BILLINGS — Hundreds of people gathered at the Billings Public Library on Saturday for the Community Seed Swap, where participants picked up free seeds and learned skills to start their own gardens.
Among those who have already embraced homegrown food are Mindy and Andrew Boll, a Billings couple who have spent the past eight years turning their quarter-acre garden into a steady supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Watch Mindy and Andrew Boll talk about their garden journey:
"It's really, really amazing to grow your own produce. I mean, nothing tastes the same as a homegrown strawberry or grapes," Mindy Boll said.
From the beginning, the couple made investments in their property.
"We put in a fruit orchard and a vineyard and raised garden beds," Mindy Boll said.
They acknowledge that getting started is not without financial hurdles.
"There's a pretty big initial cost to start up," Andrew Boll said.
To keep expenses low, the Bolls used recycled materials left over from their home.
"We tend to spend as little as necessary," Andrew Boll said.
The payoff, they said, comes once plants are established and begin producing year after year without the grocery store price tag.
"Once the trees are bought, if you can keep them alive, they'll produce over many years," Andrew Boll said.
Their garden now yields a wide variety of produce, including raspberries, potatoes and carrots.
"150 pounds of potatoes. So we haven't had to buy potatoes all winter and use them all the time," Mindy Boll said.
"Raspberries are expensive to buy in the store. And you can buy a couple canes and get them going for the price that it would cost you to buy two, three packets," Mindy Boll said.
The couple says, on average, a package of seeds can cost three to five dollars.
Montana State University Extension Horticulture Agent Anthony Sammartano says gardening has taken on added significance in today's economy.
"Being able to kind of have a way to feed yourself and feed your family is vital," Sammartano said.
He says the barrier to entry is lower than many people think.
"It can be as simple as putting out a pot with a seed in it and letting that grow there," Sammartano said.
However, Sammartano warns that plants face real threats that can devastate a crop.
"There's fire blight for apples. There's verticillium wilt. There's cytospora canker. There's all sorts of different fungus and bacteria that can come out and wreak havoc," Sammartano said.
Despite those challenges, the Bolls say the food they grow is fresher, more nutritious, and far less costly than store-bought alternatives.
"Knowing that what we're growing in well-cultivated, good nutrient-rich soil is more nourishing for the body," Mindy Boll said.
