Janet and Danny Roten

I’ve gardened all of my life– in OR, WA and we’ve gardened as a couple, starting in Puebla, Pue., Mexico, in the ’80’s.

Gardening in OK seemed like a breeze until we hit “the year of the bug”, then the drought, then the extended flooding with the spring rains of 2015. Seeing all the specially prepared topsoil wash down the driveway, I gave up on raising our own vegetables, until……….

…last year. I saw an ad for “Learn to Straw Bale Garden” on Facebook. Intrigued, we researched, then threw ourselves into the project, ordering heirloom seeds, buying heirloom plants from an entrepreneur at a state home school convention, even finding straw bales just down the road, at a local farm.

Through trial and a lot of error, we had a garden!! Joel Karsten’s book, “Straw Bale Gardens–Complete” guided us to success!! We started with 22 bales and grews 2 types of tomatoes, radishes, lettuce, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, spaghetti squash, cantaloupe, herbs, green beans, plus my pride and joy– a beautiful pumpkin field!!

This bonding with the soil and producing our own vegetables, blessing our family, contributing to our community, has made us appreciate Oklahoma. My native American ancestors would approve.