Page 144 - The Hunt - Spring 2022

FOOD & DRINK
The Dawn of the Nano-Farmer
Satisfying our primal desire to grow (some) of what we eat.
Basic human needs include food, water, sleep, shelter and a good Internet connection. There also remains the primal instinct to dig one’s fingers into fertile soil. To personally grow a tasting
portion of our favorite produce, whether it’s a pot of herbs on the kitchen counter, cherry tomatoes in a patio garden or a few rows of corn or beans stolen from the once-cultivated grass of our backyards. Sometimes, growing ferns and petunias is just not enough.
This yearning for nano-farming has only increased with the many pandemic lockdowns, introducing us to the solitude semi-rural living. Rich Hanrahan has witnessed this transformation as manager of Gateway Garden Center in Hockessin, where an increasing number of new customers have sought his guidance in finding a way back to
the garden. “During COVID, it suddenly became trendy to become gardeners overnight,” he notes.“We had Victory Gardens during World War I and World War II,” says Mike McGrath, host of NPR’s You Bet Your Garden. “COVID is like World War III—and it brought a new generation of Victory Gardens.”
Gardening is simple with a little planning. You’ll need good soil
to start, whether it’s a compost-enriched plot in the backyard or a store-bought soil mixture for patio containers and raised beds. You also have to know which plants need lots of water and which ones just a little. The same is true with sunlight, as different plants need different amounts of it. Protection from insects is important, too. How will you kill bugs and treat diseases in the most environmentally sound way?
142 THE HUNT MAGAZINE spring 2022
By RogeR MoRRis