In July & August we focused on teaching how to preserve the bounty of the garden. Cathy Hohenstein, our foods & nutrition extension office agent, went over the basics of simpler methods of food preservation like freezing, and delved deep into the daunting world of pressure canning.

While we appreciate the knowledge, many of us are still a little scared of pressure canning!

Waterbath canning workshop offered a more hands-on approach, and everyone was able to make their own unique jar of pickles. Many of our backyard gardeners also joined in on a fermentation workshop this past weekend, where we made batches of kraut, beet kvass, mustard, and white pine soda! It’s amazing how something as simple as salt can transform produce into something more delicious and nutritious that can be enjoyed for months…or years!

Pickle canning party!

Local educator Patryk Battle from Living Web Farms led an incredible class on three different methods of composting – worm bins, cold compost piles, and thermophilic composting. He even brought some red wiggler worms for everyone to take home to start their own worm bins! Together we built a pallet compost system, and he showed us how to build a hot compost pile with all the correct layers, proper bulk density, mass, moisture, and target temperatures…it’s a lot of finicky work, but the compost pile at the Giving Garden has already reduced by more than half!

Since life is so busy, I (and many other home gardeners) still prefer to take the lazy, cold compost approach for all of the garden waste. But thanks to Pat Battle, a lot of us now feel more confident in tending our worm bins for the kitchen scraps!

It may not look like much, but this worm bin is teeming with life & nutrients for the soil!

We had a little workshop on soil health & cover crops, explaining to novice gardeners the importance of building up the soil and never leaving it bare. In a few weeks we’ll learn about season extension, one of my favorite topics. I personally love fall/winter gardening since summer is always so busy, hot, and garden space is limited. Overwintering crops like lettuce, spinach, kale, cilantro, carrots, beets or even cover crops when pests and disease are at their lowest ends up being a very rewarding gardening experience! We’ll be offering seeds (as always!), frost blanket row cover, and wire hoops as take home materials – most people don’t realize you don’t necessarily need a greenhouse to continue gardening in the cooler weather!


So long, sweet Suyos!

With the tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash pretty much spent, we’re turning our focus back to root veggies and leafy greens. We’re getting our favourite heart-healthy recipes together for our last class of the season. I’ve heard from multiple participants how much of a difference incorporating fresh organic produce into their regular diet over the past few months has made on their health. Being outside, connecting with nature – and having the opportunity to connect & learn with others – also has had a huge positive impact on our mental & emotional well-being. Through this Backyard Gardeners Program we have been able to skill up and strengthen our community for a more resilient future!