Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

My garden is covered in three feet of cold white fluff. There is a pretty good chance I won't see dirt until sometime in May. My stores of canned goods and frozen produce are being knocked down daily. Still, I'm thinking about getting my hands dirty. In the middle of January when the temperature outside is frightful.

So, while your compost pile is working on the grass clippings, fallen leaves, food scraps and other lawn waste you threw in there to get ready for planting season, you should be sitting inside nice and cozy planning out your garden. Here are a few things to get you started.

1. Determine your space. Figure out how large your garden areas are and decide if you'll be adding more this year. This will help you when determining the number of plants. Think about hours of sun each garden space gets to help figure out which varieties will grow best in which areas.
2. Decide seed versus starter. If you are going to grow from seeds, you'll need to start your seedlings 4-6 weeks before your last frost date for your area when you'll be moving them to the garden area.
3. Order your seeds and other supplies. If you are looking for specialty seeds like heirlooms or specific varietals, check out different companies and get your order ready. Also start collecting necessary seedling trays and soil so that you have it on hand when it's time to plant.

Then, when you've got your garden planned and you know when your seeds can grow in the ground, get ready to plant. Your location will determine when you should start seeds, and if you're going the seedling route, you can still figure out how many plants you'll need to get and start finding the best local growers and sources for those plants.

Have you started thinking about gardening yet?

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

The first signs of the fall season are upon us as leaves begin to turn color and early morning fog is slower to dissipate. You just have to look into farmers fields to see that the urgency of fall harvest is in full swing. But still the farmers work is not complete. Rather than leaving the field open and subject to the ravages of the winter, many growers are busy providing a covering blanket to nurture and support their fields from soil loss via wind and water, and to capture remaining nutrients within the soil. With the huge increase in the number of home vegetable gardens this year, gardeners should also be thinking about how to protect their sites and build soil fertility and quality for next year.