When the man-of-the-mower and I relocated from Ohio to Florida, I had to learn how to garden in beach sand. In south-west Ohio, the soils are dark, loamy and have more organic matter than Florida soils. Sand does not hold much water or nutrients compared to the loamy soils. We moved here in April, an ideal time to plant in Ohio, however much too late to put in a warm season garden, from seed, in Florida.
Levy and surrounding counties welcome new residents. Like myself, many have questions on gardening in Florida conditions and there is a need for reputable research-based knowledge. University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Nature Coast Master Gardeners (NCMGs) representing Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties, provide that information. One example is NCMGs partnering with The Children’s Table, a local food pantry, to teach people how to garden under north Florida conditions.
As a result of these efforts, NCMGs earned the Extension for All award at the 39th Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Advanced Training Conference, held October 20-23, 2024, in Kissimmee, Florida. The Extension for All award recognizes projects that address problems impacting Florida residents.
YouTube video of Master Gardener Volunteers
Community Partners
Bill Brown and his wife, Verna, founders of the Children’s Table food pantry, have operated the Bronson, Florida, pantry since 1996. In late winter 2023, the Browns approached Levy County Extension Director Mark W. Warren and Horticulture Program Assistant Barbara L. Edmonds with an opportunity to collaborate with The Children’s Table to extend University of Florida resources to an unreached population of Levy County. Local supporters included Williston resident Albert Fuller and Ken and Heidi Schweibert, owners of Two Hawk Hammock, who donated five acres and an outdoor meeting space toward The Children’s Table Garden project.
Educational Value
Master Gardener volunteers presented best practices to site the garden, warm season and cool season plants, how to submit soil sample (Edmonds post and fertilizer recommendations. Participants applied class instruction to conditions in The Children’s Table Garden. After discussing the importance of plant spacing, participants thinned newly sprouted vegetables. Participants transplanted basil and oregano seedlings. In regard to pest management, participants identified pickleworm eggs and larvae on the squash plants. Talking points included identifying beneficial insects and cultivating habitat to conserve good bugs.
Outcome
Master Gardener volunteers met with dozens of participants. Basil and oregano plants, seed potatoes, curriculum, irrigation and fertilizer were provided. Hundreds of pounds of Irish potatoes, squash, zucchini and bush beans were harvested for participants and the food pantry. According to the award of excellence nomination, the potential impact of the five-week long program is “huge due to the overflow effect of participants sharing their newfound knowledge with family, friends and neighbors.”
Connect & Refer
Several participants expressed interest in the 2025 Master Gardener class (January 23- April 17, 2025). To receive text message on upcoming events and workshops, text @DOORY to 81010, answer a few questions. There is no spam from Levy County Extension and you may unsubscribe at any time.
Join me in thanking and congratulating NCMG volunteers who shared their time and expertise to develop and deliver this comprehensive gardening program. Feel free to share the good news! Until next time – Happy Gardening!
External links to University of Florida’s AskIFAS and resources
Sydney Park Brown, Danielle Treadwell, J. M. Stephens, and Susan Webb, 2021, Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/VH021
Barbara L. Edmonds, 2022, Growing a Green Thumb; Vegetable Garden Soil Testing, https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/levyco/2022/03/04/to-lime-or-not-that-is-the-question/
Ed Thralls, Sydney Park Brown, and Ed Paulson, 2021, Seed Sources for Florida Homegrown Vegetables, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP486
UF/IFAS Extension. Vegetable Gardening in Florida Series. University of Florida. Retrieved from https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/vegetable-gardening-in-florida/
What’s Growing On: What it Takes to Become a Master Gardener, WCJB TV 20 news, https://www.wcjb.com/2021/08/26/whats-growing-what-it-takes-become-master-gardener/
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