Dirt mag editor takes the wheel

“It’s one thing to buy organic, and quite another to know you don’t even have to wash your beans because all that touched them was the rain,” said Dirt mag editor Becca Tucker at last year’s Kitchen Garden Tour. “Gardens conserve resources, since every bite of food gardeners grow is a bite that didn’t have to be packaged and shipped from Chile or China. But maybe most importantly, our gardens connect us to one another. Nothing is more collaborative than tending a garden together, whether it’s with your kids or your grandkids or elderly parents, or your partner or, in the case of our growing ranks of community gardens, a whole bunch of people who used to be strangers.”

The best kitchen gardens in the Black Dirt Region are opening to the public once again during Dirt’s 5th Annual Kitchen Garden tour, happening July 29. In past years the event was strictly a self-guided tour, but due to an increase in demand, Dirt added a bus ticket option for attendees, which includes a packaged vegetarian lunch provided Down 2 Earth. Dirt’s editor and gardening experts will be planning a specially curated route, and joining event attendees for the ride.

The bus tour will be stopping to visit some past favorites and new additions as well.

Some definite destinations? The garden maintained by the owners of Bell’s Mansion. They have a vineyard from which they produce their own wine, over 70 fruit trees, beets, berries, and more. The bus will also be visiting Frank Hennion, an old-school gardener who has been plotting his own produce since he was a boy growing up during World War 2.

Each stop is as bountiful as it is insightful, with each gardener offering unique tips and perspective. After touring the gardens, gardeners and event attendees meet up at farm-to-table restaurant Mohawk House to vote for their favorite gardens and enjoy locally-sourced hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and live music.

Get your tickets before they’re gone at: www.kitchengardentours.com