My name is Megan Tuttle and I grew up in a rural part of Ohio that allowed my family access to so many types of vegetables from local farmers. We also always had a small garden on our land as well. Learning how to till, plant, and grow the vegetables with my parents was always a highlight growing up and something my parents now do with my nieces.
As a college student I began volunteering and working with the local non-profit Local Matters. The program taught students in urban areas (often food deserts) about nutrition and how to grow and prepare their own meals. Within the program they build gardens at many of the schools they worked with and had a smaller program focused solely on gardening. Thru this program I helped install gardens for children to grow their own food at their schools. It was an eye-opening and influential experience.
I rarely had outdoor space or even balconies at my apartments but always made space indoors to grow some herbs. This past year my husband and I bought a house and for the first time I have 3 garden beds to fill. My love of gardening and additional time at home with Covid led to full meals being prepared with the vegetables from our garden. The effort to grow your own food is both meditative and rewarding.