I’m so close to wrapping up Free Garden Course.com and I know you are going to love the new one that will take place in a real google classroom!

When it’s ready, we’ll have a new 2019 Garden Goals challenge and full color workbook I think you will love! Go ahead and listen to last year’s challenge. There’s a facebook group you can join and even access the google classroom with access code 75yju4.

Do you want to save time in your garden?

Do you want to grow a garden full of healthy vegetables but feel you don’t have time? Do you struggle to get all the weeds pulled and watering done in the heat of summer when your friends are all headed to the lake? Are you tired of paying the high cost of organic vegetables in the store but struggle to grow your own?

Well, our 2018 Garden Goals Challenge will help you find success in your garden journey!

Free Garden Course.com

So, if you follow me you probably know that I created a Free Garden Course also known as Free Organic Garden Course over Christmas break!

Days 1-8

2018GardenGoalsChallenge

For the first 8 days of 2018 I’m going to walk you through the steps of planning your garden goals so you are growing awesome nutrient dense vegetables with the least amount of work and time. Now I’m not gonna fool you and say it’s all gonna be easy but I will say it will be worth it. 

Day One is all about brainstorming! 

You can  download the first 30 days here   while you’re waiting for it to come in the mail. 

The first page is a great place to make a list of all your garden dreams! Don’t leave anything out! Do you want a pond with a water fountain in the middle? An orchard full of fruit trees? Deep beds full of healthy nutritious broccoli, tomatoes and fresh lettuce? 

Imagine anything is possible.

The first page is a great place to make a list of all your garden dreams! Don’t leave anything out!

• Do you want a pond with a water fountain in the middle?
• An orchard full of fruit trees?
• Deep beds full of healthy nutritious broccoli, tomatoes and fresh lettuce? 
• An earth friendly landscape your puppy can run around on without a worry?
• A root cellar to store your produce come winter?
• A green house to help extend your season?
• A place to market your extra produce?
• A fence to keep the deer out?
• A chicken tractor?
• Growing sweet potatoes?
• Ordering some heirloom seeds?
• Pollinator plants to attract bees and butterflies?
• Beehives full of honey?

Today I want you to start your list of gardening dreams!

Day Two Make a Plan

Let’s take your list and start to define a strategy.

The first step is to organize and prioritize your goals. I like to start with the calendar and put my goals into chronological order.

A general guess for now is fine. We’ll get to the details down the line.

• Which ones can you start now?
• Which ones do you need to wait until the ground thaws?
• Which ones do you need supplies for?
• Which ones do you have to accomplish this year?

A secret I have learned about successful gardening is that you should start with your harvest date? When do you want to be done? If you’re working on a landscape when do you want to be able to enjoy it? If you are planting vegetables when would you be harvesting? Do you have a list of seeds you want plant?

Day Three – S.M.A.R.T. GOALS

To listen to the podcast go to organicgardenerpodcast.com

The acronym S.M.A.R.T stands for

• Strategic
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

For each of your goals you are going to need to create a SMART strategy. Today we are just going to start with your most important goal you want to complete in 2018.

Succession Lettuce

Let’s say your SMART goal is to plant a bed of lettuce every week for the first 2 months of spring. It’s strategic because you want to eat healthy lettuce while it’s growing before it get’s too hot and bolts in the middle of summer. It’s measurable because you can schedule out plantings each Saturday morning perhaps starting in April through the end of May. It’s attainable because by April you should be able to get lettuce seeds started. And if you can’t you can always adjust your dates. It’s relevant because you like lettuce. It’s time bound because it will start in April and end in May.

This might seem like a lengthy process but if you really want to achieve your goals and not just say, I’m gonna put in a garden this year, it’s much more likely to be successful.

Two New Deep Beds

Another example of a smart goal might be you want to build 2 new deep beds by Spring growing season.

• Strategic – deep beds can add convenience, more space for planting, and organization to your garden.
• Measurable – you have decided you want 2 new beds.
• Attainable – you can create beds out of recycled materials or purchase new wood if needed.
• Relevant – deep beds help grow nutritious food.
• Time-bound – you can give yourself a specific deadline before June 20th the first of Summer.

Here’s a great article by Rodale’s on building deep beds in an afternoon! 

If you need more help with your S.M.A.R.T goals let me know. You are more then welcome to email me at OrganicGardenerPodcast@gmail.com and I will answer as soon as possible.

S.M.A.R.T. Market Farmer

• Strategic – Reach out to your market manager and 2 fellow farmers.
• Measurable – Yes because you did reach out or you didn’t
• Attainable – It’s attainable because you should be able to find your local market manager and fellow farmers
• Relevant – it’s important because finding out about your market is crucial to your success.
• Time-bound – you can give yourself a specific deadline like 2 months before the market opens.

Or you can post in the Organic Gardener Facebook Group or message me or Mike on Facebook.

Day Four – Research Time

What do you need to accomplish your goal?

What supplies are you going to need? Where are you going to get them?

Is your goal to plant heirloom tomatoes? Where are you going to get your seed? 

Do you have a catalog? Have you picked out varieties that are acclimated to your climate?

Do you have your seed packets? What are your harvest dates, date to maturity, can you start marking on your calendar when each variety needs to get planted?

Is your goal to sell micro-greens to your local restaurants? Have you made a list of restaurants in your area? Spoke to the chefs? Found out what their needs are? Is there a special herb they would like too?

Are you going to install a new automatic water system? Do you know someone who has one? Is there a local sprinkler service that can help?

Are you wanting to plant Sweet Potatoes? There’s a great video on Johnny’s Select Seed Site or maybe you want to bring in some beneficial insects?

Seed Resources

The Good Seed Company has been a huge source of seed for us. To listen to my interview with Robin Kelson the owner and learn about the Good Seed Company’s roots!

We’ve also used a lot of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Organic Peaceful Valley and Bountiful Gardens 

And like I said in Lesson One the Fedco Seed Catalog is highly recommended!

Some other highly recommended seed companies include:

• Seed Saver’s Exchange
• Don Tipping’s from Seven Seed Farms and Siskiyou Seeds 
• White Harvest Seed Company

Day Five – Get Organized

What do you need to do first?

For me this is the fun part. Making a list of things to do.

• If your goal is to build a deep bed, do you know what materials you’re going to choose? Where you’re going to get your soil to fill it? What you’re going to put in there? Seeds? Starts? Transplants? Where will you get them and when do they go in the ground?
• If your goal is to create a water feature for bees what’s it going to be made out of? Where will it go? How will you access water? What can they stand on while their drinking so...