Village Institute for Sustainable Technologies & Agriculture

Florida celebrates Arbor Day in January because many trees are dormant (not actively growing) and lose less water through transpiration (evaporation of water from leaves) this time of year, making them easier to transplant without putting them through too much stress. 

VISTA Community Garden operates using an off-grid solar power system. Unlike an on-grid system—which is connected to the utility grid and can send or receive electricity—an off-grid system operates independently and relies on batteries to store energy. This allows the garden to function even when utility power is unavailable or unreliable.

Spider webs on trees and other plants are fascinating. On foggy days humid air condenses onto silk strands.Water droplets catch and scatter light to reveal the intricacies of these webs.

Here’s a unique solution to a Pond Committee problem: There was too much overgrown vegetation in the pond, with many dead leaves and stems from pond plants. 

Our longtime member Jay Gibson has curated four lists of resources for the young gardeners in your life. Here, you'll find books and websites that will intrigue and educate our next generation of food-growers. Thank you Jay for introducing us to these excellent resources!

Did you know VISTA’s water network includes over 100 valves? In fact, water passes through five different valves before it reaches your garden bed! Our garden uses 1,000–2,000 gallons of water per day, compared with the average U.S. household’s 300 gallons. Thankfully, our solar-powered well and distribution system has already paid for itself many times over.