It takes us back to our roots

BY KYLE LOVERN

Growing a garden has become trendy. But that’s not a bad thing.

There is something about planting your seeds and plants and nurturing them. Watching them grow, then reaping the benefits of getting fresh vegetables right out of your own backyard is quite rewarding.

Of course, many of you may have had parents or grandparents that grew large gardens back in the day. They grew out of necessity and not so much of being trendy.

I can recall as a youngster tagging along with my dad as he went to his garden along the banks of the Tug River. Our property was not big enough for a garden, so he got permission to use some land from someone who lived nearby.

He grew corn, green beans, tomatoes and potatoes, among other veggies. I was very young, but I remember my mother canned some of those fresh vegetables so they could be stored and used later in the winter months.

The early Appalachian settlers grew gardens as they migrated into the hills of West Virginia and Kentucky. They were subsistence families who raised chickens for eggs, hogs for meat, and maybe had a cow or two for fresh milk. Most men hunted – not for sport, but for the meat it provided their families.

In modern years, we’ve become accustomed to buying canned goods – vegetables and other items with preservatives. You can go to the grocery store and buy your veggies and fruit, which is great. But there is nothing like growing your own.

The benefits are many. Growing your own vegetables gives you access to fresh food. It is more nutritious and of course it really tastes much better. There are a few farmer’s markets available, but not everywhere.

Appalachia contains many food deserts, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as low-income areas where a substantial number of residents have little to no access to a supermarket. Do you realize that Mingo County does not have one big supermarket? There are not many in other counties in the region.

In years past, you had the old mom-and-pop grocery stores in most small towns or coal camps. But those have disappeared over the past few years.

Growing a garden can also be great for your mental health. It is proven that it can help with anxiety.

Interest in gardening remains strong as gardening trends are driven by the COVID pandemic. Being cooped up in quarantine was hard on many people like me.

In 2021, National Gardening Association conducted a study on gardening statistics in the United States and found that gardening participation was way up from pre-pandemic years. So at least that was one positive that came from that difficult period in our lives.

Some recent reports have shown that gardening has become one of the most popular hobbies in America, with 55% of American households actively gardening.

Gardening invites you to get outside and interact with nature. It helps give you exercise, not to mention healthy food. It can help make your body healthier and, in some cases, even help you sleep better at night.

It doesn’t have to be a big garden. I used to grow a couple of tomato plants and maybe some green onions. Last year I bought a small electric tiller and extended my backyard garden. I grew half-runner green beans, more tomatoes, banana peppers, onions and cucumbers. This year I hope to make it a little bigger and add potatoes and a couple of other plants.

I’ve really enjoyed growing my garden. My wife and I love the fresh vegetables we get. I like getting outside and seeing my plants grow, then getting to harvest a few things.

So get back to your Appalachian roots and grow a garden. You can start small and go from there. Those who raise a garden and watch it flourish know it’s a great feeling and there are so many benefits.

Whether your patch is large or small, a raised bed, in a community garden, or a window box, getting dirty and eating clean, gardening is rewarding and is good for you.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)