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6 | April 5, 2018 | 22nd century media home & garden
22ndCenturyMedia.com
A BETTER
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brands of windows and patio doors.
Harvest the power of
Fresh Raised Gardens
for healthier living
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Fresh Raised Gardens creates healthy,
organic, raised-bed vegetable gardens and
gardening solutions for families, schools
and community centers.
Its goal is to help people take control of
the foods they eat by harvesting their own
fresh produce in an easy-to-maintain raised
bed system. This family-owned business
began with the intention of creating a simple
way to grow safe, fresh food for family
and friends, but Fresh Raised Gardens
soon discovered many more reasons to
help others plant a garden, too.
Some key reasons to start a raised-bed
garden
• Take control of what the family eats.
By growing food, people can eliminate
chemicals, pesticides and waxes. Even
produce such as organic citrus fruits, outof-season
organic cucumbers and organic
apples can be waxed. Growing fresh food
from healthy soil gives people more control
over its quality, reducing concern for
those with dietary restrictions and allergies.
As a parent, anyone can take pride
in knowing they are putting earth-friendly
foods into the family’s bodies.
• Encourages children of all ages to eat
produce. Fresh Raised Gardens thank
gardening for the wide range of foods
their children love to eat. It was not until
the children began school that other parents
noticed the children ate differently.
A mother would call them up after her
child ate dinner at their house, asking
how on earth they could get her child to
eat eggplant, kohlrabi or Swiss chard.
• Get them outside and engaged. It is all
too easy to get caught up in this fastpaced
world. Sports, activities and technology
can easily eat up time. Gardening
has helped families regain a sense
of balance and well-being. It can help
slow a family’s pace, if they chose, and
allow them an excuse to put down their
screens and reconnect with each other.
A garden offers a chance for some light
exercise, and staying active keeps the
mind healthy. Working in the garden can
foster important life skills in children,
such as patience and delayed gratification.
Children have developed their love
of science in a garden when they build
real connections to topics such as photosynthesis,
worm composting and the
plant life cycle.
• Fresh is best. Food allowed to ripen on
the vine will develop its full flavor. If
one has ever eaten a tomato, strawberry
or cucumber straight from the garden,
then one knows the full flavor and texture
is almost impossible to find in any
market. Vine-ripened foods are allowed
to absorb higher levels on nutrients and
water, making garden fresh foods higher
in nutrition. In fact, some foods begin to
lose their nutritional value after they are
picked, so eating food straight from the
backyard also improves its nutrition.
Fresh Raised Gardens specializes in
raised-bed gardening, because it is a perfect
solution to areas with poor or contaminated
soil, and uneven or wet ground. A
raised bed offers less soil compaction, allowing
for easy drainage and ideal growing
conditions for root vegetables. The
loose, fertile soil of a raised bed makes
weeding a breeze and helps reduce or
eliminate the need for resorting to harmful
methods, such as weed killers. In the right
location, a raised-bed garden almost takes
care of itself.
Getting started
Putting in a garden can be a big undertaking,
so Fresh Raised Gardens have
come up with solutions where they do all
of the work.
Fresh Raised Gardens custom-builds
all gardens specifically for each client.
They offer consultations, design, installation,
improvements on existing gardens,
planting suggestions and even soil care.
From strawberry enclosures, herb gardens,
chicken coops, wheelchair accessible solutions
and planters to full community gardens,
they create gardens for all ages and
abilities.
They meet at homes or businesses, and
discuss growing conditions, assess the area,
and identify potential barriers, so they can
Please see garden, 8