Whether you are walking along your neighborhood sidewalk for a morning stroll or walking through a pasture carrying morning slop, we can all agree that these 70-degree mornings are incredibly welcome.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, these humid days will melt away as September progresses ushering in a rainy October. The farms that grow for Webb City Farmers Market have already been diligently putting in cold weather crops like broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Now with the cold nights, we can put in the more delicate delights like spinach, lettuce, or kale.

That is exactly what is happening out at Oakwoods Farm where, along with getting the winter’s lettuce plugs planted, they are in the process of completing a new high tunnel. This tunnel will be 150 ft making it the largest Doug and Karen have ever worked. I’ll be heading out to purchase some of her excess Kale plants and also checking in on this new construction that has the farm in a flurry of activity.

My children are looking forward to coming home tonight to help get our new plants from Karen’s farm in the soil. We have Brussel sprouts growing and just this weekend planted 24 collard green starts, which is nothing when some of our farms plant over 2,000. Thank a farmer right!? 

There’s no way, with all my obligations, that I can maintain a garden of the magnitude needed to satisfy my children’s appetites, but growing some household favorites can be a memorable reward.

Of course, gardening provides the satisfying crunch of vegetables grown by your own hands, with flavors only experienced with freshly picked products. I believe the best rewards of gardening are ones never to be seen. Those being patience, and the capacity to care for something and spend time learning about it; the full circle connection to what you are eating, where it came from, and pride in how it got to your plate.

If you are looking to get hooked on a healthy pastime, then gardening can be your therapy. Anyone, seriously anyone, can garden to some level. Your garden can be a few herbs in a window sill, a backyard full of plants, or a sunny side yard with a raised bed. The fact is, the rewards come free with any effort.