ALEXANDRIA
— From garden to table, learn how to cultivate healthy, homegrown produce at a special event hosted by Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners.
Explore key topics including season extension, seed starting, composting, and succession planting. Attendees will gain practical knowledge and innovative strategies to enhance their harvests and foster a deeper connection to the gardening process.
The event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church (1655 18th Ave. E., Alexandria). Established gardeners and beginners alike will leave equipped with the tools, insights, and community support to help your garden thrive.
Meg Cowden is the keynote speaker, a gardener with over 30 years of experience cultivating a diverse array of vegetables, fruits, and flowers in USDA Zones 4a and 4b. Cowden approaches gardening as both a creative and spiritual practice, one that fosters joy, curiosity and fulfillment. She is passionate about helping others discover the beauty and meaning of growing their own food.
Cowden is the author of “Plant Grow Harvest Repeat,” and will share proven techniques for maximizing vegetable yields and building a more resilient garden. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned grower, her insights will inspire you to rethink your planting rhythm and grow with greater intention.
Douglas County Extension Master Gardeners displayed vegetables, herbs and flowers at the Farmers Market.
Contributed photo / Douglas County Extension
Sessions include:
Starting vegetables from seed. Discover the essential tools, techniques, and timing strategies for successful seed starting and spring transplanting. Presenter Dave Vaske is the owner of Miltona Greenhouse in Parkers Prairie. He has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and has taught gardening classes and helps others establish apple orchards, promoting fruit growing and resilient landscapes.
From frost to harvest: Tips and tools for extending the Minnesota garden season. Learn how to use tools such as row covers, low tunnels, cold frames, and high tunnels, along with crop selection and planting techniques to start earlier, harvest later, and make the most of every growing day. Increase productivity and resilience in the face of unpredictable weather. Presenter Robin Trott is a respected horticulturist, columnist, and radio host. She currently serves as the University of Minnesota Extension horticulture educator in Douglas County. Trott offers a practical and insightful perspective on gardening challenges and solutions.
Backyard composting for productive gardens. Composting supports healthy soil, reduces waste, and provides a natural, sustainable fertilizer to boost your garden’s productivity. Learn the basics of starting and maintaining a backyard compost system, including simple bin design and how to layer garden debris, grass clippings, leaves, and food scraps to create nutrient-rich compost. Presenter Arthur Pattengale serves as the environmental assistant at Pope Douglas Solid Waste Management. He is committed to ecological stewardship and community education, with a particular interest in sustainable gardening and edible native plants. He blends scientific knowledge with hands-on experience to support resilient, local food systems.
All gardeners, from novices to pros, are invited to learn, share, and grow together. Pre-register by 4 p.m. on Jan. 16 at
z.umn.edu/BBDregistration
and pay $25 or pay $ 30at the door.
For more information, call Douglas County Extension at 320-762-3890.
By
Echo Press staff report
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Comments are closed.