The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Are you interested in gardening, but don’t have a suitable site? Do you already have a garden, but need additional space for corn, squash, melons or some other crop?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then perhaps you should consider reserving a plot in the Carrington Community Garden, located just east of the parking lot at Bethel Chapel.
Twelve gardeners utilized the community garden plots last year, the first year that the plots were offered.
The gardeners grew a variety of crops including tomatoes, green beans, beets, various types of peppers and squash, eggplant, watermelon and cantaloupe.
The harvest of fresh vegetables was reward enough, but the participants discovered other benefits as well.
“It’s fun to see other gardeners and the crops they are growing,” commented one person.
Another gardener said, “I’ve met new people that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. The gardens have brought a different mix of people together.”
The Community Garden Project is a collaborative effort between NDSU Extension and the Carrington Garden Club.
The 10 feet by 20 feet plots will be tilled and ready to plant as soon as conditions allow. A water line at the site makes it easy to keep crops growing if the weather turns dry.
After last year’s success, the decision was made to expand the project and eight additional plots were tilled in the fall.
The plot fee is $30 for the growing season.
For more information or to reserve a plot, please contact me in the Extension office (652-2581, [email protected]).
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I was on my way to a meeting in Grace City when I began thinking about how to develop an interest in gardening among young people.
An idea suddenly came to me: Why not have a pumpkin growing contest for youths in Foster County?
Pumpkins are fun to raise, they are colorful and fast growing, and a contest to see who can grow the largest pumpkin might be just the thing to encourage some young people to participate.
When I shared my idea with others, they told me that our community has held pumpkin growing contests in the past and that some grown-ups might want to participate too. So, I decided to expand the contest with a separate division for adults.
There is no restriction on what type of pumpkin can be entered in the contest, but to get the ball rolling, I purchased Early Giant pumpkin seeds to send home with elementary school students in May.
The seeds were purchased with help from the Foster County Soil Conservation District.
The students are asked to plant the seeds and care for the pumpkins throughout the summer.
Participants in the contest (adults and youths) are invited to bring their pumpkins to the City Park on Tuesday, Sept. 19. That is the date of the final Carrington Market in 2023.
We’ll set up a scale to weigh the entries and find out who grew the largest pumpkin in Foster County.
If you have questions about the contest or if you’d like some free seeds of Big Moose pumpkin, which grows up to 125 pounds, please contact me.
