When Did I Last….? Anyone who knows me even a little knows of my obsession with planners, calendars, all things date-oriented, not to mention my strict adherence to lists. However, when it came to my gardening, my record-keeping was spotty to use the kindest term possible. I would write things on slips of
What to Do with Blackberry Winters It’s happening again. The weather has been gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. In fact, the weather has been so gorgeous that many gardeners have been persuaded to go ahead and plant out their summer crops like peppers, squash, tomatoes, and melons. For the second year in a row, weeks
SNAP into Victory Gardening Everyone keeps talking about Victory Gardens, but how do you get started? Even if you have never had a garden before that’s alright, Appalachian Sustainable Development has your back, we are creating a blog series to walk you through your Victory Garden step by step. In our first Victory
Bringing Back Victory Gardens History has shown that in dark times people come together to support one another and through trials, our communal strength often rises above what we are confronted with. A prime example of communities banding together in times of trouble is through gardening for food production. During the hardships of
Asparagus as an Investment Asparagus is undeniably one of the most anticipated crops at the farmers’ market. Bundles sell out early, usually purchased by giddy customers that show up well before the market opens. In the home garden, however, this same giddy anticipation can jeopardize future harvests. With years of waiting ahead, beginning
Managing for Consistent Yield in Fruit Trees The hills of Appalachia are dotted with old homesteads and forgotten orchards, fruit trees left to grow wild. Without management, these old orchards often carry inconsistent yields from year to year. While partially a factor of old age, trees fall into the habit of bearing fruit
The Trick to Growing Carrots Carrots are in the Umbelliferae family, meaning they’re related to celery, dill, and parsley. They were first cultivated as medicine, not food, 5,000 years ago. Though they are hardy biennials, most growers treat them as annuals for root crop production. Carrots are categorized into groups by root length
Community-supported agriculture as a scalable marketing model Enthusiastic home gardeners often find themselves producing far more than they need for themselves. In an effort to try out interesting new varieties of a diverse range of crops, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with more produce than one family can handle. With some planning, productive
Faith in Action Community and Demonstration Garden In southwest Virginia, rates of poverty, obesity, and disability are higher than the state average. Many food drives are only able to take donations of cans and dry storage goods, so fresh produce is a rare commodity in food pantries. This makes it even harder for
Grow Your Own When I was a kid, I helped my grandfather harvest his garden on the weekends. I always knew where in my neighborhood the apple trees were so when I needed a snack, I didn’t have to come in from playing. I once tried planting sweet potatoes in the backyard, but
