growing

Aside from volunteering at community gardens and talking to green–thumbed friends and relatives, here are some of the tools that have helped me learn more about growing food.

 

things to read

Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening — A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden by Deborah L. Martin

From explaining the value of soil to the importance of climate, this book gives you all the basics for starting something delicious at home. A bit technical, but great for understanding the why as well as the how of organic gardening.

Fork to Fork by Monty and Sarah Don

A journal of a year spent in Sarah and Monty’s garden gives you a snapshot of what growing your own food can truly be like — from mitigating the ravages of disease to savouring the seasons. An absolute delight from start to finish.

things to watch

True Food TV with Nicole Jolly

Ever wonder how your favourite foods grow? I do. A lot! Lucky for us, the charming and enthusiastic Nicole Jolly does the legwork of investigating and shares all of her delicious findings with us on YouTube.

 

Huw’s Garden with Huw Richards

Huw’s been teaching people how to grow food on YouTube since he was a kid — and he’s only just getting started. For top quality lessons on kitchen gardening with an approach rooted in permaculture, Huw’s channel is bursting with good tips.

 

Charles Dowding

Charles Dowding is perhaps the best known advocate for no-dig (also called no-till), a popular gardening technique that relies on minimal soil disturbance (hence no digging or tilling), as well as a champion for using compost to maximise soil health — and, in turn, crop health. His passion is as contagious as his calm demeanour is reassuring that you, too, can grow great food.

 

people to talk to

Your local food growers! Folks at the farmers’ market, people in your closest community gardens or allotments, smallholders with farms stands or farms shops nearby, your family members or neighbours who have kitchens gardens at home. Don’t be shy — learn to connect, share, and grow right at home with others who already know exactly what it’s like to do so in your area!