And the Winners are…

In case you didn’t already know, we host an ongoing writing contest. Members of the [Grow] Network write in to share their knowledge and experience about gardening, homesteading, and home medicine – and they get a chance to win some really great prizes. This round of the writing contest kicked off back in May. And, well… today is everybody’s favorite day – the day when we announce the winners!

First off, let me say that I’ve been really impressed with the writing contest entries we’ve received. We’ve heard about some useful tricks for the kitchen and the garden, some pretty sophisticated greenhouse technology, and a few inspirational stories as well. So, thank you all for sharing.

We would also like to thank all of our great sponsors, who make the contest possible. Please show your support by visiting our sponsors. Here is a list of the prizes our sponsors have provided for this round of the writing contest:

First Place (5 prizes valued at $741):

• A 21.5 quart pressure canner from All American, a $380 value
• 1 year of free membership in the [Grow] Network Lab, a $240 value
• The complete 2014 Grow Your Own Food Summit interview series, a $47 value
• A copy of the Grow Your Own Groceries DVD video set, a $42 value
• A copy of the Alternatives to Dentists DVD video, a $32 value

Second Place (5 prizes valued at $480):

• A Survival Still emergency water purification still, a $279 value
• A copy of the complete Home Grown Food Summit, a $67 value
• 3 months of free membership in the [Grow] Network Lab, a $60 value
• A copy of the Grow Your Own Groceries DVD video set, a $42 value
• A copy of the Alternatives to Dentists DVD video, a $32 value

Third Place (5 prizes valued at $316):

• A copy of The Summer of Survival Complete Collection from Life Changes Be Ready, a $127 value
• • A Metro Grower grow box from Nature’s Footprint, a $55 value
• 3 months of free membership in the [Grow] Network Lab, a $60 value
• A copy of the Grow Your Own Groceries DVD video set, a $42 value
• A copy of the Alternatives to Dentists DVD video, a $32 value

Fourth Place (5 prizes valued at $241):

• A copy of the complete Home Grown Food Summit, a $67 value
• A Bug Out Seed Kit from the Sustainable Seed Company, a $40 value
• 3 months of free membership in the [Grow] Network Lab, a $60 value
• A copy of the Grow Your Own Groceries DVD video set, a $42 value
• A copy of the Alternatives to Dentists DVD video, a $32 value

That’s over $1,778 in prizes, just for sharing what you know about growing your own food and medicine with the rest of the group.

And now, without further ado, here are the winners…

Honorable Mention
Mike63Denver’s article got a lot of votes, and it just missed making the top 4. As an Honorable Mention prize, Mike will get a year’s free membership in the [Grow] Network Lab. If you missed it, you can read Mike’s article here:

A Day in the Life of an Inner City Street Dweller
http://growyourowngroceries.org/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-inner-city-street-dweller/

Fourth Place Winner
Our fourth place prizes go to Claire Cox, for her article about eye floaters. Claire really helped a lot of people out with this article. If you missed it the first time around, you can see it at this link:

What Eye Floaters Are and What Can Be Done About Them
http://growyourowngroceries.org/what-eye-floaters-are-and-what-can-be-done-about-them/

Third Place Winner
Amanda Harden is our third place winner, for her article about using egg shells to start seeds. Simple, resourceful, and sustainable… just the way we like it. You can read Amanda’s article here:

Lessons from Grandma – How to Start Seeds without Plastic Pots
http://growyourowngroceries.org/lessons-from-grandma-how-to-start-seeds-without-plastic-pots/

Second Place Winner
You already know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. But Robin Stephens wins second place for teaching us all how to make free soup. This is a great article about reducing your waste and your grocery bill at the same time. If you didn’t catch it the first time – check it out here:

Free Soup for Fall and Winter
http://growyourowngroceries.org/free-soup-for-fall-and-winter/

And, drum roll please…

First Place Winner
First place goes to Sharon Devin for her easy, practical method for drying herbs without a dehydrator. Congratulations, Sharon! Enjoy your prizes – you might be drying fewer herbs this year, because some of them will be used up in recipes you make for your new pressure canner from All American. If you haven’t already read Sharon’s article, here’s a link:

Drying Herbs the Easy Way
http://growyourowngroceries.org/drying-herbs-the-easy-way/

Congratulations to the winners! And thanks to everyone who participated.

Don’t worry if you didn’t win this time – the next round of the writing contest is starting right now! We’ve already received several entries, and we have a couple great new sponsors lined up for this round. I’ll publish a list of prizes sometime in the next week or so… stay tuned. You can read all about the contest and find a link to submit your own article here: http://growyourowngroceries.org/contest/