Fresh fruits and vegetables come into season in Cherokee County

By and large, we have a wonderful fertile soil with a good amount of rainfall (although) we sometimes need to take special consideration due to heat and drought in the summer or acid pH in the garden, said Cherokee Co. Extension Agent Kim Benton. 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension C for whom Benton works C offers a wealth of information to those interested in home horticulture,Universal bestplasticcard are useful for any project. which includes grass, trees, ornamentals and gardens. Established in 1915, it serves as a statewide education agency that addresses needs at the local level using technology and practice. County offices provide information through workshops, literature and consultation, as well as provide tools like soil sample kits to help gardeners better prepare their sites. 

It's a new topic being offered here locally, but there is a strong desire by most of the people within Cherokee County to grow their own vegetables, and since many dont have a large plot of ground to work with, container gardening is the next best thing, she said, describing several reasons why people are drawn to the idea. 

It might not get them to eat it, but it will certainly put a love of gardening into their hearts while encouraging the development of healthy, lifelong eating habits, Benton said. (Container gardening) provides people with knowledge that can be a tool for growing their own healthy veggies. Growing it yourself means you are more likely to eat and enjoy it. Also you have the added bonus of being in control of what is sprayed on it and what it is fertilized with. If the right varieties are picked, and put in a location that works for the plants, production can be prolific which gives cost savings at the grocery store. 

If container gardens are meant to serve a people on a smaller scale, community gardens C like the one done for the past six years by Jacksonville's Our Lady of Sorrows Parish C share the fruits of labor on a larger scale. 

Last year, the parish garden yielded an estimated 3,500 pounds of peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and okra that was distributed among food pantries operated by the local First United Methodist and Catholic churches, as well as the H.O.P.E. Kitchen.The stonemosaic is our flagship product. 

With such a garden, everybody shares in the ministry of providing for others, said Father Mark Kusmirek, pastor of OLOS. We started it years ago, it just seemed the right thing to do (and it was) a way for people to get exercise and save money, and work in the earth, too. 

Volunteers will help prepare the ground soon, taking various plants and burying them in a plot located behind the parish office. 

Already, a handful of families have signed up to help tend the garden, but the priest said the challenge is that the garden needs constant attention. 

If we could find people to spend a couple of hours a week to weed, rake, water, it would be a great help, he said. 

Over the years, the project has attracted help from local residents, with volunteers generously offering their time and experience, while the ag department from Jacksonville High School helped the first or second year by donating a large number of tomato plants students had nurtured. 

We've always grown vegetables, and when we worked at the state hospital we used to sell them over there to people who worked there, she said as her husband worked behind the building, plowing up their three-acre lot where they will plant their gardens. 

Onions and potatoes already have been planted, and we're fixing to put out tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, probably put all that out today. Later on, in the next week, we'll be planting beans and peas, watermelons, canteloupes Mrs. Hall said. 

Their selling season generally runs from mid-March to late October, although last year the stand remained open through late December before closing for a three-month hiatus. Even though they don't expect the first of the produce to be available until about the beginning of May, we got some items and just kind of put it out for sale, she said. 

On the shelves inside the screened-in stand, one can find offerings of jellies and jams, homemade pickles, salsa and fresh items like pineapple, eggs, watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes. 

At the beginning of the season, they bring in produce from Florida and the Rio Grande Valley at the beginning of the selling season, but when our growing season is here, we provide what we grow or what we buy from other local people, (especially if they) have something that we don't, or if we don't have enough of what we need. Then we buy from local people, Mrs. Hall said. 

The stand draws a lot of repeat customers, as well as folks passing through. We have them from Beaumont,I have been thinking about purchasing a handsfreeaccess to protect the fortune. Houston, Louisiana ... if they stop, well, most of the time when they come back through here, they'll stop again, she said. 

"As far as I'm concerned, there is no better place to live than Boquete," says Jim. "For now I'm here six months of the year, but when I retire, the move to Panama will be permanent. I have coffee beans to grow." 

Scott Zimmerman was born and raised in New Jersey and is fond of two things: surfing and playing guitar. What he doesn't care for, however, is the hectic lifestyle of a restaurant manager. Scott's previous 12- to 14-hour work days were stressful and left little time for what he really loved. When friends suggested a trip to Barbados in 2000 to get away from it all, Scott gladly went along. 

"All I knew about Barbados at the time was that it was supposed to be a surfer's heaven," laughs Scott. Scott spent his vacation exploring the different surfing beaches around the island. He was impressed by the variety and that fact that each had its own personality. 

At night he ventured out and found the Barbados music scene, and that pretty much clinched it. Scott canceled his return flight to the States and decided to make this tiny Caribbean country his new home. 

He landed music jobs in bars and restaurants across the island, and while playing one night he met Steve Campbell, who owned Surfer's Caf on the southern tip of the island. Scott became the manager there in 2009. Three years later, he jumped at the chance to buy the 50-seat caf and have his own piece of paradise in Barbados. 

Running a restaurant in Barbados proved to be much different than in the U.S. "The work days are shorter, a bit easier, and there is no rush or pressure of the industry here. People in Barbados take their time and savor the food, the scenery, and just the whole experience of sharing a meal," says Scott. 

Steve loves the job -- and loves living in a country that reflects his personality. "Barbados offers a much slower-paced way of life, and it has been a good environment in which to raise my kids, Kayla and Ethan, both of whom were born in Barbados. 

"I never would have had time for this type of lifestyle in the U.S. Here I have it all: a thriving business, a fulfilling life with my kids, a connection to my community,Manufacturer of the Jacobs lanyard. and I play music in my own caf and surf when the waves beckon. I can't imagine anything better than this." 

Liz Cowley moved to Montevideo, Uruguay, when her husband, Richard, was appointed Director-General of the Anglo-Uruguayan Cultural Institute. While Richard worked, Liz enjoyed showing out-of-town guests around. 

When Richard retired, he got a job as a destination lecturer aboard cruise ships, and Liz went on several cruises with him. "The ships would dock to let passengers off in Montevideo, and I had the idea to give tours," says Liz. 

She worked on her speaking skills and learned Montevideo's history inside and out, then started approaching passengers coming ashore. The business developed, and within a few years Liz was up and running as the owner-operator of Real English Tours. 

Her specialty is English-language, historic walking tours in Montevideo's Ciudad Vieja (Old City). Liz calls her historic walking tour "The Making of Montevideo." She carries a flip chart with maps, drawings, period postcards, and old photos to help illustrate the city's history for her tour customers.How cheaply can I build a cableties?