Gina's harvest - August 6th

I reconnected to Jennifer Jewell of http://www.jewellgarden.com/ in July. She is a garden writer and photographer, her pictures are stunning. In talking to her about sufficiency, gardening and what is enough, it struck me at all three of us at Seven Stones have gardens. Shea being the most avid at this moment, Jen getting her first garden in after three consecutive summers of moving and absolutely falling in love with it and me growing something for the first time ever.

In some way I chose to garden because of the structures I had in place: direct sun in my large urban plot, a small space where I suspect a herb garden once resided two owners ago, a girlfriend to assure me it was easy and a neighbor who promised me it was easy.

Mostly though, I think what inspired me to plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, kale and collards was a sense that sufficiency resides in taking care and being responsible. To be re

sponsible for my own food supply and to stop relying, even in a small way, on global corporate industrial farms to feed me. I chose to experiment with trust—trusting that I had the ability to feed my family.

Heirloom Tomatoes

I got my seedlings from the farming charter school about a mile from my house. I got the compost there also. I got the kale from my local health food store. No other fertilizers were used. The one part that keeps me on the grid is I had to use water from my water authority.

Next year, I hope to double the size of my garden so I can supply vegetables for my entire family for a season, I am looking for ways to collect rain water, I have my own compost to nourish the soil and although I still plan on growing mostly from seedlings, I will attempt a few seeds myself. Do I believe that my experiment will profoundly alter the planet? I doubt it, yet in Garden Writers Association Foundation’s 2009 Edibles Gardening Trends Research Report, more than 41 million U.S. households (38%) grew a vegetable garden last year and 7% (7.7 million households) were new to growing edibles. I am curious to know what the numbers will be for 2010. It appears that I am one of millions taking part in a local experiment that could alter the nature of how we grow and consume food in the United States. My garden experiment has carried me further on my sufficiency journey. I have found the courage to jump in and make a difference for myself, my family and my community.

What experiments to you have the courage to start today?