How We Grow Enough Veggies to Feed Our Family Year-Round

By Lindsay Metternich | Harmony Helpers

People always ask, “Wait… you grow all your own veggies? Like, even in the winter?”And the honest answer is: Yes.Not every single thing. Not always perfectly. But enough that I hardly ever buy produce—especially during growing season.

And here's the kicker: I’m not a master gardener.I’m a mom with limited time, a basket full of trial and error, and a deep love for watching dinner grow from the dirt.

If you’ve ever dreamed of feeding your family straight from your backyard (or balcony or community plot), let me tell you—it’s so possible.

Let me show you how we do it.

🥕 Step One: Know What You Eat

Before you plant anything, ask yourself:What does my family actually like to eat?

My teenagers wouldn’t touch kale with a ten-foot pole, but they’ll snack on cherry tomatoes like candy. So we focus on:

• Carrots

• Potatoes

• Green beans

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

• Cucumbers

• Bell peppers

• Garlic

• Onions

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Herbs (especially basil, oregano, and chives)

These are the heavy hitters. Things we use in meals all the time.

🌿 Step Two: Plan for the Seasons (Yes, Even Winter)

We divide our growing into three parts:

🌱 Spring/Summer Garden

• Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers

• Fast greens like arugula and spinach

• Beans, carrots, herbs, squash✅ Goal: Fresh eating + preserve the excess

🍂 Fall Garden

• More carrots, spinach, radishes, and kale

• Cold-hardy greens and late broccoli✅ Goal: Harvest through the frost

❄️ Winter Growing/Storage

• Grow: Garlic, overwintered carrots under mulch, spinach in cold frames

• Store: Potatoes, winter squash, onions, canned tomatoes, frozen beans✅ Goal: Eat from the pantry + garden storage

🛖 Step Three: Build Soil, Not Just Beds

Good soil = good food.

We use:

• Compost from kitchen scraps, chicken litter, and garden clippings

• Mulch to protect roots and hold moisture

• Worms & microbes (thanks to compost tea and leaf mold)

I don’t over-till. I feed the soil—and the soil feeds us.

📦 Step Four: Preserve What You Grow

This is how we bridge the gap from garden-fresh to year-round:

🍅 We Can:

• Crushed tomatoes

• Salsa

• Pickles

• Apple butter

• Pasta sauce

🧄 We Dry:

• Herbs

• Onions

• Garlic

• Hot peppers

🧊 We Freeze:

• Green beans

• Corn

• Zucchini (shredded or cubed)

• Carrot coins

• Bell pepper strips

• Berries (always berries)

I take one day a week during peak harvest to “put something away.” It adds up fast.

🧺 Step Five: Grow What Lasts

Some crops are amazing because they store themselves.No freezing. No canning. Just a cool, dark place.

Try:

• Potatoes in straw-lined crates

• Onions braided and hung

• Garlic in mesh bags

• Winter squash on pantry shelves

• Carrots in a box of sand in the basement

• Cabbage wrapped in newspaper in the fridge

These crops stretch deep into winter—low effort, high reward.

🥄 Step Six: Make it a Family Thing

Everyone has a job:

• Toddlers water with mini watering cans

• Kids harvest beans and hunt for squash bugs

• Teens dig rows and help with canning

• I handle the planning, prepping, and lots of the preserving

It’s not perfect. It’s messy. But it’s ours.

And every time we sit down to a meal we grew ourselves—even just a salad—I see pride on their faces. That’s worth everything.

🌽 What You’ll Need to Get Started

You don’t need 10 acres or a greenhouse. You need:

• A sunny spot (even 4x4 feet!)

• A plan based on your meals

• Raised beds or buckets

• Seeds or starter plants

• Compost, mulch, and time

• A willingness to mess up and try again

💬 Real Talk: It's Not Always Easy

There are weeds.There are bugs.There are moments I’m over it and just want to buy frozen veggies from the store.

But then I step outside, clip a bowl of basil, and think:“We grew this.”

And that quiet joy? That knowing we’re feeding our family on purpose—season after season?That’s what keeps me going.

You can do this, too.One bed, one seed, one season at a time.

And if you ever need a cheerleader, I’m just a message away.

— Lindsay