By Shanna Woods

This fall I got a chance to work along side of the Lyndale farm stewards and learn all the ways you end the growing season. This year we are took on the approach of preserving food to use for past the the first frost. It was so exciting learning how to can, freeze, and store food. Canned tomatoes and frozen bell peppers were used in a variety of dishes made by the All Things Food after school program from curry to salads! Putting beds to sleep with sustainable methods was another highlight of mine. It was interesting to explore sustainable and beneficial ways to end the season with cover crops and mulching with fallen leaves. So much planning for fully utilizing our gardens space and optimizing produce production was done as we looked upon our resting beds end envisioned exciting modifications. Moving forward into 2013, I am so stoked to implement conscious planning and design for our current gardens and new spaces especailly with our new hoop house!

Reflecting on fall and all the fun times from the Lyndale All Stars retreat, to the All Things Food family dinner and celebration, to garden and food distribution planning, it’s been an incredible season. I feel equipped and prepared to begin planning for a productive spring that will lead to a fun and engaging summer! Here’s to 2013!