Willinghams’ vegetable garden has the whole clan chipping in

The recent economic downturn and other national events have renewed Tracy and Pete (Joe Jr.) Willingham's concern for their family's safety and security. As parents of five, the two need assurance that regardless of future instability, their family will have the ability to provide for themselves.
"The main reason for the garden is that no matter what the government does, my family will eat," Pete said.
"We enjoy doing things the hard way," Tracy said. "Pete has actually said that when we don't go to the grocery store, we eat better."
Pete and Tracy were unable to grow a garden when they lived in an apartment in Pell City. After some discussion, Pete approached his father with a proposition. He wanted permission from his parents to grow a garden on their property on Scenic Drive in Gadsden.
"I have the labor. Dad has the property," Pete said.
Joe and Peggy were pleased to oblige, but the family had one major obstacle — no one had any gardening experience.
Joe and Peggy Willingham and their two children moved into their home 30 years ago. Once, Joe helped a neighbor grow a garden on the same plot. At her death, they learned that she had willed the property to Joe. In March, Peggy attended a vegetable gardening workshop in North Gadsden conducted by agents from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, collecting gardening literature and taking precise notes for her son. In the meantime, Pete gathered additional knowledge online for the project.
Before planting time, Tracy and Pete explained to the children that the family was going to raise a garden and learn how to grow food. Joe Sr. took on the role of garden manager, going for tools and materials (going for this, and going for that — a gopher).
After the initial note-taking, Peggy's work was done — for the moment. Now on the weekends she cooks and cleans for the gardeners, earning herself the title of "chief cook and bottle washer."
Rejecting any praise for the beautiful vegetable garden on their property, Joe Sr. and Peggy insist that the credit belongs to Pete, Tracy and the children. Before beginning the project, Pete conducted a soil test. The test showed that the soil needed lime. He turned and disked the soil and applied lime along with a complete fertilizer, formula 13/13/1/3.
Next he drew a garden layout. "We determined what to plant by asking everyone to tell us their favorite food," Pete said.
The weekend before Easter, the family arrived to begin the project. "I used golf balls to lay out the design, designating individual areas for corn, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, squash, beans, cabbage, watermelon, peanuts, zucchini, carrots, dill and basil," Pete said. "The dill was planted as a sacrificial plant to keep insects off the other plants," Pete said. "Next we installed posts and attached cord to them to designate rows."
"The beginning was the hardest part," 13-year-old Nikki said.
"Hoeing was the worst," Joel, 15, added.
"Raking was hard, too," Nikki said.
"While they were hoeing, I grabbed the weed-eater and did the weeding," Pete said.
Once the preparation was complete, seeds were sown and plants were set. Rows were planted three feet apart.
Pete said, "We scattered seeds down the rows and when they came up, we thinned them out."
A real work of art, the garden covers a fifth of an acre.
Bamboo frames constructed over bean plants provide a place for them to climb. Early Girl, Celebrity, and Better Boy tomatoes are enclosed within wire cages for support.
The ground around the Crimson and Sugar-baby watermelon plants is covered with wheat straw.
"I got the bamboo from a man down the road, who wanted to get rid of it," Pete said. "Each pole was over 40 feet long.
The wire cages are made from hog-wire and Dad purchased the wheat straw from Lowe's."
Skeletons of milk jugs are stationed at the four corners of the outer perimeter of the garden. Joe improvised the system to keep deer away. Inside each jug is a rag soaked with Dear Stop, and so far the scheme has worked.
"When we started the garden, Steve Reagan, a neighbor down the road said we were raising a real deer buffet. We're trying to make sure that doesn't happen," Pete said.
Since beginning the garden, Pete, a diesel mechanic, submitted a request for the night shift at harvest time.
"We're an old-fashioned family. We eat dinner together each night and do homework together. We don't have cable TV or the Internet, and we don't have cell phones," Pete said.
"The children have chores," Tracy added. "They each clean their own room and complete a list of chores, which I post."
"That's why I like the garden," 8-year-old Kelsey said softly, "because we all work together."
Pete said, "We enjoy being here together on the weekend. When the vegetables come in, 10 percent will go to the church. We'll freeze or can 40 percent, and 50 percent will be taken to the farmers' market. Joel turns 16 in August, and this will give him a chance to earn extra money for himself."
Tyler, 15, and Blake, 16, were not present the day I interviewed the family, but they say the two teens have played an integral part in the planting and maintenance of the garden.

"The beginning was the hardest part," 13-year-old Nikki said.
"Hoeing was the worst," Joel, 15, added.
"Raking was hard, too," Nikki said.
"While they were hoeing, I grabbed the weed-eater and did the weeding," Pete said.
Once the preparation was complete, seeds were sown and plants were set. Rows were planted three feet apart.
Pete said, "We scattered seeds down the rows and when they came up, we thinned them out."
A real work of art, the garden covers a fifth of an acre.
Bamboo frames constructed over bean plants provide a place for them to climb. Early Girl, Celebrity, and Better Boy tomatoes are enclosed within wire cages for support.
The ground around the Crimson and Sugar-baby watermelon plants is covered with wheat straw.
"I got the bamboo from a man down the road, who wanted to get rid of it," Pete said. "Each pole was over 40 feet long.
The wire cages are made from hog-wire and Dad purchased the wheat straw from Lowe's."
Skeletons of milk jugs are stationed at the four corners of the outer perimeter of the garden. Joe improvised the system to keep deer away. Inside each jug is a rag soaked with Dear Stop, and so far the scheme has worked.
"When we started the garden, Steve Reagan, a neighbor down the road said we were raising a real deer buffet. We're trying to make sure that doesn't happen," Pete said.
Since beginning the garden, Pete, a diesel mechanic, submitted a request for the night shift at harvest time.
"We're an old-fashioned family. We eat dinner together each night and do homework together. We don't have cable TV or the Internet, and we don't have cell phones," Pete said.
"The children have chores," Tracy added. "They each clean their own room and complete a list of chores, which I post."
"That's why I like the garden," 8-year-old Kelsey said softly, "because we all work together."
Pete said, "We enjoy being here together on the weekend. When the vegetables come in, 10 percent will go to the church. We'll freeze or can 40 percent, and 50 percent will be taken to the farmers' market. Joel turns 16 in August, and this will give him a chance to earn extra money for himself."
Tyler, 15, and Blake, 16, were not present the day I interviewed the family, but they say the two teens have played an integral part in the planting and maintenance of the garden.

from http://www.gadsdentimes.com/