Spring Garden Day at Earth Fest

The Otsego Master Gardener Volunteers will host Spring Garden Day at the 2023 Earth Fest, Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Milford Central School. Earth Fest is produced by the Otsego County Conservation Association and in part by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Returning from a two-year hiatus, Earth Fest - Spring Garden Day is an exciting event for the whole family with activities, vendors, and food trucks throughout the day.

The Master Gardener Volunteers will have gardening activities for children, as well as information and best practices on gardening and the environment to support their theme of Gardening for the Greater Good. In addition, there will be a series of workshops that are free and open to the public. Registration for the workshops is appreciated by visiting http://occainfo.org/earth-festival/.  Workshop descriptions may be found at https://cceschoharie-otsego.org/events.

11:00 a.m. - Vegetable Gardening Basics: It’s time to get ready for your 2023 garden. Master Gardeners, Darleen Fournier, Carol Phelps, and Kim L’Heureux will discuss how to handle the many decisions that confront gardeners. If you have never planted a garden and want to start one, this workshop will help you begin. In this session, you will learn: how to plan your garden; planting seeds or seedlings; how to test for seed germination; when to plant; and more!

1:00 p.m. - Building Better Butterfly Gardens for Monarchs and Other Pollinators: Dr. Dan Potter, of the University of Kentucky, shares in this video presentation the fascinating natural history of monarch butterflies and what we can do to attract and sustain them in our gardens through the careful selection of plants, the importance of garden design, and plant placement.

1:00 p.m. - Managing Deer Damage in Home Landscapes: Dr. Paul Curtis of the Cornell Integrated Deer Research and Management Program, Devin Merkley of the Clark Foundation’s Mohican Farm, and David Cox of Cornell Cooperative Extension, team up to discuss the effects deer pressure can have on gardens and forested areas; the methods available to mitigate them; and the varieties of plants that are deer resistant.

2:00 p.m. - Growing with the Oneonta Community Garden: The Oneonta City Community Garden (OCCG) has grown over time, a place where a diverse and informal network of gardeners grow food, beauty, and community for themselves and others – a garden for all.  OCCG coordinator, Celia Reed, and Chris Burrington, OCCG Board member and Otsego Master Gardener Volunteer will discuss how and why the garden has grown, illuminating ideas that may benefit others involved in community gardens.

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