Gardening has always been an important part of Ranch life, but our harsh mountain weather makes it difficult to grow as much food as we would like. A better system was needed to cope with late spring and early fall frosts, as well as typical summer hail storms. Thanks to a USDA grant, we were able to purchase and construct a 20’ x 100’ commercial hoop house which should extend our growing season by several months. We also chose to install raised beds to help with our gopher and prairie dog problems.
The real key to our optimism, however, is our new garden manager, Cherry Masters. Not only is she an expert gardener, but she has the skills and training to engage our residents in the food growing process. There is something about planting a seed, watching it grow, and finally harvesting your food. The therapeutic benefits are enormous, to say nothing of the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables and fruits.
In addition to working with our clients, Cherry is also involved with the Mora home school coalition and serves as the local 4-H gardening mentor. We envision the whole community participating in our program and hopefully re-introduce healthy eating habits throughout the valley.
