Hi all! Long time, no see. We are getting ready to have our first workshop next Monday and couldn’t be more excited. This year, we’re implementing a hybrid learning component into our workshops. 2020 and 2021 programs were completely online due to Covid, and folks definitely felt the difference. Much of our feedback last year was that people really missed the community that comes with Build It Up and wished they could have had more interactions with other families in the program.

So, this year, we are leaving it up to participants! We will have all workshops at a local community center while simultaneously livestreaming the workshops on Zoom. Folks can then choose to come in person or stay online for each session. It also gives parents the opportunity to switch off coming in person and staying home with the kids since we will not be able to offer childcare this year. We also plan to incorporate more contact during the sessions by doing breakout rooms and and small discussion groups in person at the start of each workshop.

Even though we said we were going to have a smaller program this year, we have close to 50 families in the program. There were just too many good applications! We’re so excited to meet everyone!

A couple other changes we’re making this year include: asking for harvest totals every month, handing out “harvest buckets”, and doing two spring seed handouts. Asking for harvest totals every month help folks not forget about them. Harvest buckets will create a more inspiring space for participants to actually measure what they harvest. And two spring seed handouts will allow folks to get early spring crops in the ground faster! Fingers crossed these changes are beneficial. It’s all trial and error at this point.

Below are some of our awesome gardeners from Build It Up 2021! Here’s to always making memories!