From field-fresh veggies and florals to heirloom fruits and honey, you can discover the bounty of the Valley at Sweet Girl Farms.
“We’re also starting a lot of our summer crops, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, okra and other vegetable sand fruits that are coming along, so our stone fruit is growing really nicely,” says owner Liset Garcia.
Located along S. Alta Avenue in Reedley, the farm-stand is open daily. Garcia says with temperatures warming up, now is the perfect time to start garden crops.
“Even if you have a small space, you can go ahead and get started because the weather is perfect right now,” she said. “Tomatoes, zucchini, herbs are a good option to start off. Those are staples.”
If you’re just getting started, try herbs.
“The advantage of having an herb garden is that you can dry them as well, so it can be long storage for winter,” Garcia said.
Think dill, basil, cilantro and oregano.
In addition to saving space, herbs can also deter certain insects.
For those with room to garden, Garcia says stick to things your family enjoys.
“Tomatoes, those are a summer favorite,” she said. “Cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers actually do really well in our area. They’re crispy, their skin is very thin, so you don’t have to peel them. They’re easy to chop up and just munch on.”
Garcia says the soil is the most important step.
“Let’s say you have leaves around the house and you don’t know what to do with them,” she said. “They actually turn into good organic matter that you can add to the garden. Mix it up with the existing soil, and all of that will decompose and add nutrients.”
Sweet Girl Farms is open daily from 10 am – 5 pm.
Soon, Liset will be hosting gardening workshops.
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