GARDEN PLANNING WITH KIDS

As this amazing spring weather continues, it's hard to not just get outside and plant ALL our seeds right now. But, Manitoba being what it is, we will definately wait a bit longer to put in the warm weather crops. (where the seedlings do not like cool temps). We now have spinach, beets, green onions, garlic, and radishes all up in the garden. We have been harvesting the chives every few days.

This year, each of us has taken control over one of our raised-bed garden sections. We have put no restrictions on what to plant, how to plant, or how to care for our gardens. The kids have complete free range in each of their 4x8 foot sections. We have all agreed that each of us will tend to, weed, water, and harvest their own garden plot. We are also making a garden map, and recording the plant date, germination time, bloom time, first harvest date and last harvest date. Our garden is organic...no pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, (other that what comes from our compost pile)

Praire girl (age 8) has chosen to plant popcorn, garlic, carrots, and lettuce so far.
Prairie boy (age 13) has chosen radishes, peas, sweet corn, basil, parsley and cucumbers (growing up on a trellis).
Prairie Mom (that's me...I won't be posting my age hahha) has the spinach, tomatos, peppers and beans (growing up on a support).
Prairie Dad is being secretive...he won't share his plans quite yet.
We are eagerly awaiting the Dig Deeper workshop where we will also receive a grow kit for the garden too.

To really learn about the value of growing our own food we will also be tracking the harvest from each plot. We will be tracking both the pounds of food, plus the equal value of the same products in the grocery store if we would have had to purchase it. I'm working on a database that will graph our results as we go.

So far, we have harvested the equavalent of 3 packages of chives..(retail $2.49 each). I've just cleaned up and divided the chives into 3 separate plants...I'm sure the chive harvest will triple later this spring too. We have a small food dehydrator, and I'm looking into whether or not chives are a good candidate for drying, and using in the winter. Our seed cost so far has been $6.00,, so I guess that makes us 50 cents ahead so far.