The First Year

Document everything.  The weather, what you planted and when, the first and last frosts, pest concerns and crop failures.   Make a schematic of your garden to ensure accurate future crop rotation.

Now that you have found the land for your garden, you will need to start the seeds indoors in the spring.  Let’s say you are going to plant a 20 ft. X 10 ft. garden consisting of 20 rows that are 10 ft. each. I would suggest planting tomato plants, zucchini plants, lettuce (salad greens), potatoes, onions, sugar snap peas, radish, chard, carrots, cucumbers and beets, both can be pickled, at the  end of the season.  Each package of organic seeds costs approximately $3.00 and can be purchased on-line or through seed catalogues. Order your seeds in early February while the selection is the greatest. At the beginning of the season each gardener contributes $50 to the person designated as the garden organizer (position can rotate each year) which covers the costs of seeds, row covers, manure and miscellaneous items.  I suggest everyone bring what garden utensils they already have to the garden.  Check out yard sales early in the season for garden tools and mason jars for pickling and canning.