It's the middle of 2013 and we've involuntarily downsized to an inexpensive home on a small lot in what would be called a working-class neighborhood.
Thankful for what we have: While taking a break from unloading the scores of moving boxes, we noticed the backyard was a nice square piece of property that received full sun, and it just sort of hit us that with (quite) a bit of work it could be a small organic micro-farm. Thus did the journey begin. The main workable area is about 35' by 35' (that's feet, not acres). The bottom part of the parcel is on a fairly steep hillside covered with brush and sumac trees that may one day nurture some fruit trees. The property is on the border of Zone 5a and Zone 4b, the soil is sandy, and it's very windy, especially in the spring when there aren't any leaves on the trees. Chickens, goats, bees or other small livestock aren't allowed given the small lot size.
DIY skill level: There's a DIY section on the site so I should mention that I'm somewhat handy and comfortable using a skill saw and drill, but don't own things like a tablesaw or a drill press. As far as gardening skills, we've always done some small scale gardening through the years but we're definitely not Master Gardeners. There are thousands of authoritative gardening sites out there, and i dig organics isn't one of them. Some of our ideas work, and others don't. It's a personal website and we're simply sharing our journey.
Shop local: There are many online garden supply stores but we usually use High Mowing or Johnny's Seeds for seeds and supplies we can't get locally. We have a Lowes, Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Agway, Kohls, Target, and Walmart all within a fifteen to twenty mile radius, so we try to shop local whenever possible. For the products we can't get locally, we rely on Amazon. Speaking of Amazon . . .
Amazon: There are no Google ads on the site, but there are Amazon product links that are called affiliate ads. That means if (lots of caveats) you click on a product and if you buy the product, a small commission is paid. There's no additional cost and it doesn't pay a commission unless someone actually buys the product - clicking doesn't count. There are no other affiliations with any other websites or businesses. You can read more info on our Privacy page.
Reviews: The product reviews on idigorganics.com are our opinion, and your results (and opinion) may differ. We strive to give honest reviews, and most of the products we review are ones we own and use personally. Prices are a big part of writing reviews because they impact a product's perceived value but prices change, especially with e-tailers such as Amazon. If prices are mentioned, they were accurate when the post went live and the only way to know the current price is to visit the product's website, or Amazon page.
The website: i dig organics.com is a personal blog that shares thoughts, chronicles the "farm's" growth, and allows far-flung friends and family to see how our project is coming along. I'm not a geek/IT person and still have a lot to learn about creating a website so I'd really appreciate any input as far as ways to improve the site. The site is mobile-friendly but one of the challenges is trying to figure out a balance between desktops, laptops, and various mobile devices as far as post length and image size. If you have any issues with the site's useability, please let me know (idigorganica@gmail.com). Also - when our gardening project was started we didn't know we'd be creating a website the following year, so some of the early posts might be lacking photos and some of the images aren't exactly professional.
It's August 24, 2015 as we launch the website and we're looking forward to meeting everyone.
Thanks for stopping by.
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2022 Update: It's hard to believe seven years have passed since we launched the idigorganics.com website, and almost nine years have passed since we put in the first raised beds! In late 2021 we sold our existing "farm" and moved a few miles down the road to a new-to-us place. Same size house, but much larger growing area.
The house needs quite a bit of work and we have no raised beds, prepped soil, or even a compost pile yet, but we're looking forward to the challenges ahead.
Thanks for stopping by yet again :)