Grow Pittsburgh offers intro to veggie gardening for Pittsburgh families

Interested in starting a vegetable garden with your kids but don’t know where to begin? Grow Pittsburgh‘s upcoming family-friendly Garden Primer course can help.

While you are learning the ins and outs of starting your family’s garden, your little ones, ages 3 and up, can participate in their own age-appropriate, free gardening activities that mirror the main classes. Kids will be able to explore a worm composting bin, design their own garden bed and participate in other hand-on activities.

The three-part introduction to vegetable gardening will take place on February 3, 10 and 17 at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church. Each Tuesday evening class will focus on a single season of gardening. The first class will discuss springtime gardening activities such as choosing a location for your garden and types of garden beds to set up, while the summer class will focus on garden design and maintenance and the fall/winter class will cover pests and other garden challenges.

The two-hour classes are made up of lectures combined with demonstrations and group activities. The learning doesn’t end there, though. Each participant will take home a garden manual and be eligible to attend three other courses in Grow Pittsburgh’s Garden Workshop Series for free.

As Jake Seltman, director of educational programming with Grow Pittsburgh points out, urban gardening has a lot to offer including “an opportunity to eat healthier, to be outside, to engage in a collaborative activity with family and friends, to connect with and preserve the land [and] to save money.” But he also reminds us that this hands-on activity and collaborative effort is “often the most effective and enjoyable way to get kids excited about eating fresh fruits and vegetables.”

It’s a sentiment that’s echoed by Kelsey Weisgerber, the ambassador for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution in Pittsburgh, who  believes that improving the city’s health begins with getting kids actively involved with food. “By making food exciting, celebrated and adventurous for kids you can form positive relationships and connections with kids and that food,” says Weisberger who was just named one of NEXTpittsburgh‘s 5 people making Pittsburgh a healthier city.

To purchase tickets or for more information on this course or the next primer course offered in March, visit the course page on the Grow Pittsburgh website.

Featured photo: Little vegetable gardeners, Photo courtesy of Grow Pittsburgh