We're so close! We've got until 11:59pm! Can we do it?? Here's hoping.

May I suggest posting to Facebook or Twitter? Making or increasing a pledge? Running out into the street & grabbing everyone with a credit card? ;)

For a unique perspective on the work of Backyard Harvest, check out the interview that I just did with a local radio show called Animal Wise Radio. You can listen online or download a podcast on their website: http://www.animalwiseradio.com/. The interview starts about 30 minutes into the show.

When you're done, come on back to Kickstarter & make a pledge (or increase the one you already made)! There are mere hours until our deadline....

Enjoy,
Krista

Your pledge can help us keep producing fresh food for food shelves! In this photo, Katie Dudzik & Kari Neathery of the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association pose with a food shelf garden that they host at their offices. Food from this particular garden benefits patrons of the nearby Division of Indian Work's food shelf.

Hey backers & soon-to-be-backers,

Well, we now have just 8 days & have yet to meet our goal. Now is the time for the BIG final push to coax a big, healthy bunch of backers out of the crowd. I'm hoping that each of you can help us to meet our goal by telling your friends, family, networks, etc. about us & our campaign. It's easy to do by using the handy links on the Project Home page. You can quickly & easily:

* Post it on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter
* Post a widget or link on your blog
* Send e-mail

Also, we finally finished a little video about Backyard Harvest & posted it tonight. Check it out & spread the word!

With mountains of gratitude for your ongoing support,
Krista

When I first met in Anne Weaver in the spring of 2009, she was just starting on her urban homesteading journey. We sat down at her dining room table with gardening books scattered around us. She told me that although she had been doing a lot of reading, she still wasn't sure where to start. She hoped that having a Backyard Harvest farmer from whom to learn would give her the hands-on help that she needed to get to the next level. And so it was decided that the Weaver family would welcome a new addition - a full service, diverse vegetable garden in their front yard cared for by one of Backyard Harvest's trained & experienced urban farmers.

Throughout the 2009 growing season, Anne followed along with Farmer Grayce through planting, watering, weeding, pests, harvesting, more planting & more harvesting. She was so diligent in her observation that in 2010, she decided that she had learned enough to grow the garden on her own with occasional help from Grayce. And she was right!

Anne's South Minneapolis yard now includes three garden spaces - two for annual plantings & one for perennials. This summer she grew tomatoes, collards, corn, beans, peas & more. She also added perennials like rhubarb, raspberries & strawberries. Her plans for 2011? Anne says she'll do it again with Backyard Harvest's help & has learned even more from doing it on her own.

Backyard Harvest's mission is to strengthen the Twin Cities' urban food system - one yard at a time - by turning lawns into nourishing & healthy landscapes. This food system serves each of us whether we are growing 800 pound of our own vegetables each summer or dining at the cities' excellent restaurants. Anne & her family are an inspiring example of how to jump in with both feet to be active as both producers AND eaters - learning, growing & savoring along the way.

2010 has been a great growing year for us. For one thing, the weather has been top notch with cycles of rain, sun & heat producing vigorous gardens & lots of tasty produce for our participants. Farmers Andrew, Anders, Dina & Stefan have done an amazing job caring for these gardens.

Over 25 pounds have already been donated to local food shelves & the harvest keeps on comin'. I'm so proud of the volunteers who have been caring for one of our two food shelf gardens. They've done marvelous work together to provide fresh food to The Aliveness Project, an organization serving people with HIV/AIDS. Food shelf garden #2 is lovingly maintained by Farmer Anders who has also incorporated kids from Youth Farm & Market Project into his harvest days. This garden is hosted by the progressive Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association. We were recently rewarded for our work with a grant from the Seward Co-op Community Fund. This grant will keep our food shelf gardens providing garden-crisp veggies to those in need through 2011!

As you can see from previous updates, our partnership with the Rivertown Commons community is going splendidly.

Did I mention that our farmers are doing a great job? Plus, they are all fascinating people. Take some time to check our their bios on our blog: http://backyardharvest.wordpress.com/category/farmers/

Looking forward to sharing some photos & a video with you soon,
Krista

We just added a new reward thanks to the fine folks at PlantJotter.com. For a pledge of $100 or more, you get a subscription to our e-news, some garden art, an hour of our Garden Coaching service AND a 3-year subscription to PlantJotter, a personalized online garden journal! Good stuff!!!

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to visit the Hernandez family garden. Although the family loves to cook, they had never been successful growing their own food. Enter, Backyard Harvest! After hauling in a truck full of compost/soil blend, Farmer Dina has turned 100 sq. ft. of grass into a productive growing space, based on the permaculture principles of plant diversity, companion planting and succession.

The family is pleased. This summer, the kids have watched the garden grow and produce food that they enjoy. And, Carlos and Amy have been able to incorporate the ultra-fresh food into their family’s diet. They are hoping that with the knowledge that they’ve gained this season, they’ll be able to continue taking care of the garden themselves in the years to come.

This garden has been made possible through a partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and a generous donation from Backyard Harvest supporter, Michelle K. (featured in photo with Amy Hernandez)

As the line for food was winding down last night at Rivertown Commons' (140 unit affordable housing community in St. Paul) National Night Out, cooking coach and nutrition educator Tracey KS Yue was setting up for a cooking demonstration. Using green cabbage, kale, red onions, cilantro, basil and cucumbers from the Backyard Harvest garden on the property, she welcomed both kids and adults to help chop, stir and cut the produce that was picked just that day. 'This is all fresh food from your garden!', she would exclaim. The quizzical looks from residents soon turned to intrigue as a colorful salad took form. Lentils and an oil/vinegar dressing were tossed with the fresh veggies creating a delectable looking delight. Several of the child chefs took turns passing out samples to the residents. It was a refreshing finish to the traditional barbecue menu of the annual summer event.

My name is Lea Berg, and the garden at Rivertown Commons is one my primary responsibilities as Equal Access Coordinator with Backyard Harvest. For a first year project, the 400 sq. ft. garden at this urban apartment complex is going remarkably well. Many residents have been involved with the garden this season as planters, harvesters, observers or eaters. We're already looking forward to duplicating this initiative at other multi-unit housing sites next year. Growing organic food and making it available to all people, regardless of income, is something we believe in!

Farmer Dina says:

"Here is the first zucchini harvest at Rivertown Commons on July 15. These two girls pop in and have helped me plant, harvest, and are always asking questions and learning about the garden. They are great."

From TakePart.com's Hungry for Change blog, the official blog of the movie Food, Inc.:

Plenty of green thumbs in the world are eager to don Carhartts and gardening gloves and spend an afternoon weeding, planting, and making friends with ladybugs.

But it seems to be a very specific type of person who's skilled at this hobby, while the rest of us stand by longingly, grocery bags in hand, regretting that we're not quite sure where our food comes from.

Enter Backyard Harvest, a gardening service in the Twin Cities that serves up food, not flora. Read on...

Below: Farmer Dina Kountoupes harvests veggies for residents of Rivertown Commons, a 140-unit affordable housing complex in St. Paul. (Photo: Sarah Utter)

Why, that is none other than the talented Stefan Meyer! Stefan started as one of our first farmers last year & has pioneered a Production Manager role with Backyard Harvest this year. He is one of the reasons that your support is needed. You see, we want to continue to help skilled urban growers like him to make a fair living doing what they love while providing top quality produce for city dwellers.

Just for fun, here is how Stefan describes himself:

"Hi! My name is Stefan Meyer. I was raised on a family farm in southwest Minnesota, where we grew the traditional corn/soybeans in our fields and raised countless numbers of turkeys. (Worthington, MN, my hometown, is known as the Turkey Capitol of the World… a dubious distinction indeed!) On my farm we also had a large vegetable garden used to feed the family, and my mom used to can/freeze beans and corn, and made killer homemade pickles. This was my first introduction to food production, and has led me on the path I continue to this day.

The past 11 years I have spent living out in Oregon, where I studied and practiced permaculture and ecological agriculture/gardening methods. I went through the OSU Extension Service Master Composters program and their Organic Gardening certification course. As well, I attended the University of Oregon where I studied Environmental Science, with a focus on biological systems.

I am never happier than when I have my hands in the soil, working the Earth, and feeling the wind blow through my hair. I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting pilot project with PRI, and look forward to helping grow not just food, but community as well."