Micah and Ashley Venhaus of MV Produce are natives to the Llano Estacado region. Micah grew up in Tulia, and Ashley was born and raised in Lubbock. Both went to Texas Tech, where Micah studied Horticulture, specializing in Greenhouse Production and Hydroponics, and Ashley studied Business Management. After graduation, they knew they wanted to combine … Continued

Plants growing in healthy soil are more likely to survive, produce a larger harvest and have more resilience to weather extremes. In the Llano Estacado region, an essential step to building soil health is to plant green cover crops that allow beneficial soil organisms to thrive and multiply. A green cover crop is grown in … Continued

If you planted any herbs this spring, you have probably encountered a surplus of them after our recent moisture. If you’re looking for ways to use them, there are numerous ways to incorporate herbs into your cooking. Here are some suggested uses for the herbs we mentioned in our post, “Growing Herbs on the Llano … Continued

Why Grow Herbs? An age-old adage says that small changes can make a big difference. This is certainly true for anyone who has tasted the difference between store-bought herbs and fresh ones. The flavors of fresh herbs are more robust, vibrant, and delicious, and growing your own is one more way to become more self-sustaining … Continued

Mark Hilliard of Plainview, TX has built a “do-it-yourself” greenhouse that is worth taking a look at! The foundation rectangle is made from wollmanized 2 x 6 boards–measuring 7 feet wide on the inside and 8′ 5″ long, also on the inside–that’s so the livestock panel will arch up for clearance over your head. The … Continued

Guest post by Beth Roesler Elizabeth Roesler is an OC Community Intern. Originally from Chicago, Beth is pursuing a Masters degree in Wildlife at Texas Tech University, followed by a Ph.D. During the next 5 years of studying and residing in Lubbock, Beth is working to establish a community garden, located at Ave. X and … Continued

Pollinators are essential to the growth of fruits and vegetables. It is estimated that pollinators contribute almost $3 billion dollars to fruit and vegetable production, and anywhere from $1.6 billion to $8.3 billion for agricultural crops–not to mention their contributions to gardeners! The most common insect pollinators are bees, followed by wasps, moths, butterflies, and … Continued

Guest post by Kristen Bingham Potatoes are a food staple that can be used in a variety of ways, from a side dish to a delicious main course in the form of potato soup. In this guest post, Kristen Bingham shares some ways she harvested these tubers without having to spend time tilling soil. Potato … Continued

The community of local growers and producers in the Llano Estacado is expanding! It’s exciting to find new local producers and see what each of them offer to our region. One such team of producers that we had the pleasure of meeting are Lucinda Mann and Susan Sweeden, the owners of Juicy Lucy’s Veggies. Lucinda … Continued

Many local gardeners in the Llano Estacado region are currently surrounded by little green sprouts that will soon be transplanted into fertile soil. But for those of us who don’t have the time or space to grow things from seed, or for those things that can’t be grown from seed, browsing for plants to transplant … Continued

Guest Post by Darryl Birkenfeld You may not think of it, but a gardener is a home builder–not an abode for children or family, but a shelter for the multitudes of living organisms in the soil (learn about the soil food web at this link). Could human beings live in a house without a roof? … Continued

Photo Credit Many beginning gardeners will spend a lot of time planning out their garden, selecting the perfect seed, and sprouting plants. While each of these things are necessary, they forget one of the most important components of a successful garden: soil. Soil is the foundation of your garden. To provide your plants with the … Continued