Mar 26, 2021 By Penn State Master Gardeners 3 min read

Fayette County Community Action Agency and Fayette County Penn State Extension Master Gardeners have partnered to offer a Master Gardener Seed to Supper program for Fayette County.

Seed to Supper curriculum originated with the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardeners, and with permission the Penn State Master Gardeners have adapted the program to fit the needs of Pennsylvania’s gardeners.

Seed to Supper is a comprehensive beginner’s gardening program that provides novice, adult gardeners the tools they need to learn how to successfully grow a portion of their own food on a limited budget. This program offers more than gardener education and improved access to healthy foods. It provides learners with transformative experiences that increase both individual and community food security through fostering food literacy, resiliency, community connectivity, and supportive social networks.

Classes cover vegetable gardening fundamentals: soil preparation, garden planning, maintenance and harvest. At completion of the class participants will have the knowledge to start a garden in a raised bed, a container, or directly in the ground. They will also be prepared to participate in helping to establish a community garden.

Up to 15 adult participants per class commit to attending all classes in the series. The program is free with course books and other supplies provided to all participants at no charge. Each course includes six 2-hour long sessions typically held at the same time each week for six consecutive weeks. These classes will begin in Fayette County the middle of April and conclude towards the end of May – just in time to plant a garden.

The Fayette volunteer Master Gardeners will also be available for consultation during the growing season.

Since many residents of Fayette County do not have easy access to garden sites, Fayette County Community Action Agency will be sponsoring five community gardens sites where Seed to Supper participants can and are encouraged to plant, maintain and harvest vegetables.

Classes will be taught both indoors and outdoors and will include hands-on activities. In-person classes will be offered in Uniontown at Third Presbyterian Church and East End Community Center, in Republic at the food bank and in Connellsville at a site to be determined. COVID-19 precautions will be adhered to for the in-person classes. A virtual class will also be offered for those who do not feel comfortable with attending a live class.

Fayette County Community Action agency’s goal is to focus all available resources on the problems and causes of poverty and to help Fayette County’s low-income residents. FCCA has helped families grow and thrive by offering programs that strengthen their lives. Community Action currently operates 6 community vegetable gardens. The addition of five new raised community beds will increase the availability of gardening space to accommodate the Seed to Supper Class participants, thereby helping others to help themselves.

Contact Mimi McDonough at Fayette Community Action with any question and to request a form for registration. McDonough can be contacted at 724-437-6050 ext. 3234 or by e-mail at mmcdonough@fccaa.org.