Healthy Archuleta will hold the next workshop in its Garden Education Series on May 6 at the Vista Lake Community Garden. The workshop will focus on how to prepare garden beds for spring planting and how to set up a basic drip irrigation system.
By Kim Barnes | Healthy Archuleta
Spring is emerging in Pagosa Country. Now that the snow has melted and we can see the ground again, it is time to turn our attention to our gardens. In gardens across Archuleta County, garlic is sprouting, rhubarb is unfurling and many gardeners have begun to start seeds indoors for the season ahead.
The Healthy Archuleta Growers and Producers Group has planned a series of gardening workshops to help community members develop the skills they need to grow successfully in our mountain climate.
The next workshop in the Garden Education Series will be held on May 6 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Vista Lake Community Garden.
The workshop will focus on how to prepare garden beds for spring planting and how to set up a basic drip irrigation system. Workshop participants will gain hands-on experience preparing an existing raised bed for planting, double-digging a new in-ground planting bed, laying tarps to suppress weeds for next year’s in-ground planting and working with drip irrigation.
The workshop will be taught by Suanne McLellan, former president of the Mountain High Garden Club and an experienced gardener for over 35 years, and Kim Barnes, who has been growing food on organic farms for the past 20 years.
Preregistration is required for the workshop and the fee for the workshop is $10. To register, visit https://www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org/garden-education.html.
The Healthy Archuleta Growers and Producers Group has also been working to support gardeners to grow extra produce to contribute to the food pantry network in Archuleta County.
With the recent cuts in SNAP benefits, rising food costs, and ongoing supply chain issues, our local food pantries need community support now more than ever.
If you’re interested in contributing fresh garden produce to the pantry network, mark your calendars for a potluck orientation and meet and greet event for the Grow and Share/Backyard Growers Group.
This event will be held on Thursday, May 11, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The location has yet to be determined, but if you’d like to attend, email Vanessa at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.
