News Feature                                                            6/28/2009

Rediscover home gardening

Following the lead of First Lady Michelle Obama and US Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack, the staff at the Service Center in Goodhue is establishing a demonstration garden. The purpose is two fold. One is to raise vegetables for the local food shelf. Secondly it will serve as a demonstration for city dwellers and folks who don’t have room for a big garden.

On February 12, 2009 US Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Tom Vilsack broke pavement on the inaugural USDA “The People’s Garden” during a ceremony on the grounds of the USDA Headquarters commemorating the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. While overseeing the transformation of a paved lot into a garden, Secretary Vilsack said 'We will grow fruits and vegetable to symbolize USDA's commitment to providing healthy diets for our children and reduce childhood obesity.'

The garden along 3rd Avenue in Goodhue next to the USDA Service Center is about 160 square feet. This is a size suitable for a home garden and is just one of many possible configurations a family could use. It is also serving to demonstrate curvilinear rows, a potato basket and a planting of okra.

Additional advice on setting up your own garden is readily available on the Internet, at your local library or ask some of the staff if you see them out working in the garden.

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