Growing Health Continues into 2023

February 15, 2023

Melissa Bales, Health Extension Agent

Greenville Horticulture Agent, Mary Vargo, discusses leafy green plants with Growing Health participants.

Growing Health is entering year 2! Growing Health is a program that was developed by the Greenville County Rural Health and Urban Horticulture Agents to help beginner gardeners in Greenville learn to grow their own vegetables and incorporate these vegetables into a healthy diet. In order to help beginner gardeners, learn about vegetables that can be grown throughout the year, Growing Health is presented in accordance to growing seasons – spring, summer, and fall. Those who participate in the program receive information and growing materials to take home.

Participants in Growing Health have the opportunity to learn how to grow and cultivate different seasonal plants, how to create healthy recipes with the items grown in their garden, experience hands-on activities, and taste tests, and receive items to take home to help them implement the material they just learned.

We held three programs in correlation with the growing seasons in 2022. Six individuals attended all three program dates and there has already been significant interest in the program for 2023. The 2023 Growing Health program will continue to emphasize growing your own food and how it impacts your health but will also offer an opportunity to showcase some of the work that other Agents are doing in Greenville County and how their expertise can link with gardening and health.

Our collaboration with the Greenville State Farmers Market has allowed the program to be hosted at a lower cost and has allowed us to begin thinking about opportunities for the growth of the program. This year, we will offer programs on April 1^st, June 17^th, and August 26^th from 11am-12pm at the Greenville State Farmers Market. Interested individuals can sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/327485827927 or contact Melissa Bales at mbales@clemson.edu or 864-365-0635.