Spring is here!  Well, it feels that way, until we walk outside on those brisk, cold mornings and see our yards and gardens covered with a hard frost. Our gardener’s hearts are yearning for warn soil and all things green so it is the perfect time to start our seeds.    For many of us, this is a time that we eagerly anticipate, and most of us have jumped in a little too early at least once… twice… or each and every year.  Unless you are a gardener, it is hard to understand the joy we experience when a seedling breaks through the soil and reaches for the sun, or even a grow light.

Gardeners everywhere are filling seed trays and getting seeds in to be ready to go into their gardens as soon as their zones allow.  Our GA participants are excited to see the season progress. Whether it is a Prefab high tunnel or greenhouse, a DIY version, or trays sitting in a window, we are all filled with excitement and optimism for the season as we tend these young plants.

Our gardening program kicked off the growing season for our Scott County, TN and McCreary County, Ky participants with our February orientation meeting.   We had an amazing turnout, where our new gardeners met the Grow Appalachia team, received a participant binder,  gardening resources, and an assortment of seeds.   Our participants also learned about garden planning,  seed starting and soil samples.  We were excited to have a full house, and we can’t wait to see what this group of enthusiastic gardeners accomplish this year!

This year, the McCreary-Scott Grow Appalachia program is excited to add a new program assistant.  Gregory Botts has agreed to join our team and help us make garden visits.  Greg has been a part of our program for 2 years.  Last year, he donated 400 + tomato plants to Scott Christian Care food bank participants, as well as growing cabbage plants for GA participants to plant in the fall.  Greg also raises tomato plants to sell at the local Farmer’s market in his cattle panel greenhouse and is a member of the local Beekeepers association and the Master Gardeners group.  This year’s enrollment of 75 households will create a challenge to be able to visit as many gardens as possible over the season.  We are happy to have Greg on board to lend a much-needed helping hand.

We were impressed by the results and successes of last year’s participants and very excited to see what this year brings. We have added some new varieties of seeds to what participants will receive this year.   Sugar baby pumpkins, scalloped squash, parsnips, and amaranth have been added to the 2025 seed selections.

We want to wish good luck to all the Grow Appalachia programs across the region for the 2025 season.