This backyard garden, at 23 East Chestnut Avenue in Merchantville, featuring an overhead irrigation system, is an inspiration to Incredible Edible and everyone who values sustainable land practices and food justice - especially during times like these. Taken on June 15th, 1937, it shows (left to right) B. Smith, William Hurg, Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Hahn, Mr. Hahn Sr., J. Hannigan, and J.D. Campbell, standing under a high-tech, state of art, overhead irrigation system. The photo was shared by the Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission on their Facebook timeline. 1925-31 Courier Post ads for pure bred Barred Rock Cockerels and hatching eggs.

After 6-year battle a Florida couple won the right to plant vegetables in their front yard. Hermine Ricketts and her husband, Tom Carroll, planted in front of their home in Miami Shores, FL on the day a Florida law went into effect that nullifies local bans on vegetable gardens at residential properties. That ordinance, which was tightened to forbid vegetables in the front yard on the grounds that they were unsightly and imposed a daily $50 fine - had forced the couple to uproot a garden in 2013 that Ricketts had tended for 17 years. But, she lawyered up, reached out to Institute for Justice and after six years they won! An appeals court also ruled against Ricketts, but the Florida Legislature passed a bill protecting vegetable gardens, and last week Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Rutgers Cooperative Extension announces its webinar series “Earth Day at Home”. This series will focus on steps everyone can take to protect the environment. Join us on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. to learn from experts at Rutgers Cooperative Extension. These live, interactive sessions will be 1 hour. To join you need either a computer, tablet, or smartphone with speakers. Every week we will cover small actions that together reduce negative impacts on the environment. Monday, May 11th join us for Home Vegetable Gardening for Food, Fun and Stress Management. We can all do our part to take actions that make our homes more sustainable, from environmentally friendly lawn care, to composting, to reducing plastic waste. These actions, more than ever, start at home.

Growing celery from the base of the stalks is a fun project that couldn't be easier—plus, it's great to do with kids. The celery sprouts surprisingly fast and, except for the cutting part, even very young children can do the whole project. If you are looking for activities to teach science and math skills, have the kids measure how fast the celery grows. There are two ways to do the project: using just water or in a container with potting soil. If you are just sprouting in water, this project can be a good one for winter when it's particularly fun to see something green and growing indoors.

Potatoes prefer cool weather and can be planted very early in the gardening season—as you soon as the frost is out of the soil and you are able to work the soil. In Northern regions, some gardeners will plant the first crop of early-maturing potatoes in early to mid-April, 6 to 8 weeks before the average last frost date or as soon as the soil can be worked. They can survive some cool weather but the threat of frost is a gamble. If there is a threat of frost at night, temporarily cover any sprouted foliage with mulch or an artificial covering such as old sheets or plastic containers - and be sure to remember to remove the coverings in the morning. Choose a location that gets full sun—at least 6 hours each day - and grow potatoes in trenched rows spaced about 3 feet apart.