Brought to you from the Pond Blog: an informative graphic to convince you of all the benefits of gardening.

Have you heard of Katie Stagliano? When she was in the third grade, she put some cabbage seeds into the ground, and the cabbage that grew ended up being about forty pounds. Not wanting it to go to waste, she donated it to local soup kitchens, where it fed hundreds of people. Since then, she has been growing fresh vegetables to donate to local food drives, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens. How’s that for locavore activism?

Nobody likes to be bugged, or appreciates a pest. However, when the annoyance is of the insect variety, dislike can quickly progress to hatred. When being plagued by insect guests, any solution, up to and including an all out war on anything with over four legs, seems entirely reasonable. Poisons quickly transform from an extreme measure to a viable solution.

The balance between needing to protect your plants and trying to find an environmentally friendly solution presents a dilemma every gardener must eventually face. What is often forgotten is that the battle between insects and humans has existed as long as we have, and historically the war was fought without the chemical aids we now have at our disposal. In general, most people are also unaware of the ongoing, and long running, battle between the plant kingdom and insects. Viewed over a longer evolutionary timescale, plants have evolved with insects, and have adapted with far more successful natural defenses than humans have been able to come up with.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a couple of sweet and tangy Lemon Boy tomatoes from my neighbor’s garden. A few days ago, I noticed that they had some large, green Big Boys, which looked perfect for frying, so I picked a few, and in anticipation of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance‘s pie baking contest, I also grabbed several of their ripe peaches. I take food from their backyard often.

Actually, we have created our own little CSA. Initially by default, and now with a more concerted effort, we have been growing various fruits and vegetables and sharing our harvest. We have been neighbors for nearly 10 years and have been steadily increasing the amount of space that we devote to gardening each year.

“What advice do you have for someone who would like to incorporate more local foods into his or her diet but isn’t sure where to begin?”

That’s a question I’ve been asked frequently, and it deserves more attention than I can usually give it in the context of a quick take-away response.

Maybe you found your way to this website because you have the same question. Or maybe you’re already deeply committed to the local/organic/sustainable food movement, and would like to help others just starting out on that path. Let’s take clear look at how to get started.

The seed and plant nurseries have got us gardeners right where they want us at this time of year. We’ve had just enough time to rest from outdoor work; enough time to forget, perhaps, just how devastating last year’s failures were, and more than enough time to regain our optimism that this will be the year we revel in natural splendor and the most abundant harvests ever. We are ready to plan this year’s garden-to-be.

I am trying an experiment this year–one variety of tomato; two methods of training. The variety is called Santorini, and it was passed along to me by the kind folks at Skyfire Garden Seeds out of Kanopolis, Kansas.

When one thinks of Connecticut, it’s likely that her perception is tainted by pop culture’s portrayal of it, which frequently conflates Fairfield County with all of the remaining areas of the state. Hartford — Connecticut’s capitol — is as far as one can get from the riches of New York City’s suburbs. Hartford has been ranked as the second poorest city in the United States, with nearly 44% of the city’s youth living below the poverty level (Hartford Food System). This concentrated area of poverty has all of the expected side effects — diabetes, obesity, and other preventable ailments. While it is easier to find a bag of potato chips than it is to purchase an apple, Hartford is not nearly the “food desert” that it is often described as by those whose healthful-eating imagination starts and ends with Whole Foods.

Although I grow a couple of familiar fruits (strawberries, raspberries), my garden is rich in fruits that either never show up at the markets, or when they do, it’s with a high price tag.

The Farmer’s Garden is the place to post free classified ads to sell, trade or give away your excess backyard produce. Individuals and food pantries can also register to post wanted classifieds. Free registration is required to post a classified. If you’re interested in cooking fresh locally grown produce, visit The Farmer’s Garden website, enter your US zip code, select the radius that you are willing to travel and see what people in your area have to offer.