gardeners in our Grow Appalachia ACCESS WV group. From the onset of the growing season, we have grown, not only in our gardens, but in our community spirit.  Our participants have been actively chatting it up in our Facebook Messenger board daily, if not hourly.  Sharing ideas and gardening concepts, as well as how to’s on so many things.  We have so many different folks doing so many wonderful things this year.  We have been using our social media outlets to keep in touch when something presents itself, or when someone has a wonderful idea; like how to keep bad bugs away from our bounty in the garden.  I realized this summer that we have some really great cooks in our group.  We have been sharing recipes with one another on how  to make our garden goodies into fabulous foods for our families.  The sense of community has grown right along with our gardens this summer.  This is year two for ACCESS WV with Grow Appalachia and this summer has been amazing.

Canning and preservation has begun full force, and we have many folks in our group sharing their recipes and helping one another along in safely preserving their foods.  Last month the preservation class was given during the WVU Master Gardener class by WVU Extension Agent, Kerri Carte.

We have beekeepers in our midst as well, and look forward to their reports of the honey production this year!

As we hit the middle of the season we keep in mind just how precious keeping our traditions alive and look forward to sharing our knowledge with one another for generations to come.  Seed saving and exchanging those heirloom seeds has become a staple with many in our group as well.  We look forward to the fruits of our labor at the close of the summer season by hoping to gather and reflect on the 2021 growing season.  Until next time, keep on growing those fabulous gardens everyone!