The Fall Growing Season is Here!

ByRachel Dorfman
Tip the Block resident Ms. Minnie poses with her vegetable garden, which is full of healthy okra plants.

Green Light is gardening! Through our partnership with the New Orleans Food and Farm Network (NOFFN) we have installed 62 backyard vegetable gardens for people in New Orleans since 2011, and this month we will build 10 more gardens. Our forays into urban farming are part of our Tip the Block program, which connects residents to services that address energy efficiency, fresh food access, water mitigation, and neighborhood revitalization.

Backyard vegetable gardens are a great way to gratify your inner DIY-er while reducing your dependence on store-bought veggies, which are often grown by intensive agricultural practices that harm the environment and travel thousands of miles to make it to your plate. With a surprisingly small amount of space and a little bit of effort, you can have a near constant source of fresh vegetables right in your backyard. And did we mention how gratifying it is to watch those little seedlings grow? Food just tastes better when you grow it yourself!

For all you growers out there, happy fall growing season! Now is the time to plant for a plentiful fall/winter harvest! In September you can plant all kinds of yummy veggies and greens:

Lima beans
Snap beans
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Swiss chard
Chinese cabbage
Collard greens
Endive
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce
Mustard greens
Onions (seed)
English peas
Irish potatoes
Pumpkin
Radishes
Shallots
Turnips
Snow peas
Spinach

For a full calendar of things you can plant each month in New Orleans, check out NOFFN’s NOLA Planting Guide.

If you have received a garden from us and are interested in learning more growing tips or need help starting your fall crops, contact our Tip the Block coordinator at jessica.mp@greenlightneworleans.org.

Did you know? Seeds and vegetable plants are eligible items for SNAP benefits! You can buy all kinds of veggies and herbs at the Crescent City Farmer’s Market with your SNAP card. NOFFN also offers free seeds to folks who stop by their office (find their contact information here).

Want to learn more? The following organizations have training programs and workshops for gardeners of every skill level:

New Orleans Food and Farm Network — Grow Mo’ Betta workshops

Parkway Partners — Second Saturday workshop series and plant sale

Get out there and grow grow grow!