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| Raised expectations (Summer 2007) |
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Bountiful beds produce overflow veggies for this Kentuckian's community
By Charles Johnson
Pat Biggerstaff squeezes every bit of production possible from the amazing array of raised beds on her Middlesboro, Ky., property. Come summer,
they're full of organic produce from beans to potatoes, berries, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, chard, wheat. If it'll grow in southeastern Kentucky, chances are Pat has it. Plus, she produces something just about year-round.
Food plots.
Simply put, she's into good eating, and growing what she eats. That's why few flowers
bloom in her beds. "If I can't eat it,
I don't grow it," she says, laughing.
All 40 organic beds squeeze into a
125-foot by 140-foot space. "It's what I
call condensed gardening," she says.
"What's unique about Pat is that she
can produce the big volume and quality
of produce on such a small area. She's
proof you don't have to have five or 10 or
even 100 acres. She produces more off of
her little space than most people do on five
or 10 acres. It's her work ethic," says Stacy
White, an Extension agent at Bell County, Ky.
A big part of that ethic involves sharing
with the community. She gives produce away
all summer long. "I deliver produce to handicapped
people and shut-ins two or three times a week. They enjoy eating it, I enjoy growing
it, and I enjoy giving it away. I also give jams,
jellies, and canned food to people that return
the jars to me. It's a community garden in the
sense that some people get something for free
but don’t have to work to get it," she says.
Extra effort.
None of this bounty comes
easy. Biggerstaff works in the raised beds
at least two or three hours a day, and
spending eight hours at it is not unusual.
She cans much of the produce
and makes bread every day, often
using grain grown in her beds or
flour made from local acorns, along
with some purchased ingredients
like poppy seed or flaxseed.
"I try to make something different
every day. People call and
ask what kind of bread I have
today and then drop by. I give it
away, too. I just enjoy giving good
healthy food to people," she says.
"The first thing people say
about my vegetables is that the
taste is great. It's pure and so different
from what they're accustomed
to. I haven't bought a vegetable at
the grocery store in 20 years."
She makes her own compost, shying
from store-bought fertilizer, and takes a
pesticide-free, no-harm, no-foul attitude
toward any venturesome pests.
"Condensed gardening overwhelms the
bugs. I'll put 40 brussels sprout plants in the
same space where I'd put 15 before. They can
eat some but can't eat it all. I don't mind them
eating a little. I just plant extra," she says.
In the beds, everything from the Blue
Hubbard squash to the Macaslin pole beans,
cherry tomatoes, and popcorn looks succulent.
"It takes great soil," she says.
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