CSA or Home Grown?

 

I have a small side garden that gets plenty of sunlight and is mostly protected from the deer where I can grow some vegetables.

Two summers ago, I had decided to forgo the usual vegetable garden. I opted for an enrollment in a Community Supported Agriculture program with a local farm. And it was fun to get some things I may not normally grow or choose. But it was also a little pricey, and I often felt I didn't need big orders for just my husband and me.

And I kind of missed going out into the garden, picking some tomatoes and cukes and putting them right into my salad. There's something really satisfying that comes from knowing you grew that with your own two hands, hard work, and a little help from the Lord.

Last summer, I had some successes (peppers in pots and cherry tomatoes) and a few failures (bad year for cukes and not enough zucchini).

This year, I decided to dig out a lot of overgrown herbs like fennel and oregano that were taking over. I wanted that space for more peppers and zucchini.

I'm growing LOTS of pepper varieties, along with Beefsteak, Brandywine, Early Girl, Sun Gold and cherry red tomatoes.

I also decided to put herbs in pots and grow them on the deck...easy to grab a few when I'm cooking.

It's not a big investment when you already have the basics, like tomato cages. I buy one or two bags of good garden soil. I also got some super deals on organics from Menard's for just $1!

Now, I'm just hoping for some sunshine and warmer weather to make everything grow.

I will also be going to the farmer's market every weekend to grab some things I don't grow. It's good to support our local farmers, too.