Gardening is life!! It’s a lot of work, and it’s hard work! I see it as a challenge with a beneficial outcome. Besides gardening, I do have a full time job working 10 hour shifts, four days a week. This year I also started my little goat farm, consisting of two does and a buck. I do plan to expand my herd. If everything goes well, I will be milking the does so I can make soap, lotion, and butter while they work on clearing my land!

This garden season started on the night of April 19th when I started getting my 50 pound bag of seed potatoes ready. I cut every potato in half then carried them outside and spread them out in the bed of my truck so they could dry some before planting the next day. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of non stop gardening!!

After getting the big garden site plowed I started planting…. tomatoes, corn, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, snap peas, broccoli, cabbage, radishes, watermelon, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. The garden has kept me busy, tilling the ground, hoeing around the veggies, applying diatomaceous earth, fertilizing, and repeating that process throughout the garden season.

The months of hard work has paid off tremendously with the amount of food I have produced. I have sold some and I have canned a lot. I have canned pickles, peppers, tomatoes, frozen corn & tomatoes, and dug a lot of potatoes this year!

My garden has produced approximately 765 pounds of food this growing season so far. Gardening isn’t easy, especially when it’s done organically … it seems as if the bugs are out to destroy it all and sometimes they do succeed. The rain is your best friend and sometimes your worst enemy because it washes the diatomaceous earth right off the plants!!

With all that being said, I do enjoy gardening! I like knowing where my food comes from and that all of my hard work has paid off. I can enjoy eating my garden vegetables throughout the winter season in my chili and soups!! Garden programs are great whether you are experienced or new to gardening. I am thankful to be part of this gardening group!! #growwayne

Perspective piece by organic gardener, Lori Mills of Grow Wayne