DEAR GARDENERS

Dear School and Learning Gardeners, 

I was recently introduced to two different maps that share very different stories about our area. As you go through this month of transition, with school letting out and summer officially kicking off, I hope that these maps can help you and your communities learn new stories and discover places that you can connect to this summer.

The Haw River Assembly is building a community mapping tool that will display specific environmental justice issues within the watershed. The map can be seen through the link above; it contains data about potential and existing sources of pollution overlaid with demographic data to show the primary communities that are being affected by pollutants in certain areas, so that the Haw River Assembly will be able to better provide support to these communities in tackling these issues. Additionally, it includes spotlights of community leaders and groups within the watershed in order to better understand the work that these groups are doing and how community members can help. The map is still under construction: additional data is still being added throughout the summer. 

The Visit NC Farms App connects the dots in communities across North Carolina. Using cell phone technology, residents and visitors can find farms closest to them with products and activities that interest them. Visitors can use the app to explore farms, farmers markets and local restaurants that are off the beaten path and unique to each community. Developed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

62 community gardens, school gardens, and urban farms are listed on the map, which is also available on our NC Cooperative Extension website. Is your garden on the map? Share information about your garden through our Google Form to be added to the directory. You can choose whether this information stays private for NC Cooperative Extension, or if you want to share any information publicly so that volunteers can connect with you.

Happy growing,
 
Quina Weber-Shirk | she/her (Why pronouns?)
Extension Agent, Community and School Gardens
Guilford County Center
N.C. Cooperative Extension
Work cell: 336.525.6112
jjwebers@ncsu.edu

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN
As the temperatures begin to climb this summer, watering the garden regularly becomes essential! 

A lack of water can have major impacts on plants, even if it is just for a few days.
Plants draw nutrients in through their roots and move the nutrients through the plant in a water solution. A lack of water also means a lack of nutrients.

Under drought stress, garden plants may produce small fruit, such as undersized tomatoes or melons, or they may produce no fruit at all. They may become tough, fibrous or bitter, as with cabbage and turnips. They may bolt, sending up a flower stalk and stopping growth, as with lettuce and spinach. Or they may wilt and die.

If the soil is dry two inches below the surface, it is time to water.
Although watering early in the day is a better practice, do not wait to water when plants are wilting and under drought stress.
The vegetable garden needs one inch of rain per week. (One inch of rain is a lot of water. For a 100 square-foot area, one inch of rain is 62 gallons.)
Plant roots need the water, not the leaves. Wet leaves, especially in the evening, can cause leaf diseases. Low and slow watering will allow the water to soak into the soil and be available to plant roots.
However you irrigate, be sure that you are applying the water slowly enough that it does not puddle and run off the soil.

From Watering the Vegetable Garden, University of Minnesota Extension

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES

School Garden Mentor Training (Free, virtual, Visit the Eventbrite page for more information and to register.)

June 8th, 9am - 12pm

All school garden advocates are encouraged to attend! This online workshop will be led by Guilford County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and Quina Weber-Shirk, Community & School Garden Extension Agent.

Topics include:
  • the role of an EMGV school garden mentor in Guilford County, NC
  • the benefits of school gardens for youth
  • how to start a school garden and build a garden team
  • how to design and build a school garden
  • how to plan and select plants
  • where to find resources from NC Cooperative Extension

High Point Community Garden Tours,
June 11 &12, 10am-12pm

Join us on tours of community gardens and urban farms in High Point! Community gardeners will be on site at each garden for 2 hours to share their story, favorite growing tips, and how you can get involved. Interested in seeing more gardens in person? Different community gardens are participating on Friday June 11th and Saturday June 12th. Register separately for each day.


Growing More Than Veggies

Alongside fresh produce, community and school gardens grow deep relationships and community engagement, provide space for physical and mental wellness, and support life-long learning and academic success. This series will focus on aspects of community development highlighted through gardening. All programs will be held the 3rd Tuesday of the month, from 6–7 p.m. We plan to offer 4 sessions in the spring and 4 more in the fall.

Facilitators for this series are Quina Weber-Shirk, Cameron Waters, and Leslie Rose. (FREE, visit the Extension website to register)
  • June 15: Share the Bounty: Donating Fresh Produce


Free Gardening Classes led by Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers

June 17: Planning and Planting for Pollinators
July 22: Extending the Harvest - Fall Vegetable Gardening
What: National Children & Youth Garden Symposium
When: July 7-9, 2021
Where: virtually

Description: For nearly three decades, the American Horticultural Society’s National Children & Youth Garden Symposium (NCYGS) has been cultivating tomorrow’s gardeners by energizing, inspiring, and training today’s garden educators. The 29th annual professional development conference will again take place as a virtual event instead of an in-person convening. The professional development content will be offered as a collection of live and pre-recorded webinars with nearly forty peer-led lectures and workshops viewable on demand. The theme of the 2021 NCYGS is youth empowerment and, through the live general sessions, July 7-9, speakers will give educators both the inspiration and the tools they need to discover and nurture the passion within a child and create the space and support for a child to pursue that passion. For more information and to register, visit: https://ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/youth-gardening/ncygs/ncygs-2021/

RESOURCES

Resources:

Grants Available for School & Youth Learning Gardens: https://go.ncsu.edu/guilford-garden-grants
  • NC Schools Go Outside (GO) Grant - DUE ASAP, $15,000 for an outdoor learning space (could be greenhouse, gardens, outdoor classroom, etc.), learn more here
  • Action for Healthy Kids Grants: OPENS May 17, DUE June 4, $1,000, learn more here.
  • ecoSolution Grants: Due July 15: learn more here
  • ecoTECH Grants: Due July 15: learn more here.
The Kids Garden Community is a new online community for gardeners like you. From garden ideas to do with your grandkids to advice for starting a garden program at your local school, and everything in between - the Kids Garden Community is the place to ask questions, explore resources, inspire, and be inspired. Register here.

Does your learning garden need seeds? Contact Quina Weber-Shirk, Community & School Garden Agent, jjwebers@ncsu.edu.