π the GROW HALF contest π₯¦π₯ππ₯π³π₯π₯πππ
Congratulations to @goodvibesedu for winning first prize in the GROW HALF Contest, and to @keturahrose98 and @mentinkfamilyfarms for being runners-up! And thanks to all who submitted videos for the contest -- I have so enjoyed seeing what all you do to grow and raise food for your family! -- Marjory
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The Grow Network is a community of people who are stopping the destruction of the Earth via home grown food.
Every little bit helps! Including just a little basil plant on a windowsill.
But if you are growing half of your own food I've got a fun opportunity for you to share and inspire others.
The Grow Network is having a contest!Β
Create and post up a short (2 minute) video showing what you do to grow half of your own food, and what you produce.Β π¬
Show us your rabbits, chickens, gardens, orchard, beeβs, mushrooms, greenhousesβ¦Β or whatever it is that you do to produce at least half of your own food.Β
Yes, even that gigantic zucchini counts (everyone will accidently grow one of those in their lifetime. π
The prize for the best video will be $500 cash, and two runners will receive $100 gift certificates for anything in the TGN Store.Β
The winners will be chosen by you, the TGN community!Β Here is the scoring system:
βοΈ5 points for each LOL
βοΈ3 points for each awesome
βοΈ1 point for each vote up.Β
Why so much emphasis on the LOL's? Because laughing increases your immune system function by a gazillion %, and don't we all need an immune boost right now?
We will collect entries for the contest up until Monday August 10th, 2020.Β Voting will remain open until Monday August 31th, 2020. Whomever has the highest score at 8pm ESTΒ that night will be the winner.Β
Anyone can enter includingΒ Moderators, Street Team members, and all of the TGN community are welcome to enter.Β You can enter more than once, but do please be reasonable.Β Uh TGN employees, no, not you.
Simply put your entry as a comment down below in this thread.Β
Yeah, get those grandkids who know how to edit video to help you out π² πΒ
My son used to edit videos while skateboarding. Uh, he broke a LOT of phones... But it shows you how easy it is for those kiddos to make videos.
The easiest way to post your video is to put it up on YouTube and then embed into your comment/entry.Β If you need help uploading the video or donβt want to use YouTube, reach out to our TGN video producer, @ AnthonyΒ (hey Anthony, what is your TGN forum handle β dude, youβve got to put up your mugshot on your profile β if Trump were here he would say βbad Anthonyβ).
I want to use these videos to inspire other people to grow their own food and to see that it really is fun and easy (er, well, maybe at least isnβt that difficult.... π )
OK everyone, I havenβt ever run one of these before.Β So please be reasonable so I donβt have to make up a bunch of rules.Β Definitely ask any questions down below.Β
I am so excited to see what you create!
π€
Comments
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Sounds like a lot of fun. Can't wait to see some of the videos.
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It does sound like fun.
Unfortunately, our garden is not doing anything newsworthy this year. How do you edit in veggies & edit out grass & weeds (not even useful ones)? All we'd have is cows & chickens & berries to show...and that isn't all that much.
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Great idea for a contest! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else does.
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Uh @LaurieLovesLearning did you say is.. "all we have is cows and chickens and berries"? That's a lot!
You know, I always underestimated myself too . I only had a small garden, rabbits, and chickens. And then I got to doing some math with some estimates and holy crap! I was shocked to realize just how much I actually was producing.
Get your mind out of the garden rut! LOL
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@LaurieLovesLearning I hear ya :)
We are in the process of developing our suburban property into a place where we aspire to grow half (or more!) of our food, but we are not quite there yet lol :) At best, maybe we are at 1/3..??? Hopefully in a few more years that will improve!
Years ago, my mom and I went on a historic tour of some local homestead. It turned out to be basically a field that they took us around and pointed out where everything USED to be...this USED to be where the house stood, and over here USED to be where the orchard was, and this USED to be the where the smokehouse stood...π I feel like that would be my video in reverse - here is where we WILL have a beehive, and where we WILL have another apple tree, and where we WILL complete our chicken forage garden and grow mushrooms...πππ
I can't wait to see what everyone else posts for more ideas though!!!
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Well, we decided that we will try to put something together. It might not feature this year's garden, but we can show past years along with current animal & berry content.
We have never done this before, so it will be a challenge, but one we are willing to take on.
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Unfortunately my βgardenβ is still in planters. Just got these 2 acres and only stone fruit trees planted, so unless I am a fruit bat or something similar, it wonβt cover 1/2 of my food. But 2021! Now that will be better! Happy Gardening!
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I too will be happy to view the videos. It sounds like to great education!
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I really look forward to seeing what other people do to grow their own food. We are limited to a community garden bed and some containers around our shaded lot. I look forward to learning ways to grow more food and expand my knowledge. Unfortunately, in our urban corner of the world, food production animals are not allowed.
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I'll try to submit a video. However, I don't eat meat. So, most of my food is veggies, fruit, and grains. I grow apples, cherries, peaches, plums, figs, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, in addition to the usual veggies. I'm starting to prepare an area for blueberries. I also have a greenhouse that I'm going to install a heating system and water system. As you can see, I have a lot of dreams!
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Your setup sounds awesome @ieducate2008 TGN is open to all diets! And it would be great to see a diversity of methods.
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Hi from INNER CITY HOMESTEADERS
South End, Albany NY
.4 acres / vegetables/ fruit / chickens/ eggs/ bees/ compost/worms/ apple tree / grape vine/ public free food garden
Our family enjoyed making this video for your contest. We are in an impoverished community doing our best to make our own food as a result of Covid. The yard is an alley way that became sunny when last year the building next door was demolished. This year we planted like mad and additionally bought the adjacent vacant parking lot. We have a plan to turn the parking lot back to nature as a butterfly sanctuary and free food garden. We are a mom and little two kids doing what we can.
Hope you enjoy our video.
https://youtu.be/pwkjdC8NyAs INNER CITY HOMESTEADERS made July 7, 2020
TO VOTE FOR US: PLEASE CLICK BELOW LOL and AWESOME and Vote Up. Thank you for your support. π
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Wow, great job!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to create a video entry! I love it! You're doing amazing work! Congrats on the parking lot purchase.
We love seeing our community in action @Marjory Wildcraft - check it out!
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@Marjory Wildcraft I do believe you may have to add some advice re the simplest and best way to upload and embed a video to youtube or whatever on this discussion. I've never done anything like that before and just googled it and was hit with a 1000 different tutorials. I thought TGN community would jump at this chance and maybe the technology side of things are holding them back. It is for me but I'm a self confessed luddite!
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Love it goodvibesedu!
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Wow @goodvibesedu that is so amazing! Hey, please put a photo in your profile too. Super good. Loved to see the kiddos collecting eggs :)
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Hi @jodienancarrow and everyone. Here is a video that shows you how to beautifully embed a YouTube video into your forum posts.
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Can't wait to see everyone's videos. Unfortunately its mid-winter here, so nothing much growing and our only animals atm are our cats :D. If you have this contest in a year or two, I might have a patch to show :)
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@goodvibesedu Fantastic job. Great to see what can be done, even in the city.
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@goodvibesedu have you seen the film βthe need to growβ? I think youβd enjoy it and get some more inspiration. There is a young Girl Scout in the film with her mother and it reminded me of you with your girls.
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@Marjory Wildcraft will videos be uploaded under this thread only? Or will there be new threads created?
I wonβt be posting a video but I want to know where I can watch for inspiration!
This year I am focused on canning a years worth of food obtained from local farmers. I have not been very successful growing my own yet.
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We are wanting to keep them all housed inside of this thread for ease of voting.
And congrats to you!!! I LOVE canning! And I love sourcing locally! Please start a thread about that over in the canning category...let's chat more about it! Because I can talk about canning all day! :)
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@Marjory Wildcraft thank you for your video. I will now have a red hot crack at it.
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I'm quite new to the whole concept of growing half of your own food. I've been growing gardens with the idea of supplementing and getting fresher, better quality food, but never in great quantities. I'll be looking forward to seeing what other people are doing.
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This was fantastic to watch! Toi are doing amazing things in the middle of an urban environment and it's so cool to see!
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LOVE this contest! It's a wonderful way for people to see just how creative they are in food self sufficiency.
AND, @herbantherapy, thanks for bringing in the topic of supporting other local growers. Even IF everyone was able to grow half of their food, where would the OTHER half come from? Developing relationships and financially supporting local growers using regenerative growing methods is essential to food security!
My strategy for growing a good amount of my own food focuses on (a) growing "storage veggies" for the winter months. Last year we harvested almost 300 lbs. of sweet potatoes (I am sharing with siblings and parents) and harvesting leeks as needed directly from the garden. We also had plenty of butternut squash. AND (b) I use unheated hoop house effectively to have leafy green veggies for most of the winter months. Lastly (c) I dehydrate good quantities of the herbs that I use to make nourishing herbal infusions (oatstraw, nettle, tulsi) so I don't need to purchase these.
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Oh no, here we are in the middle of winter so not a lot is happening! Will have a look at what is growing, but don't think it is half of what we eat just now as only have winter vegetables being picked..
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well @Nancy A.Maurelli uh, where is your video entry??? LOL
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ahhh @Helen South Australia I apologize for the northern-hemisphere-centric contest. π
I'll try to come up with a different contest next time that isn't so location specific. Got any suggestions?
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@ieducate2008, you should be commended for healthy eating choices. I am a vegetarian also, however, I raise hogs, chickens, turkeys, etc. for my family and others. If someone is going to eat meat, they should utilize animals that have been cared for well. You rock!
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