Grow Appalachia at St. Vincent's

06/19/2026

REMINDER Garden Program Participants: Our canning class- both waterbath and pressure canning- is Tuesday June 23 at 5pm at the Extension Office. Feel free to bring me your June harvest report. I have lots of goodies to give out!

06/18/2026

https://youtu.be/r_hQjFT762Y

Can you save money by growing your own vegetables? Niki Jabbour exp...

06/17/2026

I wanted to invite you all to an upcoming workshop on Thursday, June 25th from 10am to 1pm hosted by Grow Appalachia and led by David Cooke, Grow Appalachia's founder, and Kayla Preston, our Social Enterprise Manager. The workshop will take place at the Bobtown Arts Farm (132 Smith Lane) just outside of Berea, KY, where two of our 15' wide gothic high tunnels have been utilized productively for years. Many of the heirloom beans we have distributed have also been grown on this farm. They will cover trellising, pruning, w**d control, and irrigation techniques primarily for tomatoes, along with some tips for beans, cucumbers, and zucchini. David has trialed these methods specifically in high tunnels for many years and offers a wealth of knowledge on the subject! Techniques for both high tunnel and field production will be covered. Some refreshments and beverages will be provided.

If you plan to attend, please register here: bit.ly/GrowAppRegistration

06/16/2026

I used to overthink compost, but it’s really just a seasonal rhythm 🍂 A few composting habits I’ve learned:

🥕 In winter, I keep adding kitchen scraps and make sure the pile stays covered.
🌱 In spring, I turn it more often to get air back into the pile.
☀️ In summer, moisture matters most. Dry compost slows down fast.
🍅 During harvest season, I add healthy plant scraps but skip anything diseased.
🍁 In fall, finished compost is perfect for topping empty beds.
🪵 Before winter, dry leaves and woody bits help balance all the soft greens.

My little test is simple: if it feels like a wrung-out sponge, it’s usually just right 🌿

06/16/2026

Grant opportunity alert ‼️

The AFT National Farm Viability Grant opened June 8th
Deadline: 11:59pm ET | June 18, 2026

https://farmland.org/bff-national -and-instructions

Eligible applicants are for-profit farmers or ranchers located in the United States who are intentionally engaged in terrestrial, soil-based agricultural production—such as crop or livestock operations, including agroforestry and silvopasture. The operation must have produced more than $1,000 in agricultural products sold, bartered, or exchanged in the most recent growing year.

06/16/2026

Garden Program Participants: Our canning class- both waterbath and pressure canning- is Tuesday June 23 at 5pm at the Extension Office. Feel free to bring me your June harvest report. I have lots of goodies to give out!

06/16/2026

06/16/2026

🌽 Find Your Next Market Day Below!

06/16/2026

Pole Bean - Key Growing Information

CULTURE:
Grow pole beans on trellises, poles, or mesh fencing (such as Hortonova).

DAYS TO MATURITY:
From date of direct seeding.

DIRECT SEEDING:
Sow seeds 1" deep, spaced 3" apart in rows 4' apart after soil temperature exceeds 60°F (16°C). If using poles, plant 4-6 seeds at the base of each pole. Inoculants can increase yields.

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:
50 seeds/12' or 10 poles; 250 seeds/50' or 40 poles; 500 seeds/100' or 80 poles; 1M/ 200' or 160 poles.

INSECT PESTS:
Mexican bean beetles can be controlled with insecticides such as pyrethrin or azadirachtin.

DISEASE:
Plow under or remove and compost bean straw in the fall to hasten destruction of most disease organisms. For sclerotinia white mold control, plant at wider row spacing to promote drying of plant leaves and soil. Practice a 3-year crop rotation, preferably into corn or grain crops. All our pole bean seeds are Halo-Blight free.

HARVEST:
Harvest regularly to encourage new pod set.

STORAGE:
Store at 40°F (5°C) and 90% relative humidity for 7–10 days.