Established in 2012, Appalachian Sustainable Development's Grow Your Own program empowers beginner gardeners to take control of their food sovereignty by cultivating their own home or community gardens. "Appalachian Sustainable Development has been an incredible resource for me, supplying plants, seeds, row cover and valuable information about season extension over the past two
The Never-Ending Adventure When I started the Grow Your Own program last year, I had been successful with houseplants, a few potted vegetables, but had never had my own garden. I was so excited when my landlord allowed me to dig up two 20 ft rows in the front
ASD welcomes four new VISTAs to our Agriculture Education and Groundwork programs! "Volunteers in Service to America" Founded in 1965, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is an anti-poverty program designed to provide needed resources to nonprofit organizations and public agencies to increase their capacity to lift communities out of poverty. AmeriCorps
Gardening is not for the faint of heart. Yeah, I said it and I meant it. Gardening is hard; it is also dirty, messy, and unsure. However, it is also exciting, fulfilling, and wonderful. A lady by the name of May Sarton once said, “A garden is always a series of losses set against
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
