Whew! Yesterday was crazy, as I was touring 5 groups of elementary-aged kids from a YMCA camp through the Demo Garden. We even stayed mostly dry! The kids had a great time, and I think all the plants survived too.

Tomorrow is the second Brown Bag Lunch in the Garden. Our topic for the week is Chinese (Napa) Cabbage. We’ll have a cool, refreshing salad to taste and a couple great recipes to take home. We might also have a chance to sample some gooseberries and currants, if there’s time.

Switching gears a bit, we will be hosting a “group viewing” of a webinar on Urban Agriculture & Community Development (think community gardens, maybe even for-profit). The webinar will be next Tuesday, June 15, from 1-3 pm. We will be joining the webinar from the Ingle Room here at the Sedgwick County Extension Office. The webinar is being put on by the EPA, and looks like it will be very interesting!

From the flyer:

Urban agriculture provides many benefits.  Vegetable gardens can be a source of fresh, healthy food, and an educational resource for adults and school children. Additionally, urban agricultural projects have also been used to provide green job vocational training in some communities. Many not-for-profits have partnered with local governments to promote community gardens in neighborhoods where there is little or no demand to redevelop vacant properties.  This webinar will provide an overview of urban agriculture techniques and examples from a community that has successfully implemented projects. HUD, EPA, and USDA representatives will also be available to answer questions about resources and funding opportunities related to urban agriculture.

Scheduled speakers: Patsy Benveniste (Chicago Botanic Garden) & Art McCabe (City of Lawrence, MA)