Focus News -Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability

02/27/2026

Michael Kermode, Master Gardener, answers questions about backyard composting.

Watch FoCuS 2026: Composting

02/27/2026

Marian Chambers, a Master Gardener for 20 years, helps identify good and bad bugs in various stages and what to do about them.

Watch FoCuS 2026 Pest Identification

02/27/2026

Dick Reitz, retired horticulture professor discusses the importance of healthy soil in your garden and how to identify what might need to be added to improve outcomes.

Watch FoCuS 2026: Healthy Soil, Healthy Plants

02/27/2026

Jordan Lowery, Farmer from Dambacher Farm, talks about how to become a seed saver of open-pollinated/heirloom seeds.

Watch FoCuS 2026: Seed Saving

02/20/2026

The snow is melting just in time for our annual Seed Share Event! Join us tomorrow, 2/21. Your $10 donation provides up to 10 seed packets. Join us for talks on composting, pest identification, healthy soil, and seed saving!

View the seed catalogs and learn more at this link: https://focusnews.org/seed-share/

02/02/2026

Mark your calendars and plan to attend!

02/02/2026

It’s TIME!! The Annual FoCuS Seed Share event: Sat Feb 21st, 2026 from 10 am to 3 pm at St Matthew Lutheran Church, East Sonora, including fanulous speakers. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or a first-timer, please join us!

01/04/2026

Knowing what Zone you live in is important for seed starts and plant development.

Wondering what you can get in the ground right now? 🌡️

This guide breaks down planting options by USDA Hardiness Zones so you can plant with confidence. While those in colder Zones 1–3 can focus on herbs like thyme and mint, gardeners in balmy Zone 10 can already start tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers. Intermediate zones can look forward to planting hardy greens like kale and lettuce or root veggies like radishes.

No matter your climate, there is something you can start growing today!

01/04/2026

Good to know! In years past, Focus had a community potato patch. Who would like to bring it back? Would you be willing to invest your time in caring for the patch as the potatoes are maturing?

Potato Growth Timeline 🥔⏱️
Potatoes take way longer than most people think—90 to 120 days from planting to harvest, which is why timing matters. They spend the first two weeks just sprouting, then focus on vegetative growth for another three weeks before any tubers even start forming. The actual potato formation doesn't begin until around day 35, when the plant flowers. Then tubers slowly enlarge over the next two months. If you harvest too early, you get tiny potatoes because they didn't have time to bulk up. This timeline shows why patience matters—digging them up at day 60 when you're excited won't give you the harvest you're expecting.