Have you been wanting to grow your own fresh healthy food but not quite sure how to go about it? Gardening can be intimidating…when is it too early to plant tomatoes? How do I know when its time to pick a cabbage? What does it mean if the leaves are turning yellow? How do I know how much water is enough? What do you actually do with kale? There is so much to know, it can seem overwhelming.
Gardening can also be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding….imagine plucking those first juicy tomatoes from the vine, or digging fresh new potatoes out of the earth…then imagine how it will taste when you finally eat the food that you grew with your own two hands. Then take it a step further, and imagine how eating your own homegrown healthy organic food will impact your entire family’s life and overall wellness.
The Sierra Gardens Program can make it possible for you to grow your own food. Since the program started, we have installed 35 gardens for families, who have grown over 4000 pounds of produce! All of our the participants are now growing between 25%-100% of their own produce, and most even have enough to share with friends and neighbors.
We start by assessing your site to determine if you have a
suitable garden space. Gardens need some open space, access to water, and adequate sunlight. If you think you have these key elements and are interested in having a garden, Sierra Gardens program can provide you with 2 years of support.
Once we have determined that you have a suitable site for a garden, we will schedule a build. Sierra Harvest functions with the help of a large team of volunteers, and we will put together a volunteer crew to come to your home and build a fence and gate, dig and amend your beds and help you plant your garden. We will then provide mentorship and support for a 2-year period, long enough for you to experience each phase and season in your garden. We will provide you with the starts you need to grow your garden at the appropriate times of the year, and we will make classes in seasonal cooking, nutrition and gardening available to you along the way so that you can be successful not only in growing your food, but in cooking and eating it!
If you already have a garden area set up, Sierra Harvest can also help you by providing organically grown seasonally appropriate seedlings on a quarterly basis, along with classes and mentorship. No more worrying about what to plant when…Sierra Harvest brings you the right starts at the right time!
Sierra Harvest can provide partial scholarships to qualifying families who are interested in participating in the program. Our goal is to increase access to fresh healthy food for all, and there is no better way than to grow your own.
Apply TODAY for a Sierra Garden and contact Edy Cassell TODAY, the Sierra Gardens Coordinator at edy@sierraharvest.org or (530) 559-5456 or (530) 265-2343. Click here for more information about the Sierra Gardens Program.