PUTNAM CO., N.Y. — What if home vegetable gardening took root across our neighborhoods, our state, or even our country? Well, it is in Putnam! We can say that we are happy to see new gardeners springing up around the County, and we were one of the first stops for many of them. We provided vegetable gardening instruction to hundreds of our neighbors this year and are especially happy to have offered a free intensive beginning gardening course called Seed to Supper to 27 of them. Seed to Supper provides free gardening instruction and supplies to families wishing to start their first garden or expand the knowledge they already have. Gardeners learn everything from garden layout, to composting and pest management, and harvesting and using what we grow! This course will directly help these families to grow some of their own food next year and into the future. More than teaching, the course has built a new community which is hugely important during COVID-19. We could go on and on, but we couldn’t say it better than our amazing new gardeners.
While staying at home, COVID has perhaps unironically led me to Seed to Supper and I am incredibly grateful for it. As a complete newbie to vegetable gardening, I joined in order to develop basic skills and a foundational knowledge that will allow me to enjoy the benefits of home-grown food. Gardening is so much more than throwing down seed and crossing your fingers; it takes planning in ways that work for the individual gardener. So far I have planned my first vegetable garden, successfully grown microgreens, and learned about the art of composting and healthy soil. Apart from these foundational skills, I joined to make friends and keep my mind at ease. Fortunately, this is an easy feat when gardeners come together to enjoy this meditative experience! –Emeline Swanson
We’re now halfway through CCE Putnam’s Seed to Supper program and having fun, learning a lot, and very often having some of our past efforts validated. Best of all, having a Facebook page for the program has been a great way to connect with the other participants and to get answers to questions in between sessions. This has really made a difference in our gardening knowledge and in how we cope with living with the pandemic. –Jim Perlberg
Continue supporting the work of CCE Putnam by making a donation to our #CCERESPONDS campaign at http://putnam.cce.cornell.edu/donate/-cceresponds-2020-year-end-campaign
For information about Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County’s community programs and events go to putnam.cce.cornell.edu/. Stay connected to CCEPC on Facebook at Facebook.com/cceputnam, and Instagram at Instagram.com/cceputnam and Twitter/@CCEPUTNAM
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County provides equal program and employment opportunities. Please contact our office at 845-278-6738 if you have any special needs.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County
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