8 june 2015 By Amanda Goossen A rcadia resident Rebecca Kidwell was working as a chef and co-owner of a local catering business when she began investigating the source of her ingredients, which ultimately led to the desire to take control and grow her own food. “Any good cook knows, the better your ingredients, the better your dish,” said Rebecca. Together, she and her husband, Troy Campbell, started planning how to create a garden that could produce in volume. Troy’s background in construction and landscape helped in their mission. Arcadia Gardens INGREDIENTS FOR PE ACE OF MIND Gardening in Arcadia

9 Before long, their garden, as well as a new business, had grown. Rebecca and Troy created Farmyard, which delivers fresh fruits and vegetables to local residents, as well as builds and maintains backyard gardens, helps with watering systems, and off ers to educate homeowners about home gardening. Their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a harvest from Rebecca and Troy’s home garden as well as other gardens they cultivate in the Arcadia area. They fi ll bags of three diff erent sizes and offer the organic, locally grown produce to neighbors who purchase a 5- or 10-week subscription. “The best part of our business is connecting our clients and their families with the source of their food again. As a society, we lost touch with where our food originates beyond the grocery store shelves,” said Rebecca. Rebecca admits that it is also heartwarming to hear when a client grows their first tomato. “The hardest part of our business is convincing people that there is no such thing as a ‘black thumb’ when it comes to gardening. There is poor soil quality and incorrect watering, but the color of thumbs has nothing to do with a successful garden,” said Rebecca. “We enjoy helping our clients get over the fear of killing their garden and turning their self-professed ‘black thumbs’ a brilliant green.” For more information, visit myfarmyard.com. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BAXTER, BAXTER IMAGING Five tips for prepping the garden for summer By Rebecca Kidwell 1. Keep your garden healthy for summer by getting it on a regular fertilizing schedule. We love to use seaweed solution that helps plants during the summer be more drought resistant and in the winter, more frost tolerant. 2. Have shade cloth ready and a structure to secure it to for the monsoon season. Shade cloth can extend your growing season as well as help keep plants and their fruits from getting sunburned. 3. Increase the frequency of your irrigation schedule. As plants grow from 3 inches to over 6 feet tall, in the case of tomatoes, they will need more water to support their growth and fruit production. 4. Consider placing straw under low-hanging fruit. Potato bugs (kids like to call them rollie pollies) love tomatoes or cucumbers sitting right on the soil or just above it. The straw provides a barrier between the two and also helps retain moisture. 5. Research cooking ideas for your abundant harvest! Most of the summer plants produce prolific amounts of food. Tomatoes, squash, watermelon, okra, eggplant and peppers go absolutely nuts and love our summer heat. Knowing the art of canning and pickling will make for less waste and nice treats when they are not in season.