New York Times best-selling author and organic farmer Forrest Pritchard will headline the third annual West Virginia Urban Agriculture Conference Saturday on the WVSU campus. The event will feature workshops on topics such as horticulture, homesteading, conservation, marketing, adaptive gardening and livestock.
Pritchard, author of "Growing Tomorrow," will provide the keynote address.
"It is important for people to realize that it is possible not only to save money by growing your own food, but it could be a full-time job and provide for economic stability for you and your family," said West Virginia University Extension Agent and Conference Coordinator John Porter. "It's a message we haven't heard enough during the economic crisis, that farming is a business, and you can become an entrepreneur by doing something that you love."
In addition to workshops, the event includes a post-conference local foods reception and vendor exhibits. Beginning gardeners to expert agriculturalists are invited to attend.
A full schedule and online registration is available at www.urbanagwv.com. Five winners of Forrest's book "Growing Tomorrow" will be randomly chosen among all conference registrants. Forrest will sign copies of his books during the post-conference reception.
The West Virginia University Extension Kanawha County Master Gardeners will offer plants for sale as well as gardening information and tips on May 7 at Coonskin Park in Kanawha County. The group's biennial plant sale will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Schoenbaum Amphitheater. The Spring into Gardening workshops will take place at the Coonskin Clubhouse and Family Center.
The plant sale features beautiful, healthy plants gleaned from master gardeners' gardens, along with garden gear and accessories. Master gardeners also will be on hand to answer garden questions and point gardeners toward brochures that will help explain common garden problems and solutions. Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent and Garden Guru columnist John Porter also will put in an appearance at the sale.
Just across the road, in the Coonskin Clubhouse, award-winning teacher and Emmy winning television host Bryce Lane will lead this year's Spring into Gardening with his keynote talk beginning at 9:30 a.m. The talk will cover new gardening trends, as well as current concepts, such as vertical gardens, fairy gardens and even green roofs.
Gardeners may choose from two options in each of the subsequent sessions. The sessions include Porter discussing raised bed gardens; "Attracting Birds to the Garden" with Doren Burrell; Lane discussing "Gardening in Containers;" and the veterans' group Boots to Bees talking about the importance of all types of bees and other pollinators. The group works with veterans to establish beekeeping businesses throughout the state, as well as to spread the word about the importance of bees to the natural world.
Advance registration for $10 is required for Spring into Gardening.
Registration forms, as well as secure online registration, are available at kanawha.ext.wvu.edu/springintogardening. Mail-in registrations and fees should be mailed to KCMGA, c/o P.O. Box 10261, Charleston, WV 25357. For more information, contact springintogardening@gmail.com.