It started with my wife and me learning all we could about sustainable organic gardening techniques over the winter of 2011- 2012. In spring of 2012 we prepared our 200-square feet of soil, purchased our starts, and The Fruit and Veggie Project: Giving Back to Your Community was launched. We were amazed at the amount of food we produced on that small plot of land in the middle of a metropolitan ar
ea with close to one quarter-million people. Over the winter of 2012- 2013 we made the decision to grow our own starts from seed, to prepare a larger garden with 725 square feet and to use a drip irrigation system for more efficient watering. We also decided to grow our tomatoes on rows of fencing attached to your basic green metal fence posts. This required some assistance from a few friends and family members. We ended up using fence rows to let our cucumbers and beans grow up like a trellis system. That 2013 season was extremely productive and delicious. That was when we started giving produce to family, friends and neighbors up and down our street. That’s when we were with the joy of giving as we made so many happy with something we loved doing. At the end of the 2013 season we realized that if we kept expanding we would be gardening our entire yard. We made the decision to move out of the city, finding the perfect home with a few acres so we could grow more to donate to others. Enough to actually make a difference in the lives of those needing help. Our 2014 season was the year we made donations to the Ozarks Food Harvest to distribute to their network of food pantries. Then we prepared 2,600 square foot 2014 test garden to see what grows well at our new location. We made the decision to cover the prepared soil with a w**d barrier to hold in moisture and reduce the problem of w**ds. It was a smart move because by the end of our 2014 season we had an amazing garden packed with fresh fruits and veggies. As our gardens increased from year to year, so did the attention, questions and offers to help from friends, neighbors, coworkers and others. People we didn’t even know would ask how the tomatoes were doing! At their encouragement, with the 2013-2014 season we also created The Fruit and Veggie Project: Giving Back to Your Community online community on Facebook. We share progress reports on the development of the new garden, answer questions, pass along helpful gardening/ growing information, gather suggestions, coordinate offers for assistance, and basically show what we’re doing as an achievable example for others. It’s taken our little backyard project to a whole new audience beyond our original immediate circle of family and acquaintances. It, like the garden, is a work in progress with plenty of room to grow.
