Over the past 2 years military installation staff have reached out that their teens, staff, and/or volunteers are interested in gardening. In some cases program leaders are interested in starting an onsite base garden or starting a club that focuses on gardening.
In response to both ideas, I encourage base leadership to consider 1 or all of the following.
Reach out to your local county extension office. Every county across the state has an agriculture agent that can provide insight on how to start a garden at your base, soil testing to prepare the soil for planting (cost associated), and provide plant suggestions for planting.
Some counties have an adult and/or youth Master Gardner club. The Junior Master Gardener program is a hands-on gardening program that aims to provide children with a love of gardening and an appreciation for the environment. There is an established curriculum for educators to use. The Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program (for adults) connects UGA Extension, plant enthusiasts, and communities across the state. MGEVs share UGA Extension consumer horticulture programming about selection and care of plants for ornamental value, recreation, and home food production. Master Gardeners teach community members how to use plants and gardening to improve their environment, personal health, and quality of life. Again, there is an established curriculum that agents use with adults. County agents run the program based on community needs and interests. Some counties do not offer a class every year, so it is important to get your name on the list if this is something you are considering participating in. This helps the agents gauge the need for a class and when to start the class for the new cohort.
Additionally, once a master gardener has completed the full curriculum they are a wealth of knowledge to their community. In some cases, the MGEV manages their own community garden, oversees a school garden, or uses their skills for their personal yards. If you are not interested in completing the MGEV curriculum, but need guidance on an established garden or simply want to highlight gardening with your teen audience consider inviting an MGEV to speak at your next 4-H club meeting. Reach out to your county agent to get connected with an MGEV.
