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"With the price of fuel going up, everything is going to soar in price," Bushika said. "I think people are going to get a real surprise as the year goes on. I figured instead of cutting the grass, we'll see how this goes."
Nowicki said the pair has always eaten fresh vegetables in the summer, but has purchased them from Grandma Moses farm in Cambridge, N.Y.
"We really like the farm, but we spend $20 to $30 in gas to make the trip now, and then another $20 to $30 on vegetables," she said. "In the end, this is going to be worth it, especially if you see the price of vegetables in the stores right now."
The couple purchased a rototiller a few months ago and set out to ready a 20-foot by 80-foot plot for their garden. After pulling out hundreds of stones and some very long pine tree roots, Bushika headed over to his friend's farm to purchase manure to mix with the topsoil.
"I got a really good deal from
Nowicki said they have been told they've planted too much for just two people -- 74 tomato plants, 20 stalks of corn, numerous heads of lettuce in at least four varieties and countless squash and bean plants.
"If we have too much, then we'll put out a roadside table and work with the honor system," Bushika said. "I also make a lot of sauces and we'll be canning. We've also got a nice, good dry cellar that can function as a root cellar for some of the items -- just like the old days."
Returning to the land for food in times of economic struggle isn't unusual, according to Bruce Butterfield, research director at the National Gardening Association in Burlington, Vt., who said 25 million U.S. households, or 22 percent, had vegetable gardens in 2007.
"We've seen it before when times get hard," he said Thursday. "While you can't control the craziness of recession, you can be an environmental steward in your own backyard."
The number of households could increase as much as 10 percent this year, he said, as food and gasoline prices, along with food safety concerns, increase.
Local greenhouses also reported an increase in the number of vegetable seedlings being sold this spring.
"We definitely have seen an increase," Paulette Morin, who owns Mt. Greylock Greenhouses in Adams, with her husband, Tom, and son, David, said Thursday. "We sold out of tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts early on. Everything else went too."
She said tomato plants sold out after reports of a nationwide salmonella outbreak hit the news.
"We also had some people who were starting gardens for the first time because of the prices," Morin said. "There was a definite increase -- we usually have a good season, but this year was tremendous."
James Renton, of Renton's Farmland Market on Route 2 in Williamstown, also saw a surge in vegetable and tomato plant sales.
"People are saving on gas and planting their own gardens to beat the high prices at the stores," he said.
In North Adams and Adams, six neighborhood gardens are in full swing under the program Northern Berkshire Grows, which is administered by the REACH Community Health Foundation.
"REACH focuses on nutrition, and we understand the barriers that can keep people from eating fruits and vegetables -- not being familiar with different types of vegetables, the expense of purchasing certain varieties and not knowing how to prepare them," Jennifer Munoz, Get Fit program co-manager for REACH, said Thursday. "There's a lot of food insecurity in this area, so we're teaching people how to grow their own food. Being able to grow your own food is a skill we've lost in just two or three generations."
She said the program began two years ago, under the auspices of her predecessor, with a small amount of grant money that began in the Brayton and Greylock apartments neighborhoods. The program expanded last year to the Mohawk Forest neighborhood and at the Louison House in Adams, and continued to grow this year with the addition of the Tunnel Brooke Townhouses and the United Neighborhood Organization/ Bracewell Avenue neighborhoods.
"We've basically been working in neighborhoods that have community groups through the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition because there is already some organization there," Munoz said. "When we identify an area of interest, we find a garden leader for the project and find a space in the neighborhood. Then we approach the property manager or owner."
From there, a series of small wooden box gardens is installed, she said, and planting parties are organized. A weekly garden club is also formed.
"We observe what is taking place in the garden, weed and water, along with harvest," Munoz said. "Whoever participates that week is welcome to take home as much or as little of the harvest."
She said the plantings begin with Chinese sugar snap peas, lettuce, radishes and onions. In late May, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash are planted.
"We're teaching people a low-tech way of growing vegetables in a small space," Munoz said. "But, we're also getting families and kids to try vegetables that might not try or buy. It's amazing to see how many kids say they wouldn't eat a certain vegetable, but once they've harvested it, they pop it right in their mouths."
The excitement of harvesting your own vegetables isn't just reserved for children either.
Back in Adams, Nowicki and Bushika were marveling at the ease of walking outside to grab just the right amount of lettuce for a salad.
"I can't wait for the tomatoes," Nowicki said. "The other day I discovered small tomatoes on a few vines and was just so excited."
"It's also amazing how fast things grow," Bushika said, pulling out a bulbous red radish. "We planted these about three weeks ago and they're already ready. I'm sure this is going to work out great -- I'm already planning on adding another 400-square-feet to it next year, so we'll have more space."
