Tag: #GrowYourOwnFood

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Homegrown & Thriving: 6 Smart Ways to Use Your Early Summer Harvest

The garden is finally rewarding your patience — tender lettuces, crispy radishes, sweet peas, and maybe even the first strawberries are ready to shine. Whether you’re gardening for your family, preparing for a farmers market, or building up your homestead rhythm, early summer brings quick wins. Here are six smart, simple ways to enjoy, preserve, and build momentum from your first harvests — all from your backyard.

✅ 1. Eat It Fresh — And Eat It Often

Now’s the time for fresh garden bowls, garden-to-grill sides, and snacking straight from the vine. Celebrate the freshness — raw peas, herbed lettuces, and chive-topped eggs make every meal a little special.

✅ 2. Make Mini Preserves While You Wait for Big Harvests

Try refrigerator pickles with early cucumbers or radishes. Blend herbs into pestos or freeze chopped greens in ice cube trays for soups and sautés later.

✅ 3. Share the Abundance (and Build Community)

Bag up a few extras for a neighbor or start a backyard produce swap. A couple heads of lettuce or a basket of peas can spark great conversations and connections.

✅ 4. Keep a Harvest Journal — Yes, Really

Take notes on what’s ready, what grew fastest, and what you wish you had more of. It’s the best way to plan your next succession planting — and remember your garden wins for next year.

✅ 5. Create a “First Fruits” Farmstand Box

Even if it’s just for friends or a side table at work, bundle up herbs, lettuce, and one highlight item into a paper bag or berry box with a handwritten label. A great way to start testing local interest in small sales.

✅ 6. Prep Now for Mid-Summer Wins

As you pull early crops, replant that space! Beans, squash, and even another round of greens can carry your momentum into July and August. Mulch well and water consistently for strong second harvests.

🌻 Closing Thoughts

These early garden wins do more than feed you — they energize your whole season. Take pride in the harvest, savor what’s ripe, and plant again with confidence. Whether your goal is self-reliance, beauty, or simply better meals, every backyard garden is a step toward something bigger.

Tags: #Kearney #KearneyFamily #homegarden #earlyharvest #gardeningtips #homesteading #regenerativegardening #seasonaleating #backyardbounty #growyourownfood

Posted on by — Leave a comment

🌸 5 Fast-Growing Crops for Spring Gardens

Quick Rewards for Home Gardeners and Market Growers

Spring is the season of fresh starts — and there’s no better feeling than seeing your first harvests sprout to life. Whether you’re planting a backyard garden or planning produce for a market table, fast-growing crops bring early rewards and build momentum for the entire season.

Here are five of the best crops you can plant right now for a speedy, satisfying spring harvest:

🥗 1. Radishes — From Seed to Harvest in 3–4 Weeks

Radishes are the ultimate fast-food garden vegetable.
They germinate in just a few days and can be ready to pull in as little as 21 days. Perfect for early market sales or adding a peppery crunch to spring salads.

  • ✅ Best planted directly into cool soil
  • ✅ Varieties like ‘Cherry Belle’ and ‘French Breakfast’ thrive in spring
  • ✅ Succession plant every 7–10 days for continuous harvests

Tip: Even if you don’t love radishes, they make fantastic soil looseners for future crops.

🥬 2. Lettuce — Crisp Greens in Just 30–45 Days

Nothing says spring like fresh, leafy lettuce.
Most varieties grow quickly in cool weather, and you can harvest baby greens in as little as 30 days.

  • ✅ Sow directly or start indoors
  • ✅ Looseleaf types like ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ mature fastest
  • ✅ Cut-and-come-again harvesting extends your season

Pro Tip: Mix varieties for a colorful, diverse salad garden.

🌱 3. Spinach — A Cool-Season Powerhouse

Spinach loves spring’s cool, moist conditions and grows faster than many leafy greens. Expect harvestable leaves in 35–45 days from sowing.

  • ✅ Direct sow early — it can even handle a light frost
  • ✅ Baby leaves are ready sooner if you prefer tender greens
  • ✅ Rich in iron, vitamins, and spring menu appeal

Fun fact: Spinach yields better with consistent moisture and partial shade in hotter climates.

🌿 4. Peas — Sweet Pods in 50–60 Days

Peas are one of the first crops you can plant outdoors — even before the last frost! Snap peas and shelling peas both offer speedy results with early sowing.

  • ✅ Plant once soil is workable (~40°F+)
  • ✅ Choose sugar snap peas for edible pods or shelling types for classic peas
  • ✅ Harvest in about 50–60 days

Tip: Install trellises or fencing early — peas love to climb!

🥬 5. Bok Choy — A Mild, Versatile Early Vegetable

Bok choy (also called pak choi) is a cold-tolerant green perfect for spring gardens. Baby bok choy varieties can be harvested in 30–40 days.

  • ✅ Direct sow or transplant starts early in spring
  • ✅ Prefers cool temps — bolts if it gets too hot too fast
  • ✅ Tender leaves and crisp stems make it a farmer’s market favorite

Bonus: Bok choy can regrow after cutting if you leave the root intact.

🌿 Final Thoughts: Start Strong, Grow Fast

Fast-growing crops don’t just fill your table early — they build excitement and success for the whole gardening season. Whether you’re growing for home use or preparing for early farmers markets, planting quick crops like radishes, lettuce, and spinach gives you a fresh spring harvest in weeks, not months.

Plant early. Harvest fast. Celebrate often.

At Kearney Family Farm, we believe gardening should be accessible, rewarding, and connected to the seasons. Here’s to a thriving spring garden — and all the beauty (and bounty) that comes with it. 🌱