The Adventure Continues

Weeks 3 & 4:   

Things continue to be busy here in Laurel County even though they’ve slowed down a bit. I spent the majority of this time working the front desk as receptionist; not the most exciting thing I’ll admit but it is direct with the public and I am all to happy to help with many dropping off soil samples or taking in insects & plants in need of identification and gathering in the last of the camp paperwork.

            While most programs that were held these weeks were the usual norm some of the more exciting ones were With the Vegetable Gardening  and Master Gardeners groups. The vegetable gardening groups found us out a Hart Baptist Church to look at their community garden operation. The church operates a plasti-culture operation that benefits their food bank for the needy and the members of the Vegetable Garden group were learning about the operation and helping with the staking of tomatoes. Overall it was an interesting evening that even showed me a new way of taming the often unruly plants.

            Thursdays are the biggest days as the first weeks of our children’s garden.  Approximately twenty five 3, 4 & 5 year olds got to experience the joys and adventure of gardening.  We all had a great time Discovering and playing in the soil as well as learning to plant plants in our pizza garden and discovering the roots of nature- literally. The Children were enthralled with their discoveries from insects to seeds to even a “baby cactus” (little cucumber) and tuning our blank giant coloring board into a work of art. And as young children go, many have said they want to be gardeners when they grow up.

            The weekends was are also busy ones for me as I join some of our FCS assistants at our local farmers market for our Plate it Up campaign in serving samples of Strawberry Salsa on the first week and Broccoli Salad tomorrow. Trying some of the strawberry salsa myself I found it to be an interesting new taste and a new and unusual use for strawberries other than desert.  As a member of the market and one who favors them this campaign is one of Extension’s growing ones especially as the Farmer’s Market in London grows. The whole goal of Plate it Up is to get people to try and taste new recipes of a food they normally wouldn’t think to fix and promote locally grown food.

            As I look back I can’t believe four weeks have already flown by and my time with extension is growing short. So much to do and so little time. As for my special project we have purchased the supplies and already have crossed the half-way mark for registration. Hope everyone is enjoying their internships!

-Kim Patton

Laurel County Extension