Garden Season

April 18, 2024 Leave a comment


It is my favorite time of the year! Spring has arrived, in the usual way in Nebraska. Weather is a continuous uncertainty. One thing is not uncertain. We will be planting a garden!

Jeff has already begun the process. He planted tomatoes and peppers a few months ago and placed them under the grow light in our basement. He planted red onions a few days ago. We also purchased a large greenhouse. We haven’t put it up yet. I can’t wait! I love watching all of the veggies grow! I also plant herbs. I am going to grow new ones this year! Stay tuned!

We are trying a new veggie this year, lemon cucumber. I have no idea how it will taste, but I am very curious. I also wonder if I can can this kind of cucumber? I will be doing some research.

I thought it would be fun to take pictures and maybe some videos of us planting the garden. It is quite a process and a lot of work to say the least. Maybe some of the younger generation would take an interest in the process and want to plant a garden of their own! There truly is nothing better than your own homegrown vegetables. Canning them is another way to enjoy them year round! We enjoy sharing our produce with those in our community. I have a vegetable stand that I put in front of our house all summer long! We keep our prices very low to help others in the area. I doubt you can get a tomato for 50 cents anywhere else but from our garden! Who doesn’t love a BLT with a homegrown tomato?

I also am certified through the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to accept the senior farmers market coupons. Senior citizens can apply through their local senior center or the Nebraska Department on Aging. The process is based on income. Upon approval, a person is given 48 $3 coupons to be used between June 1st and October 31st of this year. You must receive $3 of produce to use each coupon. You can’t ask for less and receive change back. There is no cost to those who apply. The coupons are FREE! So what is stopping you? Apply today! Visit me and I will make sure you receive plenty of good wholesome produce!

We are excited to share our garden with you! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am here to help!

Have a great day! Until next time,

Denise

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Summer, Fishing, Gardening. Let’s Make This World a Better Place

August 7, 2019 Leave a comment


I absolutely love summer! I only wish it would slow down. It’s not that I don’t like fall. It’s more that I dread winter. I remember last winter! It makes me shudder to think about.

What has everyone done this summer? We have taken the boat out several times to go fishing. I wish we could brag about the number of fish we have caught, or even “the one that got away”, but I don’t have one single fish to brag about. Unless catching a small blue gill is bragging rights! I hope we catch a keeper before summer is over! But, what I enjoy most is the time Jeff and I spend together. When we aren’t catching fish, we spend the time talking, laughing, sharing memories of the past and making more memories for the future.

We recently celebrated our 23rd anniversary. We have been together 25 years. As with any married couple, we have had our ups and downs. We have always gotten through the hard times together. We support each other, stand by each other, and always love each other.

We went away for a few days to a cabin. I have discovered with time, and with age, gifts to each other for an anniversary aren’t important. Time spent together is the greatest gift of all. We made some good memories during those few days together, enjoying peace and quiet. It is nice to get away from life sometimes and relax. Everyone needs some time away.

I have also learned that every day is a blessing. When we are both home in the evenings, after a busy day, we sit on the patio, weather permitting, and talk about whatever comes up!

We have also been very busy this summer with our enormous garden. It definitely is keeping us hopping! We share our garden veggies with others, which is why we made it larger. We have our own farmers market here at our house on Main Street. The cucumbers keep growing! Tomatoes are taking off now and as I type this, I am thinking I should be in the garden! I will tend to it shortly. I am going to cook eggplant for lunch! I love all the garden goodies. I do believe there is nothing better than homegrown vegetables. They are so tasty!

Enjoy the rest of your summer. We are planning on more fishing trips and hope we finally catch some fish so we can have a fish fry with some friends! We are also hoping for another getaway before the snow flies. If that doesn’t work out, we can always change the date to spring.

Take care. Share a smile with someone. Lend a helping hand to others. There is enough hate in the world we live in. It is up to us to make a difference. I know we can do it if we work together!

Just a few of the garden veggies we have picked this year. Photo Credit, Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

 

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Kids and Carrots

August 22, 2015 Leave a comment


By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

Nothing says happy and healthy like an image of children gardening, harvesting, and eating carrots, beets, cabbages, cucumbers, etc. The Summer “Out of School” Program students in Fremont, Nebraska got to do just that when they helped create an After School Garden at Linden Elementary in Fremont.
With the support of the school district and the Linden administration, and the help of local volunteers, two raised bed gardens were constructed. The students took ownership over the work of caring for the garden. In July, the students set up a produce stand to market their harvest. Word is they are still deciding whether to funnel the money back into the garden or donate it to a worthy local cause. I’ll be honest; I sort of hope they put it back into the garden.
These activities involved significant educational opportunities. Students learned about teamwork and shared decision-making as they negotiated what would be planted where. They learned about plant science, math skills and measurements in the garden, as well as learning math skills while handling money and making change at the produce stand, where each of the students took a half hour “shift” at the table. And they continue to learn about nutrition and healthy food choices.
Personally, I think growing a cabbage is one of the great educational opportunities available to anyone. And I hope children in after school and summer “out of school” programs everywhere get a chance to garden like the kids in Fremont have.

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Time to Prepare for Gardening

April 19, 2014 Leave a comment


Gordy Olson and his grandson Tristen are tilling the garden for planting. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

Gordy Olson and his grandson Tristen are tilling the garden for planting. Photo Credit/Denise Gilliland, Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.

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