BOURBONAIS, Ill. — Growing affordable, fresh produce at home is something that many people are interested in, but can often feel out of reach. Whether due to lack of experience, uncertainty about what to plant, or limited time to learn new skills, it can be difficult to know where to start and who to turn to. University of Illinois Extension is here to help with a new series of gardening programs called Grow Your Own Groceries.
“Growing your own food can be an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Nancy Kuhajda, Illinois Extension horticulture educator, “but there’s so much more than just tossing seeds into the soil. This program series is for both novice and experienced gardeners who want to learn how to have fun and grow food.”
To help gardeners of all levels save money on their grocery bill and take the guesswork out of growing produce, Illinois Extension is launching a flexible, crop-by-crop virtual series led by Kuhajda and Extension Program Coordinator Holly Froning. Participants can join live via Zoom or watch the recordings later, making it easier than ever to learn how to grow the vegetables that matter most to them.
Event details
Sessions will be held Mondays from 6-7 pm on Zoom from March 16 through May 4 and each session will cover a group of vegetables with similar growing needs and times. Participants will learn gardening methods from seed/variety selection through safe handling, harvest, storage and preservation.
Tomatoes and Peppers | March 16
Root Crops: Carrots, Radishes, Beets, Potatoes and Onions | April 6
Peas, Beans, and Cucumbers | April 13
Zucchini, Summer Squash, and Herbs | April 20
Pumpkins and Winter Squash | April 27
Melons and Gourds | May 4
Each sessions costs $5 and includes several packages of seeds to grow that week’s crops, educational materials, and the webinar.
Learn more and register online at go.illinois.edu/grow-groceries.
If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate, contact Nancy Kuhajda at kuhajda@illinois.edu or 815-727-9296. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
WRITER: Anthony Warmack, communications and marketing coordinator, Illinois Extension.
SOURCE: Nancy Kuhajda, horticulture educator, Illinois Extension.
MEDIA ACCESS: Marketing assets are available to download for media use. For press inquiries, contact Anthony Warmack, warmacka@illinois.edu, 217-244-5813. Want to keep in touch with news from Illinois Extension? Sign up for press updates.
ABOUT ILLINOIS MASTER GARDENERS: University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are rooted in community and grow through connection, studying and sharing research-based horticulture topics, including vegetable gardening, insects, tree and small fruits, introductory botany, integrated pest management, turfgrass care, plant diseases, tree and shrub care, soils and fertilizer, and flower gardening. Over 2,000 active volunteers invest their time and talents cultivating collaborative gardens that feed and support healthy communities, foster hands-on learning, enhance neighborhood beauty, and support the environment. Help Master Gardeners grow.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.