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| Vertical lettuce wall at the Tulalip Community Garden saves space while boosting production in a small area. Photo by Growing Groceries Volunteer Mentor Richelle Taylor |
EVERETT, Wash. – Whether you have access to just a tiny deck or a huge backyard, you can learn to grow fresh, healthy food with the techniques being taught during the 2013 WSU Snohomish County Extension Growing Groceries Volunteer Mentor Training.
Local and regional experts will share the latest research-based practices on topics including how to choose a site, building healthy soil, starting from seed, the importance of compost, irrigation, managing pests, vertical and small space gardening, food safety, and much, much more.
The program’s goal is to increase community access to fresh, healthy food by training volunteer mentors to share their food-growing knowledge with others. Teachers can earn up to 32 Northwest Educational Service District clock-hour credits by completing the Saturdays-only program
The 2013 training includes four classroom and hands-on sessions that will run 8:30 a.m.-3:30p.m. Saturdays, Feb. 9 and 23, and Mar. 9 and 23, at WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium in McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett. In addition, there are four once-a-month, hands-on, in-the-garden sessions: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on April 20, May 18, June 15, and July 20, locations to be announced.
“I’ve always gardened, so I was surprised at how much I learned not only from the training, but from the other mentors as well,” said Diane Decker-Isle, a Growing Groceries Volunteer Mentor program graduate who donates time and expertise at several community and food bank gardens in Snohomish. “It’s a great network to tap into long after the training ends. I’ve really enjoyed working with people in the community gardens. Families that come in knowing very little go home and plant their own gardens. When I run into these folks later, they share stories about how much they are growing and eating from their new gardens. These stories really inspire me to keep working with our community gardens.”
Started in 2009, the Growing Groceries program has trained more than 80 volunteer mentors. Many of these graduates are helping as mentors in more than 28 different gardens in schools, churches and food banks in Snohomish County. For a list of participating gardens visit the Growing Groceries website.
Tuition is $135 for those able to volunteer at least 35 hours over the next year, or $185 for those not able to make a volunteer commitment.
Deadline for application is Feb. 1. To download an application for the training, visit GrowingGroceries.wsu.edu.
For more information about the program, contact Sharon Collman, WSU Snohomish County Extension Educator, (425) 357-6025 or email collmans@wsu.edu. For registration information, contact Karie Christensen at 425-357-6039 or email christensen4@wsu.edu.