Free plants, advice offered at FiveCAP’s annual garden workshop

The growing season may have been delayed by the long winter and cold spring, but the time to plant vegetables is quickly approaching, as is FiveCAP, Inc.’s annual gardening workshop.

The workshop is offered free of charge to income-eligible residents of FiveCAP’s service area. In addition to receiving a variety of vegetable plants to get their garden started, attendees will also have access to the expertise of a master gardener who will share tips and techniques for getting the best harvest from each plant.

“Growing your own food is one of the most empowering self-sufficiency tools available,” said FiveCAP Community Support Director Holly Haywood. “Many of our clients suffer from some level of food insecurity and depend on our food distributions or government food assistance programs, so how much they get and what they get is completely out of their control.

“But when people grow their own food, they are able to reclaim some semblance of control. They plant, tend and harvest their vegetables and then serve them to their families. There is a lot of pride taken by gardeners in general, but that sense of accomplishment increases exponentially when you consider what food actually means to someone who is dependent on outside sources to provide enough to get by.”

The workshop will also provide attendees the opportunity to have their questions answered by an expert, making the information is relevant to everyone from novices about to plant their first plot to veterans who have many harvests under their belts.

Each attendee will receive two of the following plants: green beans, Roma tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini and broccoli.

In the fall, FiveCAP will follow up with a food preservation workshop, at which time another expert will advise attendees on the best methods for canning or freezing what they’ve grown so they can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor long after the growing season is done.

The following are the dates and times for the garden workshops in each of the four counties in FiveCAP’s service area.

MASON COUNTY

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at FiveCAP’s Johnson Road warehouse in Scottville. To register, call FiveCAP at (231) 757-3785 or stop by the Mason County office, located at 302 North Main St., in Scottville.

MANISTEE COUNTY

Manistee Community Kitchen horticulturist Britt Uecker will again lead the workshop, answering questions and providing helpful information. The workshop will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 2 p.m. at the Manistee County FiveCAP office, located at 265 First St., in Manistee. To register, call FiveCAP at (231) 723-8327, or stop by the Manistee County office.

LAKE COUNTY

The workshop will be led by Connie Theunick-Perley, who will answer questions and provide helpful information. It will take place on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake County FiveCAP office, located at 2476 West 44^th St., in Baldwin. To register, stop by the office or call (231) 745-4617.

NEWAYGO COUNTY

The workshop will again be led by Kathy Alford, who will answer questions and provide helpful information. It will take place on Tuesday, June 3 at 10 a.m. at the Newaygo County FiveCAP office, located at 434 North Evergreen Dr., in White Cloud. To register, stop by the office or call (231) 689-6688.