Established in 2012, Appalachian Sustainable Development’s Grow Your Own program empowers beginner gardeners to take control of their food sovereignty by cultivating their own home or community gardens.

“Appalachian Sustainable Development has been an incredible resource for me, supplying plants, seeds, row cover and valuable information about season extension over the past two years.” – Sandra Honeycutt, Grow Your Own Member

Four and a half acres is a challenge when you are not young anymore, but inch by inch, row by row and with a lot of determination Bean Acres is Growing. I have Parkinson’s, but fight it naturally with lots of exercise, fresh organic food, herbs and more exercise. No need to pay for a gym membership! It is nice to sit down after shutting in the chickens and ducks for the night and God turns out the light…then we have time to rest!

I have about worn out three mattocks the last few years planting mulberry, hazelnut, apples, pears, Chickasaw plum, sweet native pecan, hardy kiwi, peach, Chinese date, persimmon,  honeyberry, thornless blackberry grapes, schisandra and blueberries. This year we fenced in a new garden area, obtained six Muscovy ducks and are awaiting the arrival of two Lamancha milk goats.

The most exciting new trellised plants this year are bitter melon , Chinese python snake bean , and chayote squash. The bitter melon has produced about three bushel of fruit, which were frozen, dried and stir fried and given away. The snake bean has really struggled, but has produced a few absolutely delicious beans. I think the taste is a cross between green beans and asparagus. The chayote vine is over 40-feet long and started to flower the first of October. The bees are crazy over it!

Now, there are baby chayote popping out all over. The first one was big enough to harvest October 12. I picked it, and made a tiny mock apple pie  that was good enough that my husband couldn’t believe it was not apple. Hopefully, we can cover it and protect it when frost comes since it is on a low fence. The plant is day sensitive and won’t bear until days get shorter. It is mostly grown in  zones with longer growing seasons.

Appalachian Sustainable Development has been an incredible resource for me, supplying plants, seeds, row cover and valuable information about season extension over the past two years. Thank you all so much!

Sandra Honeycutt, Grow Your Own Member

Click here to learn more about ASD’s Grow Your Own program!