The 5 W’s and 1 H

I’ll start this blog with the five W’s and one H: who, what, when, where, why and how.
My name is Katey Breland. For the past 6 years, I’ve called Tallahassee, Florida my home. My 2011 New Year’s Resolution is to discover a challenging hobby outside my realm of expertise and see what happens. I chose organic food gardening - although I’m not sure why. I can re-pot a daisy and mulch a flower bed with the best of them, but actually growing my own food…this is different. I’ve answered the five W’s and this blog will be about The How. How exactly does someone who has conveniently purchased produce at the local Publix for 30 years, start growing food?

The First Step: Oh god, what is the first step? Seriously, I have no idea. Do I read a manual? Go to a nursery? Take a class? I feel stuck already. I decided to take it to the internet – and here I found a decent start. I read some articles and ordered a few books. I’m anxious to get going.

Information on-line states that you need 6-hours of direct sunlight to grow fruits/vegetables. My yard receives about two, on a bright day. So where do I plant this food garden?  I found a listing on a great Tallahassee website (http://maninoveralls.blogspot.com/ ) for local community gardens. Community gardens are basically farms or open plots of land where individuals can pay a fee (typically around $20/month) and lease their own row or plot. Plot sizes vary at each garden, but usually hover around 1,500 square feet and include water for irrigation and one tillage per year. I visited Orchard Pond Organics and fell in love. It’s a beautiful piece of property located north of Tallahassee off Meridian Road.
I’m on my way.