Hamlin to Harts

Esther, Big Ugly Community Center

Both this week and last we were blessed by visits from our county extension agent, April Roach, who presented on soil and pest management.  The workshops were informal and conversational, allowing our families to freely ask any questions about different bug sightings, home remedies, wild edibles…really anything was fair game, as this was the first agriculture agent to visit BUCC in a long time.  Our families also had the valuable opportunity to sit down with April to get her feedback on their soil test results. 

Our next visit from WVU Extension will be in July when we host a canning class for the community.  We are also looking forward to sharing that knowledge with local youth during our summer program that starts June 25.  One of the focus areas will be food and nutrition, and three times a week kids will be preparing healthy meals using ingredients out of their own gardens, plus participating in food preservation activities. 

It’s a real privilege to be able to witness the evolution of Grow Appalachia in our community because of how many fresh ideas there are, and now the resources to enable them to come to fruition.  From the first visits by extension agents to the first youth garden, the community is seeing real changes.