Vegetable Production | Growing Franklin

It’s Radish Season!

April 28 2022

Radishes are a healthy spring favorite vegetable that come in an array of shapes, sizes, and colors. Check out this fun and engaging 2 minute long video showing planting, harvesting, and preparing radishes into a spicy quick fridge pickle that takes advantage of this season’s harvest.

It’s Spinach Season! Here is a Healthy Spinach and Strawberry Salad

April 20 2022

While it has been a cool and wet April so far, that has not been a problem if you Overwintered Spinach that you planted last fall, or you were able to get some seeds into the ground earlier in March. Right now spinach is in harvest and if you are looking for a tasty and healthy salad idea, check out this video that Jenny and I did last spring showing how to grow, harvest, and prepare a healthy spinach and strawberry salad.

We also have a version translated into Spanish!

It is not too late to plant spinach right now but time is getting short. Get some seeds in the ground soon before the weather gets too hot.

Garden Walk on the South Side with Garden Space Available @ Mari Sunami Community Garden on Wednesday April 20th, May 18th, and June 22nd @ 6pm

April 19 2022May 18, 2022

Our first garden walk of the year is tomorrow, Wednesday April 20th @ Mari Sunami Community Garden (see below) at 6pm. We will talk planting, bugs, and our 2022 spring outlook. Bring your friends and your questions! Also, there is potential space available if you are in need of a garden plot! Contact Jess at the phone and email below if you are interested.

Here is a close up of the map to get you to the location

SAVE THE DATES! We will be doing garden walks at Mari Sunami on May 18th and June 22nd as well!

October 2021 FAST Update in the Community Garden

October 18 2021

October is a fine time to be in the garden. Less bugs, less heat, but still some good sunshine, rain, and decent planting windows. Make sure to keep your garden planted either in fresh veggies or by starting your over-wintered cover crop.

Grow Your Own Fresh Veggies Over Winter

October 7 2021

I like to say that Ohio is a four season growing environment. I grow and harvest every month of the year including January and February. I recently did a class on Growing Over Winter and many asked if I had a recording of that to view. You are in luck. Check out the Growing Over Winter webinar below.

There is still plenty of time to get seeds in the ground so that you can enjoy some fresh veggies all year long.

Growing Over Winter Virtual Class on 9/30 in Partnership with Grange Audubon Center

September 16 2021

I will be speaking on Growing Over Winter in partnership with one of my favorite central Ohio places, the Grange Audubon Center. This virtual event takes place at 6:30pm on Thursday September 30th.

Ohio is a four-season growing environment. Did you know with a little planning, wise variety choices, and a little season extension fabric you can harvest your own fresh vegetables from January to March. No outdoor space available? We will also talk about indoor hydroponics and how you can grow indoors in the winter as well.

There is registration required. Register at THIS LINK.

See you then!

2021-2022 Urban Gardening Grant RFP is Open!

September 2 2021

The Urban Gardening Grant RFP is open. This is a chance to get some funding to support your garden. Make sure to read the application information carefully.

Grant applications are due by Friday October 29th, 2021

For more information on the grant check out the Columbus Foundation website.

Learn. Grow. Eat. with the Kellogg Moser Learning Community

August 31 2021

One of my favorite parts of my job is when I get to engage with students. One group that I collaborate with is the students at the Kellogg-Moser Food Security and Sustainability Learning Community. We are actively addressing food insecurity in the University District through education. We livestream classes and events on Instagram where the students deliver peer to peer food production and food preparation content from food grown both outdoors at my building on Waterman Farm or indoors grown in hydroponic units in their dorm. The project is titled Learn. Grow. Eat.

We will be expanding this year after last year’s COVID shortened engagement. Our next livestream on Insta is Tuesday September 14th starting around 4:15.

They livestream on Instagram, Follow Them!!

Here is a time lapse video of the AeroFarm hydroponic unit. You can visit this one at Houston House. We will livestream harvest and food prep of some easy meals you can make in your dorm room.

We had a 2021 Fall Semester kick off event where we hosted Dean Cathann Kress and former Dean Bobby Moser.

Follow them on Instagram! You will be able to view the livestreams of programming. We plan to expand hydroponic production to Nosker House and Thompson Library so look for more engagement with Learn. Grow. Eat. on campus in 2021.