A year can be marked by what is growing in the garden, birthdays, the start of school, by anniversaries, by so many things. A blogging anniversary is a milestone, especially the first year. I started this blog not really knowing what to expect. It was a completely new endeavor. I like to write, but need “assignments” to motivate me to actually do it. Blogging seemed like a good way to give myself assignments, and gave me a forum to write about something I am very passionate about.

I still feel like a novice, but as I looked over my first year’s posts I noticed that my writing has grown. To commemorate this anniversary, I am going to share my top ten favorite posts of this past year. They are in chronological order from oldest to newest and represent everything I love about growing and thinking about food.

There’s Something About Carrots

Crop Swapping Grows a Community 

The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” – What the Lists Don’t Tell You

Eew, Vegetables!

Monsanto’s “Hidden Food Tax” Double Standard

Not Quite Fall

Ground Cherries

Ways of Knowing

Stretching Out

Lessons in Failure

If you look at the top ten posts viewed on my blog, you get a different picture. We went through an election season and California tried to pass a proposition to require that food be labeled if it is genetically modified. A new farmers’ market opened in my neighborhood, and I wrote a piece about the market that became the most viewed post on my blog to date. These are more controversial topics. But, speckled throughout are posts of a less controversial nature. Below is the list of the most viewed posts of the past year, the most viewed at the top of the list. There is some overlap with the above list.

Why I Don’t Love My Local Farmers’ Market (Note: I still stand by what I wrote in this post. I do, however, recognize that the organizers of the market have created a great space for emerging and innovative producers).

Breaking Down the Deception: No on Prop 37’s T.V. Ads

Label GMO’s: Everyone’s Right to Know

The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” – What the Lists Don’t Tell You

Adventures in Chersonskaya: Part 1 (A top 10 surprise)

Monsanto’s “Hidden Food Tax” Double Standard

Crop Swapping Grows a Community 

There’s Something About Carrots

Pea Season (My very first post)

Musings From an Amateur Jam Maker

I suspect that you were all drawn here for many reasons. Thank you to all my readers. I love being a part of a blogging community. I suspect it will just grow from here.