Seed to Supper classes offered in Washington County
The opportunity to receive garden education and improved access to healthy foods is available again this spring.
Penn State Master Gardeners of Washington County is offering Seed to Supper classes at two locations. Classes will run Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. March 25 through April 29 at the Johnson-Shaw Foundation, 501 McKean Ave., Charleroi, and on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. from April 3 through May 8 at the Center for Coalfield Justice, 31 E. Chestnut St., No. 102, Washington.
The program is free. Each of the classes will be taught by master gardeners, who will be assisted by master gardener trainees.
“It’s aimed at low-income people who could benefit from having produce that they grow by themselves on a budget,” explained Margaret Sams, chair of the Seed to Supper committee. “We do reserve spaces for people who don’t have transportation to a grocery store or have trouble getting produce into their diet, just food insecure individuals or people who need more produce on a budget, but I’ve never turned anyone away.”
The cap in Washington is about 24 participants and 20 in Charleroi.
The Seed to Supper Program was created by Oregon Food Bank’s Learning Gardens and the Oregon State University Extension Master Gardeners Program and adopted by the Penn State Master Gardeners in 2020. This marks the fifth year for the program in Washington County.
Sams explained that there are six classes, each offering a different lesson in gardening on a budget. Those lessons include planning the garden, building the soil, planting, maintaining the garden, harvesting the bounty and how to cook healthy meals.
Sams said she will have free seed packets available that were donated by Trax Farms.
“We have a wide variety of seeds available, everything from kale to watermelon,” she said. “We’ll probably concentrate on tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers because those are the most popular ones that people want to grow in their gardens.”
The Charleroi class will focus on container gardening due to the topography of the Mon Valley.
“We can’t recommend that the people there garden in-ground anywhere that’s close to the town,” Sams said. “Up and down the Mon Valley, heavy metals have been deposited into the soil like steel and chrome, lead and cadmium. So, we’re going to concentrate on container gardening in the Charleroi class.”
Sams said the hope is to enroll some of the Haitian community.
“If we do get them, we’re hoping to supply a translator,” Sams said.
The last session typically features a potluck during which participants are asked to bring a meat dish with a fresh vegetable.
“Last year, we had three different kinds of salsa that we rated,” Sams said. “It’s a lot of fun. We learn almost as much from them as they do from us.”
Spaces are still available in each of the classes and a few options to register. A QR code exists on fliers about the program. Registration also is available at https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cA7JuY9BVePTdfo?Q_CHL=qr or by calling Sams at 412-296-2337.