It has been a very productive year with the garden program. We have several ups and downs within the program, but we all made it out in the end. I think I can speak for everyone in our group that we are so sad to see this season come to an end. Hopefully, we can join back together next year for another great season.

Next Monday is our graduation ceremony and they will get their diploma for this year’s hard work and dedication they have put in. They are all putting in for a pot luck dinner to share some of their hard work with others.

Our gardeners have canned as much as they can and now, they are moving on to drying/dehydrating produce. They are making my favorite shuck beans, or some people know them as leather britches. But also making spices out of the leftover peppers they are getting. They seem to be striving in the cooler weather here.

They got their low tunnels and had a great meeting with Mark Walden at our last education meeting. Its cover crop season the ones that show up at graduation will get a cover crop along with educational handouts with their chance to spin the wheel to win a door prize.

I pray that their hard work has paid off for them and their family and that they were able to persevere enough food for the winter months ahead. It seems like how hard this summer has been on us this winter isn’t going to be any different.

Thank you, Grow Appalachia, for letting the Johnson County Extension Office be part of this amazing grant and for allowing us to bring knowledge and letting us have them try new resources with gardening in eastern Kentucky.