Plant a backyard garden. Feed your family & community.

How Your Backyard Garden Can Feed Your Family and Community

Do you ever find yourself wishing that you grew more of your own food? When you start a backyard garden, you won’t have to rely on the grocery store for all of your fresh produce, and you can even donate your fruits and vegetables to people in your community who are struggling with food insecurity. These resources will help you begin your backyard gardening journey!

Planting Your Garden

Are you eager to start planting? First, you need to invest in the right supplies, decide what you want to grow, and learn about the best practices for tending your garden.

• To get started, you’ll need to stock up on these essential gardening tools. Choose high-quality supplies that will last for years!
• When you’re ready to begin planting, these guidelines will help you grow your garden and start composting for rich soil. 
• Make sure you don’t pick your vegetables too early or leave them on the vine too long – harvest them when they’re perfectly ripe.

Cooking with Your Crops

After picking your backyard crops, it’s time to get busy in the kitchen! These cooking tips will help you feel like a home chef.

• Vegetables don’t have to taste bland — get creative with different cooking methods!
• Incorporating fresh herbs into sauces and marinades can add a burst of flavor. 
• Toss some fresh fruit into a blender along with other tasty ingredients to whip up delicious breakfast smoothies. 

Tips for Preserving Your Surplus

If your garden is thriving, you might have more fruits and vegetables than you could eat right now. These preservation techniques will allow you to keep them for several months. 

• Store vegetables for months by following safe canning guidelines. 
• If you haven’t cooked with canned vegetables before, try following a couple of different recipes to experiment with new dishes.
• Dry or freeze your herbs before they begin to wilt.
• You can also freeze fruits or vegetables so that you can enjoy them all year long.

Sharing With Your Community

From donating to food banks to hosting food swaps, read up on a few ways you can help feed vulnerable populations in your community.

• Contact your local food bank or community center to see what they’re in need of and set up a donation.
• Get your kids on board with your charitable efforts — they will learn valuable lessons about leadership and character building.
• Trade delicious homemade snacks, meals, and preserves with your neighbors by hosting a fun food swap.

Figuring out how to properly tend to your garden might be tricky at first, but once you’re able to share your bounty with your friends, neighbors, and people in need, you’ll see just how empowering it is to grow your own food. Sharing your homegrown harvest will bring you closer to others in your community. 

Thank you to Carrie Spencer for writing and sharing this article.

 

 

Photo via Unsplash

Author: Carrie Spencer