Learn about houseplants, herbal tea plants, and microgreens with 4-H

LIBERTY, NY — Did you know you can grow a new plant from a cutting? Or that microgreens are more nutrient dense than mature plants?

To share more knowledge of plants, Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County’s 4-H Youth Development Program staff are banding together with Horticulture program coordinator Katie Gasior to host an in-person workshop series for Sullivan County youth.

The Youth Horticulture Series will take place on Friday, April 21; Friday, May 19; and Friday, June 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Extension Education Center in Liberty, rain or shine.

The classes, for kids aged 10 and up, will cover topics like propagating houseplants, growing your own herbal tea and growing microgreens. There will be short lessons on plant germination, care, lifecycles and uses. The lesson will be followed by a demonstration and a chance to get your hands in the dirt with individual plantings. Youth will learn how to create an environment a seed or plant can thrive in, and how to maintain that environment. Participants will be able to take their plants home and enter them as projects in the Sullivan County Youth Fair.

There is no fee, but preregistration is required for each session. Youth can register for one or more of the sessions online at www.sullivancce.org/events. For more information, email sullivan@cornell.edu or call 845/292-6180.

April is Grange Month in PA

MIFFLINTOWN, PA — The Pennsylvania State Grange is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Matt Espenshade, the state grange master, has announced that April 2023 will be designated as “Grange Month.”

Granges are the nation’s oldest agricultural advocacy and rural service fraternity, according to a news release from the state grange.

Since the Pennsylvania State Grange was established in 1873, it has emphasized the importance of service to the community. So the state grange has asked local granges to mark the anniversary with activities and acts of community service. 

While service has always been a hallmark of the grange, seeing the wide variety of projects happening all across the state has been inspiring.

Every member is an advocate, and local meetings across the state provide a forum to discuss opportunities to overcome numerous challenges. Together, grange members are raising awareness regarding the lack of reliable rural broadband, are ensuring transparency by requiring that public notices be included in newspapers, and are bringing attention to the alarming loss of rural healthcare options and the fact that prime farmland is being lost.  

Every grange reflects the communities it  serves, and the topics discussed are as diverse as the members themselves. 

The Pennsylvania State Grange encourages Pennsylvanians to join this amazing organization supporting the state’s agricultural community and beyond.  

Learn more about the PA Grange and local granges at www.pastategrange.org.