ahhhhh, how sweet it is…..wisewomangardening.weebly.com/.../4/12440766/06ss_sweet.pdfahhhhh, how...

AHHHHH, HOW SWEET IT IS….. Shirley Salmon grins from ear to ear from the back of her truck at the Cadillac Farmers Market. Despite the steady rain customers are buying up her honey, herbs and starter plants. While new to the WISEWOMAN Entrepreneurial Gardening Program, Shirley is no stranger to farming. She and her husband had a truck farm. “We had five acres in vegetables, some acres in berries and fruit trees too,” said Shirley. “But when he passed away I sold everything.” But she couldn’t stay away from the “farm”. She managed a farmers market for 15 years. “Talking with those farmers I learned a lot,” she said. Loaded with the knowledge they had shared and some help from WISEWOMAN, Shirley began selling at the Cadillac Farmer’s Market. She has focused her growing efforts on starter plants and herbs. “My property is very shaded, so I’m limited in what I can grow. I had to grow in containers, things I could move around the property in order to capture the light.” Shirley also sells honey from her small apiary that includes five hives. Late this growing season, Shirley had several large trees on her property cut down. With the arrival of “lots of sunshine” she has plans to put up a hoophouse. “I would like to be able to get my product out earlier.” She also hopes to establish several raised bed gardens. “I want to do bunches of cilantro and parsley or try some chamomile for teas. Plans to expand her apiary are also in the works. But for Shirley, the gardening is just part of it. “One of my favorite parts of the program is gathering with the other WISEWOMAN gardeners. We share ideas, listen to each other’s stories. We find out we all have the same problems. ere is such camaraderie. We see each other on the street and say “Hi WISEWOMAN!!” Shirley credits the WISEWOMAN Entrepreneurial Gardening Program with many things, but one stands out most. “It’s given me the confidence that I can do this. I wasn’t sure at first, but now I know I can. I look forward to it every day. Growing and gardening gives me a purpose.”

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aHHHHH, How sweet It Is…..

Shirley Salmon grins from ear to ear from the back of her truck at the Cadillac Farmers Market. Despite the steady rain customers are buying up her honey, herbs and starter plants.

While new to the WISEWOMAN Entrepreneurial Gardening Program, Shirley is no stranger to farming. She and her husband had a truck farm. “We had five acres in vegetables, some acres in berries and fruit trees too,” said Shirley. “But when he passed away I sold everything.”

But she couldn’t stay away from the “farm”. She managed a farmers market for 15 years. “Talking with those farmers I learned a lot,” she said. Loaded with the knowledge they had shared and some help from WISEWOMAN, Shirley began selling at the Cadillac Farmer’s Market.

She has focused her growing efforts on starter plants and herbs. “My property is very shaded, so I’m limited in what I can grow. I had to grow in containers, things I could move around the property in order to capture the light.” Shirley also sells honey from her small apiary that includes five hives.

Late this growing season, Shirley had several large trees on her property cut down. With the arrival of “lots of sunshine” she has plans to put up a hoophouse. “I would like to be able to get my product out earlier.” She also hopes to establish several raised bed gardens. “I want to do bunches of cilantro and parsley or try some chamomile for teas. Plans to expand her apiary are also in the works.

But for Shirley, the gardening is just part of it. “One of my favorite parts of the program is gathering with the other WISEWOMAN gardeners. We share ideas, listen to each other’s stories. We find out we all have the same problems. There is such camaraderie. We see each other on the street and say “Hi WISEWOMAN!!” Shirley credits the WISEWOMAN Entrepreneurial Gardening Program with many things, but one stands out most. “It’s given me the confidence that I can do this. I wasn’t sure at first, but now I know I can. I look forward to it every day. Growing and gardening gives me a purpose.”