I had to find some way to keep myself sane and building a healthier food system that could help us mitigate and adapt to climate change... seemed like hopeful work.
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If you’re like me and have only a windowsill to work with, no worries. According to Acadia Tucker, there’s plenty you can do with it to get to a point where you’re growing herbs all year long, and even harvesting peppers and tomatoes in February.
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The resurgence of Victory Gardens is more than a simple trend—it’s exciting and meaningful. The last time a community of citizen gardeners joined together on such a broad scale, empowered to grow their own food and stand as one to rouse positive change, was during World War II, when nearly 20 million Victory Gardens popped up in backyards and patches of land all over the country.
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When I lived as a market farmer in Washington State, Saturday afternoons were a celebration of sorts. After a busy week of tending and harvesting up to 200 different herbs and vegetables, I’d invite the community to a weekly farmstand. I’d begin preparations early and by 11am the vegetable display was primed with puffed bags of lettuce and tall, carefully stacked pyramids of freshly picked tomatoes. It was a relief to open the farm gates and finally be able to sit and chat with friends and neighbors.
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There's a thin line between fertilizing and over-fertilizing your food crops. Too few nutrients and your tomatoes and corn never really take off. Too many and your artichoke and broccoli can suffer. Since I tend to favor deep-rooted perennials, which are low-maintenance and more resistant to weather extremes, my particular challenge is making sure I don't overdo it. So, I use fertilizer strategically, boosting plant growth largely by feeding my soil. I test my soil every other year, so I know the nutrients my soil needs. And I rely on timing, knowing the right mix of fertilizer, and the best sources.
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I really hate weeding. There are days it requires all the strength I have to get out there and pull these tough tufts of green from between my rows of carefully tended beans and peas. But there are reasons to like weeds, or at least respect them.
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When I first started growing food, the farm I managed in the Pacific Northwest had patches of sandy, dry soil interspersed with waterlogged, hard packed clay. During the scorching hot summers, my thirsty plants shriveled. When the skies dumped rain the water pooled, flooding my crops. Those first couple of years on the farm were my first experience dealing with climate extremes, and my soil was not equipped for the job.
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Pest populations can explode even if you keep your soil healthy and maintain a balanced garden ecosystem. Pest management is a natural part of growing plants and occasionally gardeners need to rely on external control measures like spraying pesticides. Organic gardeners shy away from using pesticides for some very good reasons. Sprays, particularly if they are not organic, can kill beneficial bugs and insects, like the bees that pollinate your raspberries or the insects that cycle nutrients through your soil. Pesticides also find their way into the food chain because plants absorb chemicals through roots and leaves. Fortunately you can mitigate the risk of using pesticides by relying on ones certified for organic use, which tend to be derived from plants or bacteria.
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