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14 Year Old Donates EVERYTHING He Grows To Families In Need

Help Ian WIN a $10,000 grant for Katie’s Krops!
(SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST)

“The Giving Garden was created when Ian learned there were children at his school going to bed hungry. Wanting to make a difference for his classmates, Ian decided to take action. He raised funds and solicited volunteers to construct a raised bed garden and small fruit orchard at his elementary school to provide free access to fresh produce for anyone in need in his community. Ian began to realize that many students didn’t have the knowledge to prepare the produce they were receiving from the gardens. He began offering cooking demonstrations and provided sample recipes to help teach the students that healthy food can taste good. He didn’t stop there. Ian has continued to install gardens in local schools and communities in the Austin area. In the spring of 2016, his sister, Addison, joined the fight against hunger by developing the Frutas Frescas Orchard Program. The siblings have partnered with each other to help fight hunger in their community. In 2016, Ian became part of the Katie’s Krops garden program. He was able to build a garden in his own backyard and donates 100% of the produce to local hunger relief organizations or to families in need. In 2016, Ian grew and donate 869 lbs of organic produce. He reached his goal of growing and donating 1,000 lbs of organic produce in his backyard Katie’s Krops garden in 2017 and will exceed his donation totals in 2018.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT IAN AND HIS GARDENS: https://iansgivinggarden.weebly.com/about-us.html

Help Ian WIN a $10,000 grant for Katie’s Krops!

  1. CLICK – Ian McKenna’s name at the “Vote Say Thanks, Austin” link 
  2. TEXT – MCKENNA to (512) 456-9244
  3. MESSAGE – MCKENNA to our Facebook fan page at facebook.com/recognizegood
  4. TWEET – MCKENNA to @RecognizeGood with the hashtag #saythanksaustin
  5. EMAIL – MCKENNA (in the subject line) to saythanks@recognizegood.org
  6. WRITE IN – your name, then sign and date where indicated on Say Thanks forms (also downloadable) – I can pick up write in votes locally or if you’re out of town, you can scan or take a picture and email them to saythanks@recognizegood.org with MCKENNA in the subject line. 
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Enter to WIN a FREE 1 Month Subscription to UOG’S Monthly Seed & Garden Club!


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5 Container Gardening Tips for Beginners (+ Giveaway!)

Julie from homereadyhome.com just published a great article highlighting important Container Gardening Tips (for Beginners).  Click here to view the original post: http://homereadyhome.com/5-container-gardening-tips-for-beginners/ Here’s a quick preview of what she has has to say about container gardening:

hersteragiveaway4

1. Don’t “grow” overboard.  :)

“Container gardening requires a time commitment. You’ll need to be more hands-on (ie. watering and fertilizing) with plants in pots than plants in the ground. Your container garden will require daily attention so you want to make sure you don’t spread yourself too thin by having too many plants.” … read more

2. Choose the right container.

“Drainage holes are a must. Only consider pots with holes or pots you can drill holes into. Select a container with a broad surface area. Decide what you’ll grow and that will help you to determine how deep your container should be. Root vegetables (think: carrots) and tall plants (like, tomatoes, vines and fruit trees) do better in deep pots. Fast growing crops like herbs and leafy vegetables are fine in a shallow container.” … read more

3. Buy potting soil.

“You may be tempted to fill your container with the free dirt from your backyard, but don’t do it. Dirt from the ground doesn’t work well in containers because it’s dense and heavy. It turns into a hardened clump in your pot and your plants won’t do well. You need soil that is light, drains water quickly but also holds moisture at the same time.” … read more

4. Seek out sunlight.

“Many vegetables need at least 6 hours of sunlight a day, so the more sun you can provide the better. If, like me, you have a lot of shade at your location, no worries. There are still some edibles you can grow. For example, chives, kale, leafy greens, lemon balm, mint, parsley, spinach, swiss chard, peas and radish all tolerate partial shade.” … read more

5. Water your plants.

“Avoid under-watering and be sure you aren’t over-watering your vegetables. How do can you be sure?  I usually wait for the plants to look slightly wilted, then I water. You can also stick your finger in the soil about an inch down and see how it feels. If it’s dry, it’s time to water. My favorite tools for watering my container garden are a watering can and my spray wand that attaches to the hose.  ” … read more

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Stack N Grow Mobile Planter Winner & Limited Time Discount

I’d like to thank everyone that entered the contest for the Stack N Grow Mobile Planter and Algreen Products for supplying the product.

There were 170 entries. To select the winner, I went to Random.org and put in the number 170. The random number that it generated was 82.

Sorting the comments from newest to oldest, I counted down to the 82nd comment, which was left by Nicky of DirtAndMartinis. She can also be found on Twitter @DirtAndMartinis.

Her comment was:

I’d put this on a table in my garden as a centerpiece and plant herbs with an Italian theme. Basil, oregano, thyme…

Since there was a such a positive response to this contest, I was able to get all of you the Stack N Grow at 20% off for the next two days (expires end of day on March 1, 2011).

All you have to do is go to GardenSupermart.com to buy the Stack N Grow. When you put it into your Shopping Cart enter the coupon code UOG20 to get 20% off your purchase.

This offer is only available for the next two days, so be sure to act now!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8xeLhFXhSY

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How to Set-Up a Stack and Grow Mobile Herb Planter

Since I’m running the contest for the Stack and Grow Mobile Herb Planter I thought I’d show you how to set it up.

The set-up was a bit mess for me and potting soil got all over, but overall it was pretty simple. Here’s how you set it up:

  • Check all of the planting trays. One of them has a closed center. If you want to grow smaller plants, then put that tray at the top. If you want to grow a small tree or shrub, put that tray towards the bottom.
  • Place the cart down on a solid surface.
  • Put the wheels into the holes. You’ll have to force them in slightly and twist them.
  • Place the first planting tray on the cart. Align the holes and press it into place.
  • Fill the trays with potting soil and the ring that’s within each tray.
  • If you are transplanting, then insert your transplants. If you are starting from seed, continue to add more trays.
  • Add the next planting tray so that the planting pocket is between the two below it. Fill with potting soil and repeat.
  • After you have your planting trays added and filled with you soil, you can begin to sow your seeds.

The seeds that I decided to plant from bottom to top are:

  • Marigolds
  • Calendula
  • Parsley
  • Cilantro
  • Leaf lettuce in the top middle

The flowers are supposed to grow larger, which is why that I put them on the bottom. I also hope that these flowers are shallow rooted enough.

Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a Stack and Grow Mobile Herb Planter from Algreen Products. All you have to do is check out this post and leave a comment. Best of luck.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29M2GTA-5u4

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Mushroom Garden Contest Winner and 20% Off Mushroom Kit

I’d like to thank everyone who entered the contest to win their own mushroom garden kit courtesy of Back to the Roots Ventures.

There were a total of 128 comments and entries. There was a comment that slipped in past the deadline and wasn’t counted.

To choose the random winner, I went to Random.org and entered 1-128 in the true random number generator.

The number generated was 57. The comments were ordered from newest to oldest and counted down.

The winning comment was left by Joy who’s comment was:

My Favorite mushroom recipe is a Portabelo Cap with homemade tomato sauce. And Fresh Motzarella Cheese.. Like a pizza :))

Get 20% off through Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Since there as so much interest in this contest, for the next two days you can get 20% off when you buy your own mushroom garden kit from Back to the Roots Ventures.

All you have to do is visit Back to the Roots Ventures and enter promo code UG202011 when checking out and you will get 20% off your purchase. This offer expires at 11:59pm PST on Tuesday, February 1, 2011.

Congratulations to Joy. Thanks again to everyone for entering and Back to the Roots for supplying the prize and discounted rate.

Be on the lookout for another contest next month.

If you click on any of the links above and make a purchase, I will be getting a portion of the money. If that doesn’t sit well with you, here is a straight link to Back to the Roots Ventures that you can use.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUsZML0ECqs

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Hydroculture Contest Winner

There were a total of 13 comments left to enter the hydroculture contest.

To select a winner, I used Random.org to randomly select a number between 1-13. The number generated was…7.

Counting from the top, the seventh comment was from Risa whose comment was, “Hey (PCOStherealdeal here)Been following your channel on YT since before you made the big move and I love watching your channel grow and change. Iv got a small jerry riged system half way put together with optional fish and tank it actually really could be cool. I plan on growing cherry tomato’s, and a few other types of herbs and veggies maybe some cucumber’s in the grow tray. My last attempt killed off the fish because of the pete moss. Any way’s here’s my comment. -crossing fingers- (BTW LOVE LOVE LOVE the give away idea!)”

Congrats to Risa and thanks to all of those that left a comment to enter. Be on the lookout for another contest soon.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMB8oDA-7g

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Contest Winner of 6 Packets of Botanical Interests Seeds

Thanks to everyone who submitted a comment to enter for a chance to win 6 packets of seeds courtesy of Botanical Interests.

There were 61 comments submitted.

To select the winner, I used Random.org to randomly select a number between 1-61. The number generated was 21.

Counting from the top the 21st comment was from….Snow. Not sure if it’s the 90s white reggae artist from Toronto because if it is that would be awesome.

The comment that Snow left was , “I love my urban veggie and herb container garden! I encourage everyone to do it too. I have not planned anything for fall and look forward to your posts for ideas and tips. Thanks much! ”

Word. I’m with you Snow, I think people should grow some of their own food too.

Thanks again to Botanical Interests, everyone that participated and congrats to Snow.

Stay tuned for another contest coming next month.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3UfmZpqC1o