Pickleball Magazine 6-2 WD | Page 65

Carri Cherish Winney
Peter Hudachko ( left ) and Michael Winney
while the kids are running around the ranch and eating veggies in the garden .”
Michael adds , “ The garden really supports our vegan lifestyle . I swear I ’ m a faster pickleball player since I became vegan .”
Pro player Jay Hall , a . k . a . Gizmo , and his wife , Laine , bought 10 acres of land in Virginia to live out their vision for our sport . They started Pickleball Farm , a nonprofit organization with a mission to support youth who may otherwise struggle with finding healthy direction and positive role models in life . The Hall family works together to provide fishing , gardening , and pickleball experiences for kids . In love with their mission , I asked the Halls several questions about their garden .
Brandi : What inspired you to start the garden portion of your nonprofit ?
Jay : Honestly , I saw a documentary calling attention to the acres of ornamental grass Americans grow . The show contrasted that with the healthy food shortages we have in areas . I thought that since we are blessed enough to have 10 acres here at Pickleball Farm , we could learn to grow
Jay Hall food and share the entire process — planting , working the land , harvesting , and eating — with youth groups that visit . Brandi : What do you grow ? Laine : Last year was our first year really gardening , and it was a learning lesson . We tried potatoes , corn , green beans , melons , carrots , onions , and were
especially successful with okra , tomatoes , bok choy , and mushrooms . This year we have a bigger vision , and we ’ ll finetune last year ’ s process , adding sweet potatoes , broccoli , cauliflower , lettuce , and cabbage .
Brandi : What do you do with what your family won ’ t use ?
Laine : We give food to the kids who visit the farm . Last year we learned how to can extra food , and plan to teach that to visiting kids . We also donate vegetables to a local nonprofit that provides weekly produce boxes to families in need . This year we set a goal to donate 2,000 pounds .
Brandi : Do you have any tips for rookie gardeners ?
Jay : My first tip would be something we didn ’ t do : start small . Gardening can be like pickleball . There is rec play and there is tournament play . There is the backyard gardener vs . the market gardener . Each has mindsets that require different strategic plans . There is no right or wrong way . It ’ s all about figuring out what works for you . We are still learning what works for us ! •
Laine Hall
Brandi Givens has been a registered dietitian since 2010 . Questions or comments can be posted to her blog : www . brandigivensrd . com .
MARCH / APRIL 2021 | MAGAZINE 63