Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of California
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Celebrating EFNEP’s 50 years with UC Master Gardeners in Tulare County

EFNEP and UC Master Gardener collaboration helped parents with children to learn about container gardening!

EFNEP, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, partnered with UC Master Gardeners in Tulare County to celebrate EFNEP's 50th Anniversary! The UC Master Gardeners provided a one-hour workshop about container gardening for parents of young children. The parents had just completed the EFNEP Eat Smart•Be Active series at Conyer Elementary in Visalia, Calif.

Mariana Lopez, a UC nutrition educator who speaks English and Spanish, led the EFNEP classes from Jan. 30 to March 27, 2019. Seven of the 10 participants completed the series and graduated. The graduates expressed interest in participating in a gardening workshop. Deepa Srivastava, the UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor, reached out to Susan Gillison, the UC Master Gardener coordinator, to initiate this collaboration and Mariana coordinated the gardening workshop.

UC Master Gardeners provided full support

The Master Gardeners provided the materials such as soil, pots, basil seedlings and cilantro seeds. The guidance and knowledge received from Dana Young, the Master Gardener volunteer – also known as The Plant Lady – was very helpful! Parents participated with their children in the hands-on container gardening activity. Dana explained that container, or pot gardening, is the practice of growing plants in containers instead of planting in the ground. Herbs and other edible plants can be grown in containers. The participants also learned about healthy soil and gutter gardening.

UC Master Gardener volunteer Dana Young - the Plant Lady - helps EFNEP participants learn about planting herbs.

Parents enthusiastically shared their experience from participating in this hands-on activity:

“Knowledge about gutter gardening was very helpful!”

“It was exciting to be a part of this activity, my child loved it!”

Indeed, the EFNEP and Master Gardener collaboration in Tulare County was successful. The Site Coordinator of Conyer Elementary expressed interest in holding additional meaningful workshops like these for parents during the school year!


“It was exciting to be a part of this activity, my child loved it!”

 

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Posted on Friday, May 3, 2019 at 12:12 PM
  • Author: Deepa Srivastava
  • Editor: Suzanne Morikawa
Focus Area Tags: Family, Food, Health, Yard & Garden

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