I’m a novice gardener and terrible at weeding our summer garden. Thankfully I have help.
I’m a novice at preserving food also. I have more help with canning and freezing, having learned from my mother-in-law, mom and grandma to can and freeze the fresh garden produce so we can enjoy it in the long prairie winter.
Regardless of my novice skills, I love what I can grow, like rhubarb on the prairie. And I love and appreciate all sizes and kinds of farmers who grow our food supply.
I’ve gotten to work with some the largest farmers that supply us with our favorite foods from New York to California and of course many places in between like my home state of North Dakota.
I can’t grow enough food to feed my family. My widowed great-great grandma Kirsti (who my sister is named after) grew her own food on the North Dakota prairie over a century ago to feed her seven children while farming and being a local mid-wife.
I don’t want to go back to the struggles my family generations ago had on the prairie. But I want to keep a connection to the land I love. And I want to have our local rural communities to have vitality.
I have my little garden a few months of the year on the prairie because of the connection it creates for our family. I love my kids and husband to gather with me in the garden. We do it together. We eat what we grow.
Right now in connection with my new job I am attending a Local Foods conference and also speaking at it. It’s renewing my spirit this time of year when gardening season seems far, far away on the prairie. It also is building and creating ideas for me on how gardening can build community in and around our rural areas from farmers markets, farm to school programs, community gardens and more.
I recognize my parents and family need to keep growing canola, soybeans, corns, wheat, barley and pinto beans on our GriggsDakota farm land to feed animals, produce cooking oils, key food ingredients and produce food that feeds not only us but a greater global population. We all need one another.
I can help build community in my small town…in the most elderly county per capita in the United States by growing a local foods presence alongside friends and family. It takes all kinds of food production from all stakeholders to feed us, our neighbors and people far beyond our borders. Together no matter what our role is in growing food or buying food, we can help each other to tell the stories of growing food and how it is grown. While we are helping each other we are building connections and community.
Whether it is in a place or virtually, community connects.
Do you grow any of your own food? Do you visit a local farmers market?
Today I’m blogging in between speaking, working and a juggling a few other work duties. As always, my words are my own opinion and I’m not compensated to blog. You know me…I just love to blog. There are other blogger friends at this event blogging about local foods including DakotaPam, Beth from Rhubarb & Venison, Brenda from I Need Chocolate and my sister at GriggsDakota.
rhubarb! yum!!! (and, no, i don’t garden at all. have never gotten used to the growing season here in texas. tried it early on and failed miserably.)
Yum, yum! Thanks for inviting me to learn more with you. I’m loving it.
Great post! I too, was raised with a garden. Our family tended it together and it made wonderful memories for us.
Another heartfelt post, Katie!
I have to say no to both of your questions.
I wanted to do some container gardening (with empty mineral tubs!) last year, but it was so cold for so long I lost my enthusiasm. This year I am going to be more organized and prepared.
I would love to regularly shop at Farmer’s Markets. I make the Hubby stop every time I see one! I have a few hens and raise farm fresh eggs.
I prefer to make our food from scratch, as much as I can. I am making a lot more bread and loving it!
Thank you so much for letting this non-gardening mom blogger learn a little more about the ag side of our great state.
This has been a lot of fun and the food has been so good! (and e not cooking and cleaning part is not so bad either).
What a pleasure to be at the local foods conference! I’m impressed with the energy, the ideas, the discussions, the people that were involved – and how social media can help connect us all together. Very, very cool. Keep doing what you do so well for ND ag, look forward to seeing you again soon…maybe at the Capitol cafe? 🙂
I love growing our own food, but naturally I do not grow enough to sustain us all year long. It is a great learning experience for me and for my children.