The garden made a major step last year by increasing the scope and goal of the project. What started as a small home garden was transformed into a market garden that could supply neighbors and local residents.

In early May the fields at the misty meadows located on the corner of Union Street and Diamond Street were plowed with help from local International Harvester Donny Callahan.

Following the initial plowing of the field we hope to reduce tillage over the next couple years in order to establish a growing cycle based less on soil reducing tillage and more on soil building practices such as no-till, permanent beds, compost mulching, and interplanted succession cropping.

However, for now our soil is being amended with compost and incorporated with limited tillage from small tractors and a walk behind rototiller.

This field’s expansion, along with the small garden plots located at the Zeigler homestead, and the Hoop House, has made the garden better able to increase the diversity of crops being grown.

Without the support of our local community and especially the Norfolk Farmers Market and the Norfolk Grange, the season would not have been as bountiful, successful, and fun.

We hope that this year will prove to be just as fun and exciting as last and can’t wait to start growing good food for our family, friends, and community!

All the best,

Zach