Program to Encourage Family Gardening

Frank Bradley Sentinel writer
(Originally published in the Cherokee Sentinel 1.7.09)

Demonstrations and classes will be held to show people how to get the most out of their garden. As jobs shrink and food prices soar, there are some folks looking for ways to help struggling residents put more food on their table. Their answer--grow it.

At the commissioners meeting on Monday, Keith Wood, Teresa Wiley, Doug Clement and others brought a plan before the board to set aside some land near the county land fill in Marble in order for local residents to grow a garden.

They're not talking hundreds and hundreds of acres, yet. In fact, they are only looking at about half an acre to test out the idea and see if it takes root. The idea is to divvy up the land into small four feet by 50 feet parcels, allowing one per family on a first-come basis for the first 25 families to apply.

Well, if you already have sufficient land, gardening know-how and already have plans for putting in a garden this this spring, this won't interest you. But if you've been used to living out of Ingles for the past few years and are interested in getting back to the basics of where food really comes from, then this might just be your motivation to get up off the coach, get outside and do a little digging in the dirt.

The other benefit to you will be that the garden area will be plowed and ready for planting. You won't have to go out and buy some expensive gardening ve- hicles or hire someone else to get the ground ready for you to start planting. Then too, there will be demonstrations and classes held to show you how to get the most out of your garden. You will have the advice of county extension agents and master gardeners, who will teach you the tricks of the trade. You will be working your garden along with others who are learning or relearning the planter craft just like you. Learning about such things as organic gardening, how to use gardening tools, proper use of canning equipment, identification of different varieties of vegetables and herbs, food safety and money saving ideas as well as how to get the most from your gardening effort.

According to Wiley, who is the county's Family and Consumer Science Agent, intensive gardening on a small plot the size of the one to be provided to the new gardeners can provide enough food to feed a family of four.