It's always bothered me that food pantries are full of processed food. And food companies are always promising to donate meals if you buy extra packages of their food. But is it really helpful? Yes - eating something is better than starving - but it's not really helpful to feed people junk.
So, I'm starting the Thrifty Garden. I am building a garden in my backyard with the hopes that I'll be able to give away fresh (and FREE) organic produce.
Here's a look at the construction:
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The first box was built. |
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4 Boxes and a Fence |
We ended up building four 3'x12' raised beds. It was no easy feat! Our lots slopes vertically and horizontally and our soil is heavy, heavy clay. We dug, built, dug, and did some more digging for days on end. The garden materials were quite thrifty, but the workload was not.
We brought in many bags of organic top soil, peat moss, and compost to create the soil for the garden to grow. Then we planted the 2011 crop.
What's growing:
Strawberries (2 varieties)
Heritage Raspberries
Latham Raspberries
Fall Gold Raspberries
Black Raspberries
Blueberries (4 varieties - northsky, northland, northblue, and chippewa)
Sweet Corn
Green Beans
Watermelon
Zucchini
Tomatoes (Better Boy, Roma, and Cherokee Purple)
Mint
Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Grapes (Concord and LaCrescent)
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Romaine Lettuce
Arugula
Spinach
Onions
Broccoli
Cucumber
Sunflower
Marigolds
If that seems ambitious, that's because it is. The goal is to have as much to give as possible while still adhering to proper space requirements and soil needs.
Wish us luck!
