Community Garden Vegetables To Be Featured At Buffet Luncheon

Members of the public can enjoy a buffet luncheon that includes fresh vegetables, while supporting two good causes, on Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Hotel Crittenden in Coudersport. Students from the 4-H Science of Gardening program have grown many of the vegetables that will be served at the fund-raising luncheon for the Coudersport Senior Center. Serving is from 11 am to 2 pm, and the cost is $5.50 per person.

“This has been a great year for the Community Garden and the kids have been looking for a way to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported us,” explained Carrie Bowman, Cooperative Extension youth educator, who has teamed with horticulturalist Bill Waltman to oversee the garden at Maple View. They were on hand Thursday to join the students in giving guided tours of the community garden. Above, the youngsters negotiate a sale to Coudersport’s Barb Heimel.

The leaders integrate gardening information with studies of climate, soils and agricultural economics. They report that the 2010 growing season has been above-average, producing a good yield of crops. As they did during the Community Garden’s inaugural year in 2009, the students have donated some of their crops to senior citizens and people in need.

Vegetables have been grown without the use of pesticides. Crop rotations, composting, and cover crops are being used to move the garden toward organic certification in the coming years. The project’s “hands-on” approach teaches the group about the stages of plants, timing of insect arrivals, fungal diseases, pollination processes, and the role of rotations in soil health and quality. Local farmers have donated supplies and assistance and parents have pitched in to help. For more information on the Community Garden, contact Carrie Bowman at cbb136@psu.edu or 274-8540.