**GIVEAWAY CLOSED**
I don’t claim to be an expert at gardening; in fact, I often tell people that my garden grows in spite of me. I also don’t have the yard space to grow as much food as I need for my family.
How I Preserve As Much Organic Produce As Possible Each Year:
- Grow what I can, making the best use of my garden space.
- Utilize my farmer’s market and learn which vendors grow their produce organically and which ones are willing to “give me a deal” when I buy a large quantity.
- Talk to people. Many people have more apples on their trees and strawberries in their patch than they know what to do with. They are often happy to give me their excess for free.
- Trade. If I have an abundance of potatoes, I’ll trade it for a bunch of green beans. Or, if I don’t have an abundance of any produce, most people are happy to accept a couple loaves of fresh bread in trade!
During the Summer and Fall seasons while fresh produce is readily available, we eat as much as possible. Any extra goes into the freezer or into my jars (and oh wow is there usually extra!).
By the middle of October, I have usually put away enough potatoes, corn, green beans, peaches, pears, applesauce, strawberries, tomato sauce and tomato soup to last us for the entire year.
Also by the middle of October, I am so sick of looking at tomatoes I don’t care if I ever see another one as long as I live! I soon get over it and begin to realize the fruit of my labor as all throughout the coming months I am able to pull delicious organic foods out of my freezer and pantry for our meals.
How Gardening and Preserving Benefits Our Family:
- Our family has saved hundreds of dollars on groceries.
- I know exactly the kind of food going into our pantry and freezers and then into our bodies. I know what I put into my sauces. I know what soil my food came from. I know I can trust the food to be healthy for my family.
- Our family gets to work hard together. Planting, weeding, and picking all becomes a family affair. We are a family with dirt under our fingernails!
- The food is delicious! In my opinion, nothing is better than home grown organic produce!
Be on the lookout now for deals on garage sales on jars and other canning and preserving needs! Brand new jars can be pricey, but at yard sales, you can find them for almost nothing!
Gardening and preserving your own food is a wonderful way to help provide your family with great quality, delicious, inexpensive produce all year round!
Laura Coppinger and her husband have four sons ages 5-12. She blogs at HeavenlyHomemakers.com encouraging women daily in the areas of healthy eating, gardening, parenting, homemaking, faith and fun.
Would you like some help getting started with gardening and preserving? Well, Laura has graciously offered to give away 10 copies of her ebook, Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving, here today. To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post in the next 24 hours. Winners will be chosen and posted on Monday.
Subscribe for free email updates and be entered to win $100!
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This is something that I’d love to learn more about!
This would be a big help – we’re planting our first garden this year!
My parents had an AMAZING garden when I was growing up (they still do, actually). It’s mostly my dad’s domain, but my mom does the lion’s share of the canning. If you name it, it’s probably in their garden. My dad built an extra room in the basement just to store all the canned goods. Wow. I miss that. I don’t really have the space to have such a spread, but I do enjoy my few little tomato and pepper plants!!
I’d love to be entered for this!! We are going to try gardening again this year–we tried it last year with minimal success, but hopefully this year will be better.
We’re starting a garden for the first time this – I can’t wait to have lots of fresh produce. Two years ago we put up tomatoes, peaches and pears – but they were all purchased. Last year I think we just did black raspberry jam (=black gold!). I would like to have a pantry and root cellar full of goods to eat from all year.
Sounds-like-a-great-ebook!
We’re in a house with decent soil for the first time ever — this would be wonderful! I defintely need a little help!
This would really come in handy…thanks for the chance to win!
Count me in!
We are blessed with the space to garden and will be canning and freezing lots this year! This sure would be nice.
I am going to attempt to grow some veggies this summer and am planning to can some things so I’d love a book with good advice and tips!
I would love this! We are really wanting to have our own garden.
We did our first garden last year and am looking forward to improving on it this year. I would love to have this book to help us out.
Would love to win – thank you!
Great info!
I’ve always wanted to plant a garden. Maybe your book will motivate me to actually do it!
This method works! Gardening and preserving your own food is a more economical, health, and tasty way to feed your family. Thanks for the post and giveaway!
We just moved into our first house with a real yard and have been hoping to get our feet wet gardening! This book would be a great help!
Finally convinced my husband to dig up a chunk of the backyard for a garden this year. This book would really come in handy!
this looks like a great book!!!
We are planting our first organic garden this year and this book would be a great help. I have wanted to grow our own vegetables and fruit for sometime. The garden will also be a great homeschool lesson for our kids.
My hubby is a horticulturist and love to garden all summer. I would love the help in knowing how to preserve the items we grow! Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love a chance to get this book! Thanks so much.
Just getting into preserving my food. Looks like a great source of information!
I would love to win!
I would love this book…I’ve always liked the idea of having my own garden but haven’t known where to start!
I LOVE her site! I have learned so many new things. So awesome, would love to win!!
My 13 year old daughter is working on gardening and home environment as her 4-H projects. Having less than a green thumb myself, we would love to win this book.
I would love to have this book! I canned apples last year and have frozen tomatoes from our garden. This would be a great inspiration to do more and the tips would be beneficial too!
Would love to read your book!!
Would love to learn more about gardening:)
I recently found Heavenly Homemaker and loved what I found. Then a friend just sent me this link today because on the 27th I will be teaching a Gardening Workshop (here is our flyer – http://www.box.net/shared/cnqn4cnypy ) and this would be such a blessing to have a copy to keep for myself or give away. How much are these if I don’t win?
my thumb is less than green, so i would LOVE the extra tips!
I am going to have my husband read your article. This will be the first time we plant a garden. Now there’s even more convincing evidence as to why we should make it organic. Thanks!
We just moved to a new home and today I was scouting out where our new garden will go – this book would be a great help! Thanks for the opportunity!
Courtney
http://www.womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com
What a wonderful family activity! Our family is very similar to yours, six of us, with three boys and one girl ages 11-3. We are always looking for ways to conserve and preserve. This book looks like it could really help us.
Thanks!
We’re just starting our first garden. I’m a big fan of Laura’s site and would love to win!
I’ve gardened and canned but never tried going organic. Would love to learn how to do that successfully!
My family and I would be interested in your ebook. We have had our own organic garden for the past few years and have trouble finding canning recipes for our vegetables. I think your book could really help us out. Thanks for considering us.
Would love to give it a try!
Would love more info on gardening & preserving!
This would be wonderful! We have 3 growing boys of our own who continue to eat more and more as the years go by. Thanks!
I would love to have one of these books. And I have a bit of a library here in my rural corner of the world that I share with my neighbors, so several people would benefit. You know, if my luck runs this way. Thanks for the opportunity!
Oh man! Considering I’m starting to make plans on gardening, this is the book for me! I’ll probably buy it even if I don’t win!
LOVE Heavenly Homemakers and would LOVE her book!! Thanks so much!!
I would love to win this book! It would be so helpful to me as I start growing and preserving some of our own food this summer – I need all the help I can get!
I was JUST telling my husband we needed to start gardening but we don’t know how!!! This is awesome!
My inlaws have a garden and I loved picking the squash and tomatoes to eat. Now that we have our own house I would love to be able to start my own garden and cut back on the grocery bills.
Would love this! Last year was our experiment year and am really looking forward to a more productive garden and getting more of it preserved this time around.
I would love this book. I always plant a garden, and do some canning. Last year I started visiting the local farmer’s market. I would love to learn how to really make the most of these great resources.
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