PRESS RELEASE - Monday, May 11, 2015:
The community is invited to try growing and saving peas and beans this summer through exciting new gardening & learning opportunity called “Give it a Grow.”
“Give it a Grow” is a collaboration with Crow Wing Energized, University of Minnesota Extension Crow Wing County Master Gardeners and the Brainerd Public Library to provide free open pollinated, non-GMO, untreated seeds that people can grow, eat & save the seeds to plant next year.
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to give growing a go. Growing your own food can be fun, it tastes great and you don't even need a garden,” Jolene Bradley, Brainerd Public Library Manager said. “Everyone is welcome to come to the Brainerd Public Library to pick up free pea and green bean seed packets and information on growing, caring and even saving seeds for next year.” She emphasized that everyone can grow something, somewhere, because growing vegetables can be very simple and even done in pots.
Seeds from store-bought hybrid plants cannot be saved. Bradley reported, “When people buy hybrid seeds they have to buy new seeds each year. However, if you grow open-pollinated seeds, you can save seeds each season for planting next year. Each time you save seeds from a plant, you are helping to improve that variety’s unique characteristics. We can create plants that are ideal for our local environment and feature the qualities which are the most desirable to us.”
“By saving the seeds from the best plants that you have to have even better plants next year.We would love to see seed saving become a normal practice, just as it was for many of our grandparents.”
The kickoff for “Give it a Grow” is a presentation on “Gardening 101” with Crow Wing County Master Gardener and owner of The Farm on St. Mathias, Arlene Jones, at the Brainerd Public Library on Tuesday, May 19 at 12 noon. This free presentation will discuss the importance of getting your soil ready, planning, planting, caring for your plants and solving common garden problems.
Seeds are now available at the Brainerd Public Library, while supplies last.
Contact: Jolene Bradley
Brainerd Public Library Manager
Phone: (218) 829-5574
Fax: (218) 829-0055
Brainerd Public Library 416 South Fifth Street, Brainerd, MN 56401
www.krls.org