Growing, Learning, and Sharing

The start of a growing season always brings us tons of excitement, anticipation, and possibilities for growers. Seeds are started with plans that they will sprout, plants are set out, and we hope that the sun will be gentle, and that the rain will come when, and as, it’s needed, and not forceful and washing everything away. Our region has seen flooding too often in the last few years. As we begin the 2025 season of Grow Appalachia, helping 50 families grow their own food, I feel those same emotions, but there are also added hesitations from myself, farmers, gardeners, and the community.

Flooding has changed our land and the way we think about it. We’ve watched fields disappear under water and our gardens wiped clean. It makes you stop and wonder, what does it mean to plant when so much has already been lost? Can we make it through the season? Will the corn have time to be harvested? Who do we listen to? Is it worth it? These aren’t just questions for our participants but for anyone trying to build something lasting in a world that keeps throwing challenges at us. Through every hard season, we have found that the answer is yes, it’s worth it!  That’s why Grow Appalachia is about learning, adapting, and leaning on each other, not just waiting for a seed to sprout, and placing it in the ground.

How do we move forward? At the sign-up event on February 20th, 35 participants came together, and 15 called in, eager to share updates, exchange ideas, and find support in one another. This season is a time for listening to the land by experimenting with buffers, redirecting water, and building raised beds on higher ground. Growth happens despite uncertainties, and planting continues because the possibility is worth the risk. The soil is prepared, adjustments are made for whatever the season brings, and trust remains that something good will come out of it, again and again.We will take note of what is working, or not working, and share that knowledge with each other and our neighbors.

As we begin this season, I remind myself that we’re not just growing good food, we are growing knowledge and resilience. To those of you planting this year, whether for the first time or the fiftieth, know that you aren’t alone in your worries, and you’re not alone in your work. We will learn, grow and share knowledge together, and when a harvest comes in, we will share that too, just as we always do!