Times are getting tough for many with layoffs, closings and furloughs but if you have the space, gardening and canning could be a way to help your family.

When I was growing up, my parents always had a garden and always did some canning and in fact my parents still do this to this day.

If you actually have a yard or maybe a family member has a piece of land big enough to spare some room for some vegetable to grow now is the perfect time to get started.

Growing a garden, canning and freezing certain vegetable saved my parents tons of money, plus as a family we ate food that was much better for us.

You can grow just about anything you buy at the store in the state of Michigan. Now yes there are some fruits and vegges where this states growing season is not long enough to grow certain things but for the most part you can grow about anything here.

It may take some research on what are the best seeds for the area and when to plant and harvest. Plus with all the deer, rabbits and other critters, you will need to protect your garden from the wildlife.

There is still time for you to plant corn, potatoes, green beans, carrots, squash, pumpkins, watermelon, peppers, onions, cucumbers and so much more.

There is a lot of great information on the internet and even YouTube when it comes to growing your own garden. Plus there are canning videos out there and a variety of ways to freeze vegetables and fruits. Also if you have the space for a root cellar, you can store things like potatoes and apples for quite a long time. Now don't even get me started on a smoke house...lol.

If you have the space or access to it, gardening will save your family a ton of money, give you some exercise, a great way to keep you busy, provide a way to social distance and get some quality time with a family member if you do it as a team. Plus during hard times this is a great way to help take care of your family.

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