USDA launches People’s Garden summer program

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced “The People's Garden” healthy garden series summer program with a full range of activities for both adults and kids. The Healthy Garden Workshops are primarily for adults, while the Growing Healthy Kids activities are offered for young people.

Starting May 7, the Healthy Garden Workshops will occur every Friday in the garden of USDA’s Jamie L. Whitten building. Each month the series will focus on a different theme: May: gardening from the ground up; June: celebrating pollinators; July: plant diseases; and August: types of gardens.

The Growing Healthy Kids youth series of hands-on learning programs is based upon the Junior Master Gardener curriculum. There are three programs: Plant Pals helps children discover why certain plants are better neighbors in the garden than others. Tops or Bottoms encourages young gardeners to use their knowledge of plant structures in identifying which part of the plant is eaten. U-B the Judge gives youth a chance to evaluate fruits and vegetables based on color, texture, taste and smell.

The People's Garden was opened to the public last year as a living exhibit of what USDA does every day. It incorporates sustainable practices, it is a collaborative effort and it benefits the community. 

The People's Garden initiative is an effort by USDA to challenge its employees to establish gardens at USDA facilities worldwide or to assist communities to create gardens. A People's Garden can vary in size and type, but all have the common purpose to help the community they are within and the environment.