I have to admit that after reading through the introductions I feel slightly intimidated by the level of expertise of everyone in the course, but I am excited to be a novice sponge. I’ve voraciously gone through all of the 2022 video content so far and I appreciate some of the early points of reflection, specifically “why garden at all”. My personal journey to get here has been through cooking. The kitchen is my happy place in the house, and I view the garden as a critical extension to the kitchen. Early on I would cook recipes I'd find online or in books and be confused as to why I wasn’t getting the result I hoped for. I realized that a large part of my problem was that I was disconnected from the plants and animals I was preparing – ignorant of how they were produced, their seasonality, and their regionality. In retrospect, it was silly to expect that the tomatoes I purchased in winter from miles and miles away would make the salad or sauce I was looking for, but it’s an all too common mistake. The farmer’s market has become a consistent part of our life every week and has grown to the point where the majority of the plants, animals, and fungi our family consumes are seasonal and local from the market. The dream garden floating around in my head is abundant, wherefrom the bounty I can feed my family and my neighbors, invites my children to learn about the seasons and their food, and is a beautiful space where my friends and family come to dine sitting right next to the food they are served.
I am very excited for the course and to eventually meet everyone on Zoom (twin baby life permitting at times). I’ll also put out there that on top of gardening I’d love to learn more about mushroom foraging. If anyone shares this interest or is experienced with the topic please reach out to this keen novice.
