When: Saturday, June 29

Where: Community Garden
Stay tuned for more details on this creative event that will include a bake sale and an informational table about our group.

When: Wednesday, May 22, 3:00PM-4PM
Where: Outside the OCD Greenhouse
Learn the essentials of composting to enrich your garden affordably and sustainably. Plus, earn volunteer hours for your 4-H project by helping with spring cleaning around the beds. Can't make it to the class? OCD needs volunteers on May 21, 22, and 23 between 9AM-4PM. Contact Patricia at 989-731-7421 if you plan to help outside the meeting time.

When: Wednesday, April 3, 3:30PM-4:30PM
Where: Green House, Otsego Conservation District Community Garden
We'll start seeds for the community garden and some for you to take home. This is a great opportunity to observe the difference between plants grown under lights and those sown in outdoor jugs. It's not required to attend both meetings, but it's definitely a bonus for the kids!

When: Monday, March 18, 4PM-5PM
Where: Otsego Community Library, Upstairs Room
Learn the art of winter sowing using jugs. Bring at least one jug (clear or white/cloudy, to let the sun through) , more if you want to plant different varieties. We'll provide soil and seeds. You’ll also get an experiment sheet to compare the growth of plants sown in jugs outdoors vs. indoors under lights.

When: Friday, March 8, 4PM-5PM
Where: Otsego Community Library, Downstairs Room
Missed it last year or maybe you did attend, but you want to grow even more? No worries, join us for this session! Microgreens are not only fun to grow but are also packed with nutrients and add a fresh taste to any dish. You’ll receive a microgreen tray (courtesy of East Jordan Plastics), seeds, and all the necessary info to get started.

Where: Otsego Community Library, Upstairs Room
Get ready to plan your gardens! We will draw out our garden beds on paper and pick out our seeds. We’ll have free seeds (thanks to Home Depot's donation). I have many different varieties. If you’re interested in starting onion seeds, this is also your chance! I will bring along trays for each kid. Also, if you have specific plant requests, message me ASAP. Patricia from the OCD has generously offered to donate even more seeds, which I will be picking up this Monday.

Learn how to water bath can tomatoes!

Join us at the Otsego County Library, 2nd Floor, to learn about canning pickles! We will also learn how to make refrigerator pickles.

Join the JMG club at the annual Art in the Garden Festival.

We have an exciting field trip planned for Sunday June 4th at 2 PM at Daybreak Dreamfarm ( 1388 N Skinkle Rd., East Jordan MI ). We have scheduled a tour so the kids can see a running profitable family-owned farming business. In addition to growing fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms, they also grow and sell microgreens! So the kids will get a chance to learn from successful local farmers. What a great opportunity! I have attached the field trip form for parents to fill out. We need to do transportation ourselves, but if you would like your child to go and cannot come yourself, we may be able to carpool. Please let me know if you need help with that. Our group will be paying the donation fees to the farm, so don't worry about that part. Please RSVP as soon as you can, so I can give the farm a headcount. You can check out their website here: https://www.daybreakdreamfarm.com/

It’s time to plant our garden beds at the Otsego Community Demonstration gardens! You only need to sign up for an hour or two time slot. The available time slots are as follows: 12-2PM, which would be ideal for any homeschoolers who can join us, or 5-7PM for everyone else. With enough committed individuals, we can complete the planting in just one day! Please remember that the plants we put in the community garden will be harvested in the fall and utilized for learning how to ferment, can, and dehydrate.

Join us on April 24th at 5:30 PM at 800 Livingston Blvd. in Gaylord for an exciting worm composting event! We'll be learning all about vermi-composting, a process that uses worms to create nutrient-rich compost for your garden.

At this event, kids will get hands-on experience with worm composting and learn about the many benefits of creating vermicompost. Vermicompost is a highly fertile and beneficial soil amendment that is rich in nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. It can help to improve soil structure, increase water retention, and boost plant growth and health.

But why are worm castings so beneficial to the garden? For starters, they contain high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are all essential nutrients for plant growth. Additionally, worm castings contain beneficial microorganisms that can help to break down organic matter and make nutrients more available to plants.

And here's the best part - kids will take home their own vermicomposting kit, complete with everything they need to start their own worm composting project! They'll have the opportunity to continue their learning and apply their newfound knowledge to create a more sustainable and productive garden at home.

By creating your own vermicompost, you can reduce waste, improve your soil, and grow healthier, more productive plants. So don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about worm composting and start creating your own vermicompost!