Preparedness Fair & The Growing Organic: One Box Challenge!

Preserving the harvest.

Display at our local Preparedness Fair

 Saturday I participated in a Preparedness Carnival.  Lots of great information and displays were provided to help families on their goals to be self-reliant and to get prepared.   This was a local event for my community.  I introduced an idea I got from helping my married children garden for the first time.  Even though they helped at home, they apparently didn't pay very close attention.  They wanted very simple instructions on gardening.

This inspired me to challenge my friends and neighbors to participate in the "One Box Challenge."  The idea, whether a first time gardener or just a dissatisfied gardener, is that you commit to growing organically in at least one raised bed. Experience success on a small scale and learn the skills to expand your garden to meet your own personal goals.

New to gardening?  Tired of being dissatisfied with the harvests of your garden?  Decide to take the Growing Organic: One Box Challenge.

 

Your Part of the Challenge:

Commit to organic methods

Devote at least one raised bed box to the Growing Organic Method

Follow the recommendations

I will provide information on:

Schedules of what garden chores need to be done and when

Lists of what supplies you need

How to deal with garden problems and prevent them

Suggestions on what to plant and when to plant

If you are interested in joining the New Harmony Gardeners in this challenge, leave a comment and be sure to clink on the link to get the info on the fall schedule of garden preparations.

Fall Garden Preparations

Below are pictures of my adult children's gardens.  Looking awesome!

My grandkids in northern Utah showing off their garden.

Raspberry harvest.

My daughter in Idaho.  Their first year gardening.

Preparing the soil.

Building raised beds. My son in New Mexico and his little helper. 

Look What I Learned To Drive!

Look what I learned to drive!  With all the boys grown and gone I guess I was Stann's only remaining option.  I thought I did great.  The barn and fences are still standing. And I even dumped the load in the right place. That's pretty good considering there are no brakes on that old backhoe. There was one moment of uncertainty, but I handled it. It was fun.

 This time of year is always so busy in the garden and orchard.  The hubby was off these last two days so we really worked hard.  Weeding, mucking stalls, harvesting berries, kamut, veggies, tomatoes, potatoes, herbs, and apples. We are suppose to get rain the next few days so maybe I can get caught up preserving the harvest. 

Kamut an experiment with grains.

I'm always running out of containers.  I need to order some baskets.

Sundance, Liberty, and Fuji apples

More strawberries

Purple Viking potatoes

Cleaned up Purple Viking potatoes I had to throw these in the oven while we were digging potatoes.

Digging potatoes

Jake, the cat, helping look for potatoes

Someone has to hold the lid open.

He's exhausted.  Always so helpful in the garden.

Carola potatoes

With each season the beauty of one bloom fades but welcomes in another.  Thought I'd share some of falls blooms.

Cosmos

It wouldn't be fall without sunflowers

Basic Organic Principles and the "One Box Challenge"

"The worst part of ignorance 

isn't what we don't know;

it's that so much of what we do know

 just isn't so!"

The Big Question:  What Do Plants Want!

Plants are very forgiving of our lack of knowledge and use of quick fix methods. Are you frustrated in not knowing why your garden plants are struggling?  The healthiest and best tasting harvests come from plants whose needs are fully met.  

• Plants do best when their growth from germination to harvest is uninterrupted
• We ensure uninterrupted growth by giving plants access to healthy soil structure , nutrients, moisture, light, and proper temperature.
• We attempt to protect our crops from anything that hinders growth like pests, disease, weeds, or temperature and water fluctuations.

Plant Stress Factors

• Lack of nutrients, disease, pests, fluctuations in water and temperature, wind, extreme weather, weeds, and the ignorant gardener
  

  
  

Results of Stress on a Plant

• Growth slows or stops
• When a plant moves from "growth mode" to "stress mode" changes occur which affect the size and quality of the harvest
• Leaves become tough, fibrous, and bitter
• Roots and fruits lack sweetness
• We get a poor yield on our investment of time and money
• The gardener becomes stressed

Goal of Organic Methods

The goal is to provide plants with what they need for uninterrupted growth.  Don't hinder nature but help her.

•  Organic gardening methods are based on plant and soil biology
• With a greater understanding of cells and microbes we have a greater understand of what a healthy plant needs and how plants react to stress
• All your garden problems will start or end in the soil and your choice of gardening methods
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  

   

  

  Interested in learning more?  

  Try the growing organic "One Box Challenge."  I'm inviting first time gardeners to to start small and enjoy success while learning to grow organically.  
  
  I'm challenging the gardener still using synthetic, chemical crutches to try the organic method.  
  
  I will provide step by step help to grow a raised bed garden on monthly posts. 
   
  Devote at least one box to organic methods. No cheating or mixing methods.  
  
  I will provide the following help on posts:
  
  • Schedules of what garden chores to do and when to do them
  • Solutions for pests and disease
  • How to fertilize
  •  List of supplies you will need
  • Suggestions on varieties to try and when to plant
  
  
  Leave a comment with your name, location, and experience if you want to be apart of the "One Box Challenge." 
  
  If you live in New Harmony, come to the Preparedness Fair this Saturday September 13th from 4-6 at the Kannarriville church and visit my booth.