Raised bed gardens are seen at the North Alabama Agriplex on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Locally and nationwide, people’s minds are on growing their own food. Perhaps that’s simply because it’s early spring and planting season is in full swing. Or perhaps, in part, it’s a reaction to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as grocery stores limit their hours, temporarily run out of food staples, and face the kind of customer demand that reminds people that nothing in life is guaranteed.

Whether the reason’s either of those or a mixture of both, local interest in DIY food growing is high. Stores like Chambers Farm and Garden Supply in Cullman and Gibbs Garden Center at Holly Pond were too slammed with customers Tuesday to get bogged down in a phone chat about the phenomenon — and if that means more people are getting into gardening, that’s no bad thing.

Rachel Dawsey, director of the North Alabama Agriplex, says she’s seen a definite surge in interest in do-it-yourself food cultivation this year, whether it’s from family who know she’s the person to ask, or simply people in the community looking to the Agriplex as a first stop for learning about home-grown agriculture.

“Oh, it’s been so much,” she says. “I’ve been getting a lot of questions, even from people all the way in Texas! A lot of people are interested in raised bed gardening, and want us to help them make their own or share our raised bed plans. And I know a lot of our people — people like master gardener Mike Weems, who does hydroponics for us — they’ve been getting a lot of interest from people, too.”

Even though the pandemic has put a stop on the Agriplex’s busy April calendar of events, the eagerness to tap the know-how of local green thumb experts is keeping Dawsey and everyone else in the gardening game plenty busy. But what kind of stuff should people be planting in the first place?

“Well, will we have another deep freeze or frost? That’s the big question,” says Dawsey. “I already planted zucchinis, but I haven’t planted tomatoes yet. We’re right on the borderline right now for when the cold goes away for the rest of the season, so right now is a good time for harvesting salad greens if you’ve already planted them.

“After that, everything can go in when the cold goes away: peppers, squash, tomatoes. April 16th is projected to be our last possible frost date, so that’s kind of the all-clear on summer veggies. In the summertime, you can’t plant cool-season stuff like snow peas, kale, spinach — that type of green stuff. So that gives you another whole season to look forward to in the fall, which is a great time to grow cool-season veggies.”

It’s not just produce that piques people’s interest; there’s also plenty to go around for bees, backyard chickens, and even hobby farming to raise cattle, goats, pigs, and other livestock. Dawsey says a lot of those, like the yard chickens, are popular year in and year out, but that they’ve certainly not taken a back seat to the renewed interest in growing your own garden.

If you’re wanting to get into the world of DIY food raising, the Agriplex’s website (agriplex.org) is a great place to start. Also great is Wallace State Community College’s Small Farmer Training program, under the direction of local farmer Travis Kress. Contact Kress at travis.kress@wallacestate.edu for more information.