Professor Leon Malan at Colby-Sawyer College's Permaculture Garden.
Here at the Kearsarge Food Hub (KFH), we’re grateful to be a part of two local networks geared toward growing more gardeners in the Kearsarge Area - FEED Kearsarge and the Abenaki Seeds Project.
FEED (Food Education, Expansion, and Distribution) Kearsarge supports neighbors with greater access to local foods through the power of collaboration. Part of FEED Kearsarge efforts, the Tray it Forward Program specifically distributes seedlings to homes that might not otherwise have the resources to start gardening. Once folks receive their seedlings, the next step is to successfully produce some veggies!
Similarly, the Abenaki Seeds Project distributes heritage Abenaki seeds to home growers to start three sisters gardens - a combination of corns, beans, and squash - in the raised bed system representative of Native American agriculture. This is a way to share knowledge of Indigenous farming practices that can have many practical applications and positive impacts for us all today, while supporting food security for the Native community in our area. The harvest from these efforts is donated to the Abenaki Helping Abenaki food pantry.
This summer, KFH is crafting a series of educational, how-to videos to support those participating in both these programs, or anyone trying their hand at home gardening. In these short videos, we’ll visit Colby-Sawyer College’s Permaculture and Main Street Gardens where Professor Malan will take us through the growing season from planting to harvest, offering helpful tips and tricks for how to make the most of your home garden!
This video series is geared toward beginner gardeners, but we’re sure gardeners of all levels could benefit from a visit with Leon in his garden.
Let’s get started with the first two videos in the series:
Video #1: Planting your Garden
For Tray it Forward recipients or anyone growing common veggies in a home garden!
Video #2: Starting a Three Sister’s Garden
For anyone participating in the Abenaki Seeds Project or otherwise growing three sisters gardens.