Growing up on a farm, gardening was a way of life. My mom had a huge garden and the produce carried our large family through the long, cold Minnesota winters. I come from a long line of gardeners.

 

I have fond memories of picking the prickly cucumbers and a plethora of other vegetables from our oversized garden. We have blanched upwards of 75 dozen ears of fresh sweet corn grown on my mom’s farm every year for the past 15+ years. Fresh sweet corn and other garden vegetables brighten a dreary day during the dead of winter when the garden is fast asleep under the crust of snow and ice. Each bite is a memory of sweet summer. 

 

My mom’s sister Verna (Wipper) did a lot of canning. It wasn’t uncommon to see the kitchen table full of green beans. The kids got in on the fun by helping snap the beans during the canning process. My grandma Larson canned scrumptious dill pickles. We have tried to re-create them without much success. 

 

As adults, many of my siblings and I have gardens and enjoy the harvest of fresh fruits and vegetables. The benefits of having a garden are many. Gardening provides a chance to enjoy the great outdoors and the beauty of nature and is a wholesome, simple approach to putting meals on the table each day. Although avid gardeners enjoy gardening as a hobby. It is hard work. 

 

Fast forward 45 years and life has changed a great deal. Much of what people consume nowadays is processed and boxed food. In our fast paced life, many families choose not to have a garden.

 

Unfortuately, in our busy world, gardening and canning is a wholesome tradition that has fallen by the wayside to some extent. People are often in the fast lane. Or the fast food lane!  

 

Kelly (Graning) Johnson of Becker learned to can with her Grandma Rosella Graning. Kelly has been canning for the past seven to eight years. Kelly shared these thoughts about her hobby: “Before I started doing my own canning and pickling, I helped my sister doing pickles and green beans. I remember Grandma Rosella canning pickles and making sauerkraut. I also remember my other grandma (Donna Johnson) canning pickles and freezing produce from the garden. We blanched corn, green beans, rutabagas, tomatoes and more and thoroughly enjoyed eating them in the winter! I was blessed with the opportunity to continue canning and pickling once I got married. I pickled green beans at my mother-in-law's (Kathy Johnson) and with my husbands’ grandmothers (Donna Johnson and Shirley Cox). Kelly’s husband Isaac also helped with the process. We have such wonderful memories!” 

 

Kelly cans and pickles a variety of items, including tomatoes, salsa, bloody mary mix, spaghetti sauce, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, jalapenos, hot pepper jelly and venison, just to name a few. The past few years, Kelly has also made horseradish pickles, which are a crowd favorite! She usually freezes corn, squash, zucchini, and apples for winter. Kelly’s son Jacob loves applesauce, so she makes that every year. 

 

Most of the produce Kelly uses is from her parents’ garden (Leonard and Terry Graning). Kellys’ three sons (Jacob, Owen and Liam) are great helpers and look forward to gathering fresh fruit and vegetables from their grandfather’s farm. Kelly remembers growing up that the shelves at the Lange Home her grandmother owned south of Santiago for the past 50+ years were full of canned goods until health codes became stricter and served canned goods was no longer allowed. 

 

The Johnson boys are anxious to pick their grandpa Leo's huge pumpkins this fall. Their grandmothers would be proud! 

 

Another local person who loves to garden and can is John Brennan of Becker. John loves the outdoors and has a very natural approach to life. Gardening fits right into that mentality. “My dad (Tom Brennan) got me interested in gardening when I was young. He wanted a garden and I was willing to help help.” John says. 

 

John starts growing plants inside the house the end of March/early April (usually Final Four weekend). “In between watching games, I work on getting my plants going”, John shared. 

 

Starting in May (usually until November) John works in the garden typically seven days per week after putting in a full work day. Brennan often works outside until dark and usually eats a late supper because of his gardening hobby, which he considers therapeutic. He grows watermelons, muskmelons, cucumbers, beets, jalapenos, red peppers, potatoes, squash and also cans some of the produce he grows. John feels it is important to eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and anything God has made. He enjoys blessing people with his bounty of produce.

 

His gardening season usually winds down in November. However, last year he recalled that he enjoyed a kale smoothie on Christmas Eve! The kale was frozen but still nutritious.

 

Once fall arrives and the gardening chores wane, John starts chopping firewood to heat the house for his family, which includes wife Fayth and three children Stefan, Levi and Naomi. Despite the fact that gardening is hard work, John has always enjoyed it. He finds working outside in all weather relaxing and invigorating. 

 

I think teaching children how to garden is a sweet legacy and a wonderful way to carry on family traditions of days gone by, I am grateful we grew up gardening! The benefits of gardening are many; including eating fresh, healthy foods that God made and enjoying the great outdoors.

 

Even people who live in town can garden by using containers on their deck. If you opt not to grow a garden, you can find delicious, locally grown fruits, vegetables and other items by supporting our local farmers' markets. Becker Farmer’s Market is held Fridays from 3-6 and runs through the middle of October in the parking lot of Becker Furniture World.