http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene8904.html (copy and paste this link in your browser).

Like Cornell, I always recommend that my clients start out small.  For example, put herbs you like to use in cooking in a pot near your kitchen door, as long as it’s a sunny place. Or grow lettuces, radishes, and carrots in a large pot for a ready to pluck salad.

The Garden Challenge is really about getting up close and personal with food you grow yourself.  Truly there is nothing that tastes better than really fresh vegetables right from your own garden-Happy Growing!

This is the time of year we take the dreams of winter into our garden plans for spring and summer.  The weather has been balmy, and it makes us feel like getting out and starting things up.  However, it’s best to wait until all danger of frost is past, and the soil has warmed up before plowing ahead (pun intended!)

However, if you really want to get going a bit early, you can start your favorite veggie seeds indoors.  It would be ideal if you you have a greenhouse, solarium, or room filled with sunlight most of the day. Otherwise, you might want to check out grow lights and special plant heating pads, which can turn a dark space like a spare room, or garage, into one that will allow your seeds to sprout.

In general, growing your plants from seed gives you a lot more control of what you want, and also involves you from the beginning to the end of the cycle of growing your own food.

The following link will take you to a very complete article on the subject:

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-001/426-001.html

With a bit of patience, you will have a head start on this year’s garden, and be more in touch with the whole process.  I feel grateful that so many people work hard to grow food which is accessible to me.  And I LOVE how good it feels to go outside to my garden and pop a sweet cherry tomato in my mouth, or pluck some greens for my salad.

The Marin Master Gardeners are a dedicated, trained group of volunteers with a shared love of gardening and horticulture.  Through community service and educational outreach, they provide home gardeners and community organizations with the knowledge and skills to create a healthy environment for Marin County.  Since 1986, Marin Master Gardeners have worked as non-paid staff members of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), answering public inquiries and providing information on all areas of plant health and gardening practices.

You can sign up for “The Leaflet” and get growing information all year long, or even email photos or bring samples of garden problems in to the office for diagnosis and suggestions on how to deal with them.

Please visit the Marin Master Gardener website at www.marinmg.org, or call the Help Desk at a(415) 473-4204.

Thank you for your kind comment and enthusiasm.  I look forward to seeing what you accomplish next year~ happy growing!

The keynote speaker, Millie Macen – Moore, is a community organizer from the Highland Park area of Los Angeles.  After her doctor informed her that her life was at risk from high blood pressure due to poor diet, she not only saved her own life by becoming a vegetarian and growing her own food, but also began teaching her neighbors to grow food to combat obesity & diabetes.

Her outreach and educational activities centered around the Milagro Allegro Community Garden, established in 2009 in Highland Park. The 10,000 square foot, 32 plot garden integrates urban farming, art and education for predominantly low-income local residents.

Millie’s talk inspired those of us in the room to become even more dedicated to developing gardens in Marin. The panel then discussed various ways to accomplish this in Marin.  At the end of the day, a ground breaking ceremony for the new 92 bed Canal Community Garden was held- a great end to this productive day!

As I continue to work with communities to encourage individuals and families to grow their own food, I invite you to join the 2013 Marin Garden Challenge from May 4-11, 2013.

Write to me at susan@maringardenchallenge.org with your suggestions, questions and successes.  Let’s keep growing, together!

Satish Kumar’s focus is on the “trinity” of Soil, Soul and Society. When asked why he settled on those terms, Kumar offered a reflection on each part of his trinity.

“Soil represents the natural world and how we take care of it.”  Similarly, Soul represents the well-being and life of the individual while Society represents the human world so that all members of the human community are looked after equally.

Continuing their discussion, Mr. Kumar reflected on the nature of the modern mindset with regard to land, labor and capital. In the past the highest value was placed on land because of its ability to sustain. Kumar reflected that, “land and labor have now just become instruments of making money and profit.”

With a motivating sense of conviction, Kumar claimed, “Realists have failed the world… So now some more credit needs to be given to the idealist so that both together can create a successful economy and world.”

Each action registered shows your commitment to local food safety, sustainable communities and a cleaner environment.

Thanks to our major sponsor Sloat Garden Centers for their support.

Check out their blog at http://sloatgardens.blogspot.com/

Happy Growing!

http://www.sloatgardens.com/seminars_and_events/default.htm

I love to grow food.  I also love to eat the tasty, nutritious food that I grow! In addition to the joy I reap from growing and eating the vegetables from my own garden I also believe that edible gardening is an essential and vital survival skill.  For example, in hard times during the war in the 1940s, Victory Gardens sprung up all over the country as a way of helping people survive. The government encouraged people to come together and rally their resources, including their gardens.  In fact, in 1944, Americans produced 40% of their food from Victory Gardens because much of the existing food supply was shuffled to the soldiers in the war. This left the people in the U.S. with a food supply shortage and people sprung to action!

Now in 2012 we are facing a similar crisis. With the climate changes, diminishing food supply, and the threat that genetically engineered crops have on our food diversity and health, there is even more of a reason to learn and prepare.

So, what can we do? One powerful action is to ensure that there is good, healthy organic food on your table. I understand that it is not reasonable to expect that everyone grow their own food at home. That is okay! Collaborating with neighbors, knowing your local farmer, sourcing your ingredients from your community are all inexpensive actions you can take to supplement your grocery bill and ensure your health. Now THAT is resilience.

What about active living? Are you able to give yourself some type of daily exercise?  Walking, riding a bike, or making your garden your gym are all fun and delightful ways to take action. Did you know that some of the moves you do in the garden are equivalent to weight training in the gym? The way you approach shoveling or sweeping should be the same as if you were doing a set of lunges. If you’re using your tools properly; you are working your muscles and avoiding injury.

How do you prepare yourself and family for a time when you need to save money or respond to a disaster? Where and how do you learn about overcoming these challenges? There are many resources and ways to learn more. Here are a few of my favorites:

Learn to garden! Learn your climate! I encourage you to get to know when vegetable plants grow best in your ‘normal/average’ climate. Then when the weather is winter when it is actually spring or in summer you are experiencing spring, adjust accordingly. Wait for a few days or weeks before planting your spring crop if the weather isn’t cooperating. Or, consider utilizing cover to protect your plants during ‘sketchy’ weather patterns.  Also, considering growing your plants from seeds indoors. Give them a head-start and protect them from unpredictable weather patterns. Please remember, you may need to transplant the seedlings into larger pots and wait until the weather is just right to plant outside.

Connect and learn from a Master Gardener near YOU! Check out this website for more information: http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/ (for Marin County check www.marinmg.org)

Garden together! Do you want to grow food at home; but do not have the space outdoors? Ask a neighbor! Perhaps they will share their garden space with you.  Consider replacing some of your lawn or gardening in pots on the cement sidewalk or walkway. Really, you can almost garden anywhere Here are a couple of resources to look into:

http://hyperlocavore.ning.com/

www.Y2G.org

Join an open community garden – no plot assignments. Everyone works together to grow and harvest the food. Chat with the participating volunteers about different ways to overcome climate challenges.

Attend free classes about gardening, lifestyle changes, and selecting locally grown foods. Learn what foods grow in a particular season and select those to supplement your edible garden. Learn more about resilience and sustain living at the Spring of Sustainability discussions: http://springofsustainability.com/schedule/2

Learn to sprout seeds. http://www.victorygardenfoundation.org/apps/documents/

This is one of the fastest ways to grow your nutritious food right indoors with only the space of a jar needed.

Connect with a transition organization to learn more about transitioning to resilient and sustainable living. Locate a transition organization in your community at Transition US: www.TransitionUS.org  . Two very active groups in East Bay California are Transition Albany: www.transitionalbany.org and Transition Berkeley: www.transitionberkeley.com.

(For Marin County http://transitionmv.wordpress.com/)

Contact our community partners to ask how you may get involved. These are on-the-ground, in your neighborhood organizations dedicated to improving local policies for food justice, food access, bringing organic food access to the community, and teaching how to be resilient. You’ll find them at www.VictoryGardenFoundation.org.

While the times may appear challenging and at times frightening there is much each one of us can do today to build our resilience. Our resilience is our strength. Another way is by taking action and being counted in the 2012 Victory Garden Transition Challenge! At the least, you’ll receive non-GMO seeds to start growing your food today!

How will you prepare and cultivate resilience?

Please follow them at www.Facebook.com/VictoryGardenFoundation and www.Twitter.com/VictoryGarden2U

I think we all would agree that there are few things in this world that taste better than a juicy homegrown tomato plucked right off the vine and popped straight into your mouth. Add a fresh salad with some herbs and we’ve just sent our taste buds to the moon and back. But there are more reasons to grow your own food than the sensational taste. Here are 6 more reasons why you might want to consider getting your hands in the dirt this Spring:

#1 Save money $$: With gas prices soaring and the quality of food in the supermarket declining there is no better way to get healthy AND save money than by growing your own food.

#2  It’s safe: If you grow it, you know EXACTLY where it came from and how it was grown. You can be assured that it is GMO-free and it wasn’t grown with scary and harmful pesticides and herbicides.

#3  Improve your heath! It’s true, having easy access to healthy food is associated with lower risk for obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases. Getting outside and digging in your garden will allow you to exercise while at the same time provide opportunities for bonding with family and community. Growing and eating organic homegrown food is good for you. That is a FACT!

#4   Go local: There is nothing more local than food grown right on your own windowsill or in your backyard. Or, support your local community garden or neighbor and share in their garden. Now THAT is local.

#5   Save Energy: Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other single industry, consuming 12 percent of the country’s totally energy supply. Whoa. By growing your own food you’re being healthy and sustainable.

#6   Beautify the neighborhood: No one can deny a garden is beautiful. Do your part to beautify your neighborhood and grow your own! Inspire your neighbors to do the same or better yet, start a community garden. It’s a great way to make friends.