Plan now to attend free gardening and nutrition presentations, resources, activities and talk with MSU Extension staff and Extension Master Gardeners
It’s time again to plan on attending the held April 12 – 14 in the Ruth Butler Building on the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds in Escanaba, Michigan. Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension) staff will be providing many free educational presentations and resources to the public. Along with all the gardening information provided by MSU Extension consumer horticulture staff and Extension Master Gardeners, MSU Extension nutrition staff will be present on designated days to teach about food preservation and healthy food planning.
Entry to the show is free, but we invite you to support the pancake feed where proceeds go to support the Escanaba Kiwanis community projects. Show times are 5 – 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday. Please look for the MSU Extension booth and plan on attending some of the educational presentations.
Free presentation schedule
Friday, April 12
5:30 – 6 p.m. Integrated Wildlife Damage Management in MI Gardens - James DeDecker, PhD, director of the Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center. This presentation will cover the background on wildlife damage in Michigan, provide tips on identifying and diagnosing wildlife damage, a review of wildlife damage managementstrategies available to gardeners, and highlight education resources available for addition information.
6:30 – 7 p.m. Tools for Food Preservation – Stephanie Ostrenga-Sprague, MSU Extension Supervising/Food Safety Educator. Join Stephanie to discuss different tools that are used for food preservation or to make food preservation easier.
Pressure Canning Lid Testing Available – Stephanie Ostrenga-Sprague. Bring your pressure canning lid on Friday only and Stephanie can provide a free pressure accuracy test.
Saturday, April 13
9 – 9:45 a.m. Growing vegetables in small spaces – Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension consumer horticulture educator. Even if you have limited space, you can successfully grow vegetables; workshop will include demonstration of small space gardens which will be provided as door prizes.
10:15 – 11 a.m. Soil Block demonstration – Amanda Ward, MSU Extension Master Gardener trainee. Learn how to create your own soil blocks for starting seeds and decrease plastic use.
12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Larvinia – Children’s puppet show – Jackie Manchester, MSU Extension Advanced Master Gardener. Join Jackie for a delightful children or family-friendly puppet show about a special caterpillar’s lifecycle.
2:00 – 3 p.m. The Marvelous Honey Bee – Bernie Driggs, Beekeeper for over 40 years, 2019 Beekeeper of the Year Award for Michigan Beekeeper’s Association. Learn more about honey bees and what’s involved in keeping honey bees.
3:15 – 4:00 p.m. Transforming What You Have into What You Want: My solution to a difficult landscaping challenge – Jackie Manchester, MSU Extension Advanced Master Gardener. Learn smart concepts of the right plant, right place and the importance of soil testing, and the environment for garden success.
Sunday, April 14
9:30 – 10:15 a.m. Plant a Square Foot Herb Garden – Rebecca Krans, MSU Extension consumer horticulture educator. Learn how to create a convenient herb garden for your deck. This completed garden will then be provided as a door prize for those attending.
11:30 – 12:15 p.m. Food Budgeting and Meal Planning – Amber Hayward, MSU Extension community nutrition instructor. You really can eat healthy and save money on your food budget. It just takes a little time in the beginning to plan and before you know it, your household is eating healthier, there are less doctor visits and you are saving money.
MSU Extension will also be providing over 35 color Smart Gardening tip sheets focused around smart gardening topics and practices that are more earth-friendly and sustainable, e.g., don’t guess, soil test; right plant, right place; shoreland plantings; pollinator protection and many more. Extension Master Gardener smart gardening volunteers will also be on hand to assist the public with all the resources and remind gardeners of MSU’s Ask Extension online question resource and the toll-free lawn and garden hotline, 1-888-678-3464.
Extension Master Gardeners will lead a family friendly seeding activity and flower pollination make-and-take item. We will have information available about how to join the Extension Master Gardener program and different volunteer projects that they contribute to across the Upper Peninsula. In 2023, Upper Peninsula Extension Master Gardeners volunteer efforts amounted to over $78,000 in economic value to local communities. Through volunteering, they share research-based information helping others learn how to garden. Some examples include teaching children how to grow and care for vegetables, teaching and leading other volunteers in community beautification efforts, assisting with community garden efforts, and educating others about environmentally friendly gardening practices. We invite you to stop by.
For more gardening information, please visit the Gardening in Michigan website.
