Little Hands, Big Harvest: A Weekend-Ready Organic Garden Guide for Parents & Kids in the Midwest (Little Hands Book Series) Hardcover – March 28, 2026

What if the best thing you grew this summer wasn't a tomato — it was a memory?Little Hands, Big Harvest is a weekend-ready organic raised garden guide written for Midwest families in USDA Hardiness Zone 6a — the moms and dads in Lombard, Naperville, Downers Grove, and across the Chicago suburbs who want to grow real, clean food alongside their children without needing a horticulture degree or a free weekend every week.This guide walks you through everything: choosing and setting up your raised bed, building an organic weed barrier system, planting and caring for Zone 6a vegetables and herbs, involving your little one at every step, and putting the garden to rest for winter — all in a warm, practical, no-pressure voice that meets you exactly where you are.Inside You Will Find:A complete Zone 6a grow guide with honest, tiered crop assessments — from the plants that practically grow themselves to the ones not worth the effort in a small spaceA month-by-month care calendar so you always know exactly what to do and whenA full planting day guide designed to do with your child, step by stepOrganic pest and critter control strategies that are safe for kids and soilA troubleshooting guide for when things go sideways (because sometimes they do)A notes section to document your very first season togetherA small-space section for apartment families — balcony container gardens, over-the-railing planters, and windowsill herb setupsA late-start guide for anyone picking this up in July and wondering if it is too late (it is not)Every recommendation in this book reflects what author Kim Zajac and her daughter Kenna are genuinely growing with — sourced from local nurseries, community seed libraries, and small family-owned companies. No filler, no fluff. Just what actually works in a Midwest backyard.This Book Is For You If...You have always wanted a garden but never known where to startYou want your child to know that food comes from the ground, not a packageYou live in Zone 6a and want advice written for your soil, your frost dates, and your growing seasonYou want a summer full of moments — not a summer full of stressLittle Hands, Big Harvest is not about a perfect garden. It is about a summer your child will remember. The tomatoes are a bonus.A Note on CommunityA portion of every purchase supports the Little Free Pantry — a community pantry at the end of Kim's front yard in Lombard, Illinois, open to any neighbor who needs it. Stocked with healthy snacks for kids, everyday essentials, and canned goods. Free, no questions asked.100% organic. Zone 6a specific. Written by a Lombard mom, for families who want to grow something real together. Read more