Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) is partnering with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County Office for the second year to bring the Garden in a Box learning program to the region. Garden in a Box aims to bring gardening know-how and enthusiasm to people with limited mobility, small space, or lack of resources.
PRFC and the Extension piloted “GBox” in 2021 with 16 community members and four UMaine Master Gardener Volunteers who served as “Garden Coaches” to the participants. From March to October, the Coaches supported their Gardeners with phone calls, texts, and home visits. In addition, participants received a Garden in a Box Resource Binder filled with Cooperative Extension gardening publications, tips, a monthly calendar, and a journal to keep track of their container garden. We also supplied each Gardener with their choice of locally-sourced seedlings, a 15-gallon cloth growing container, potting soil, and gardening tools. Our goal is to set up another group of 20 participants for the 2022 season.
Sign-ups to be a Garden in a Box participant are limited but many of the program resources will be available to the general public through local libraries that plan to host the Garden in a Box resource binder and a demo garden. In addition, a 5-part Garden in a Box education series will take place at Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft. These presentations are free and open to everyone.
Tips and Tricks for Garden Chores March 24, 2022, 6 pm at Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft Learn how to plan your day in the garden, proper stretching and lifting techniques, selecting ergonomic tools, adapting existing tools to improve their ergonomics, designing your garden to match your abilities and much more! Adapted from Episode #9 of Victory Garden for ME.
Small Space Gardening April 28, 2022, 6 pm at Thompson Free Library, Dover-Foxcroft Are you short on space? Many kinds of vegetables can be easily grown in containers by following a few basic guidelines. What to grow and what can you grow it in will be the topic of conversation.
Stay tuned for the rest of the presentations!
To learn more about the program or to sign up to be a Gardener, visit prfoodcenter.org/garden-in-a-box or call Kazia Knepp, PRFC Community Food Services Coordinator at (207) 802-8230. If you are interested in becoming a Garden Coach, please contact Laurie Bowen, UMaine Extension Food Systems Program Assistant at (207) 942-7396.