Space Coast Parent - January 2018

A Backyard Garden Grows
Florida Institute of
Technology master's student
Zach Eichholz, an intern at
Satellite Beach City Hall,
tends to plants at the city's
future community garden.
MALCOLM DENEMARK/
FLORIDA TODAY
KATIE PARSONS
Food has never been easier to
access. Between mailed meal kits, fast
food and all types of grocery services,
the convenience of food sometimes
overshadows the actual content. Many
families, however, are taking a step
back, reimagining their approach to
food and getting back to basics.
A Harris Interactive survey found
that 74 percent of all U.S. households
participated in lawn and garden
activities in 2016, which rose from 70
percent in 2013 and 2014. The increase
in participation levels is credited with a
growing interest in food growth.
For many local families, the best
way to teach kids about their food is
through growing some of it.
Sarah Zuhlke is a mom of two who is
on a mission to turn her outdoor space
into an edible one. Two years ago she
and husband Schuyler Michaud started
changing the landscape of both their
front and back yards. Banana,
mulberry, tomato, sweet potato,
cabbage and lettuce plants are among
the many varieties growing in their
yard.
“We take an organic approach, but
not just in our style of growing. You’ll
notice we don’t have a lot of boxes, or
rows, for what we grow. It’s all planted
where it’s planted. Not everything has
to be in a box,” Zuhlke said.
That’s not to say there isn’t a rhyme
or reason to what is planted. Zuhlke and
her family members plant based on the
seasons and what grows best in the
8 | Space Coast Parent JANUARY 2018