Like their cousins onions and garlic, leeks are members of the Allium family, though they are harder to find, giving them a bit of a rare and special reputation. Lucky for us gardeners, growing leeks is quite simple! Their mild, delicious sweetness and helpful vitamins and antioxidants can be yours directly from your backyard.
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Watermelon is one of those crops that, once you grow it at home, the store-bought version forever pales in comparison. Some backyard gardeners shy away from growing watermelon because of how much space it takes up, but the benefits can be worth it - not to mention that the fun of a good seed spitting competition is a dying art form.
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Begin sowing carrots as soon as the soil can be worked in late winter/early spring. Continue to sow every 7-10 days until late spring to ensure a continuous harvest. In some areas of the country, fall sowings can be possible, but keep in mind that they may not have enough sunlight to mature before winter sets in. No harm though! With patience, they should finish growing as the days start to lengthen in spring.
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Planting a vegetable garden is something all of us can be doing to help boost our health, and help lower our collective carbon footprint. Even if all you have time and space for is one tomato plant in a 5 gallon bucket, get started! It’s so rewarding, and with a few tricks and a little bit of effort, you can grow your garden with minimal stress and maximum satisfaction.
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Just like us, all animals and insects need food, shelter, and water. You get bonus points if you also put some thought into how and where your little friends will raise their young. In most cases, your gardens will provide the food in the form of bugs and possibly some vegetation that you might plant for say, butterfly caterpillars. So, let’s focus on shelter and water. Here are a few tips and tricks to some of these hopping buddies into your gardens.
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Over 30 seasonal volunteers share in fresh produce harvested. Donated produce goes to over 300 community members between the locations that Sand Hill Community Garden donates to.
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Brussels Sprouts can be grown in all areas of the United States. Their long time to maturity and sensitivity to nutrient imbalances have given them a reputation for being difficult. With well worked, fertile soil, regular feedings and well-timed plantings, you can grow the most delicious Sprouts you’ve ever had! Brussels Sprouts are biennial, meaning they won’t send out a flower until second year of growth, often triggered into flowering by the end of a winter season.
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Each year we have approximately 20 children in a class. We send things home to the families as well, so I would say that around 80 people a year benefit from the garden. Of course, the beauty of that is the class changes each year, so we get to garden and share with 80 new people each season!
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Some basic tips include to make sure you have at least 7 hours of full-sun, that you are near a water source, that you have some flat areas or a plan to work with the slope of the land, that you have accessed the how, what, and why including community need and interest, and that you have plenty of people who are interested and invested in seeing this project through.
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New Communities was a farm where everyone would share stewardship of the land. It was to have an independent education system, healthcare system, and housing, strongly rooted in community and cooperative practices, meant to provide autonomy to the folks involved.
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A true community herbalist, Ms. Dupree didn’t set a price for her services. Sometimes she would get $5, sometimes $30, and she was happy to accept trades of ingredients she needed for her work such as lemons, vinegar, rock candy, honey, and molasses.
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Fannie Lou Hamer has left us a clear and usable model for cooperative farming, and her lifetime of justice work and public service should be a beacon and inspiration to coming generations.
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