Review of 2023
Reflecting on our first grow season, while there were a few learning moments, the word I would use to describe our experience is gratitude. I am beyond grateful that our family is able to pursue a dream and see it become a reality. I set a goal for us to reach last year and we surpassed that. I am incredibly grateful for the people I've met, conversations that were had and connections that we have made.
As a family we have learned the delicate dance on prioritizing working in the garden and preparing for events with daily family life. I've also learned a few more things about my own growing preferences.
Learned Lessons
Droughts. We learned the hard way about how dry the ground could be even if it has irrigation in place. It was almost comical when we would look out back; the only green we would see was when we looked at the gardens. Everywhere else in our yard was prickly brown grass with a few weeds..
Striped cucumber beetles. At the beginning of the season we had a large infestation. I was so worried that our baby pumpkin vines were not going to make it. Through the help of a seasoned organic farmer, we found a safe way to get rid of them… More like slow them down until our beneficial insect came in and took care of business for us.
Customer preference. Certain varieties that I thought would sell like hot cakes, were not a favorite. Then others I didn't think people would enjoy, but sold so fast! A good example of this is, I thought that the snowball variety of feverfew would be more popular. Regular feverfew on the other hand, I could not grow it fast enough! Moving forward we are planning to triple the number of plants next year in hopes to keep up with demand!
Trying new things. This was the biggest lesson learned for me. I have found that by trying out new ideas and stepping outside of what I consider the norm had a positive response. Whether it be jumping into soil blocking, teaching classes or collaborating with others like Lohtu ceramics, if I hadn’t tried I would not have had these amazing results or experiences.
Being an introvert. This is something that I was nervous about finding the balance with hosting classes or setting up in the markets. I was worried that my ‘tank’ would not be full enough to meet with people and answer questions. To my delight, this was not a problem for me. My love for teaching and learning about people outweighed my desire for alone time. (I think I can thank my children for that. They have trained me well!) I came home from each event beaming with excitement from people I met and conversations had. Don't get me wrong, the following day I would spend cleaning buckets and quietly recharging my batteries, but I always found myself so excited for the chance to do it again.
All in all, the lessons I have learned from last season are just going to be building blocks for seasons to come. My family and I are excited to continue to grow more beautiful blooms for our community.
