Backyard and community gardens the focus of workshop series
2/8/2013
Contact: Brad Cochran
(304) 541-3301
bcochran2@wvstateu.edu
Feb. 8, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Backyard and community gardens the focus of workshop series
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Preparing gardeners for the spring season is the focus of a new series of workshops hosted by West Virginia State University Extension Service at the Barnett Center in Huntington. The series targets backyard gardeners, as well as groups looking to establish community gardens for kids and seniors.
“Community gardens are wonderful for uniting residents to work together toward achieving a common goal,” said Melissa Stewart, extension specialist for Agriculture & Natural Resources. “With this series, we want to shed light on the possibilities for community, youth and adaptive gardens in Huntington, as well as reach the at-home gardener looking to improve their skills.”
The courses will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on the following dates:
· Site Selection and Preparation – Feb. 28
· Garden Design and Plant Spacing – March 14
· Plant Selection and Growing Techniques – March 28
· Raised Beds and Container Gardening – April 11
· Insect and Disease Management – April 25
Instruction will include information on projects targeted toward multiple age groups, such as school-based youth projects and accessible gardens for seniors. Participants can tour a youth garden near the Barnett Center implemented by the SCRATCH Project, a sustainable agriculture initiative led by WVSU Extension Service.
Each workshop costs $5. To register, contact Brad Cochran at (304) 541-3301 or bcochran2@wvstateu.edu. The Barnett Center is located at 1524 10th Avenue in Huntington.
West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, WV. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.
-WVSU-