As part of the Food Dignity Project, 18 home gardeners and 32 community gardeners are measuring the amount of produce they grow in one season. Researchers want to find out if gardeners are producing nutritionally and economically significant amounts of food. Based on preliminary data from 22 gardens last year, they are indeed! They averaged 181 pounds of food, valued at over $550. The top producer grew more than 450 pounds of food! In addition to the produce, however, they are also growing a sense of community, sharing some of their stories - and advice - on the Ithaca Garden Harvest Log Blog. Enfield resident Steve Mohlke, pictured above, recently shared his secrets of a weed-free garden and his experience with a low tunnel to cover some of his eggplant, while Forest Home resident Montana directed readers to her favorite recipe site and Freese Road gardener Pat Bax (pictured below) passed on her ingenious tip: sewing zippers on her plant covers. It’s well worth a read if you want to pick up some pointers or see what other local gardeners are growing.
