Zach putting in a garden bed

When the economy started to plummet out of control in late 2008, Americans from coast-to-coast hurried to garden centers and home improvement stores where they snapped up vegetable seeds and plants faster than banks got government bailouts—well, maybe not that fast.

Citizens may have lost half their retirement incomes, but doggone it, they would not go hungry if they had any say in the matter.

The following spring, garden retailers saw large spikes in sales of vegetable plants, seeds, bulk soils, compost and miscellaneous gardening accessories over the previous spring’s receipts.  The majority of these customers, they discovered, were first time vegetable gardeners.

And although the economy is supposedly getting better, enthusiasm for home food gardening has not slowed down.

Zach Herigodt , owner and operator of Yard Farm, meets new and returning food gardeners on a nearly daily basis since starting his business, which involves designing and building raised bed vegetable gardens and more throughout the metro area.

Zach’s clients, including Austin writer Spike Gillespie, are thoroughly excited over the prospect of growing their own food either for the first time, or after being away from it for awhile.

Zach encourages all his clients to invest in timed irrigation systems, as watering the garden becomes a dicey proposition for many of us once Mother Nature turns up the heat (Spike Gillespie unselfconsciously confesses this very thing in this weekend’s show).

So c’mon down to the Yard Farm of Spike Gillespie, where we meet and talk with Zach Herigodt about gardening success with proper irrigation.

Field and Feast--Yard Farm Irrigation Play Now | Play in Popup