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Newcomers to gardening can find helpful resources, tips
By Bobbie Whitehead
With vegetable gardening expected to increase as the economic slowdown continues, more people interested in becoming growers may need and seek help to develop gardening and farming skills.
“We have two generations for the most part that have not been involved in gardening,” said Rex Cotten, Suffolk, Va., agriculture extension agent. “Not only do we have to develop and create some motivation, but we also have to develop some skill set with the gardening.”
The idea of vegetable gardening went by the wayside about 30 years ago, he said.
“Probably over 50 percent of rural families had gardens years ago, but the interest disappeared,” he said.
Cotten, who also serves on the Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community board that plans to establish community gardens in the city, attributes the decline to housewives and mothers going to work to help the family unit financially by entering the workforce, instead of continuing gardening.
With vegetable gardening expected to increase as the economic slowdown continues, more people interested in becoming growers may need and seek help to develop gardening and farming skills.
“We have two generations for the most part that have not been involved in gardening,” said Rex Cotten, Suffolk, Va., agriculture extension agent. “Not only do we have to develop and create some motivation, but we also have to develop some skill set with the gardening.”
The idea of vegetable gardening went by the wayside about 30 years ago, he said.
“Probably over 50 percent of rural families had gardens years ago, but the interest disappeared,” he said.
Cotten, who also serves on the Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community board that plans to establish community gardens in the city, attributes the decline to housewives and mothers going to work to help the family unit financially by entering the workforce, instead of continuing gardening.
Newcomers to vegetable gardening can find tips from extension agents and growers in their area.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service agents can help with this training and education as can older Americans who can share some of their skills with the youth and young parents to develop that necessary skill set that has been lost, Cotten said.
The decline in vegetable gardening was documented by researchers in the book “Recent Social Trends in the United States 1960-1990” by Theodore Caplow, Howard M. Bahr, John Modell and Bruce A. Chadwick. The authors wrote that in 1975, 49 percent of American households had vegetable gardens compared to the 33 percent by 1987. Last year, though, the Garden Writers Association found in its consumer surveys that the number of vegetable gardens almost doubled, and the increase is likely to continue this year.
For people wanting to be growers, helpful information and support is available. Area Virginia Cooperative Extension offices remain one of the single best places to find brochures and information specific to a grower’s area. For online sources, new growers and gardeners can try some of these links:
The decline in vegetable gardening was documented by researchers in the book “Recent Social Trends in the United States 1960-1990” by Theodore Caplow, Howard M. Bahr, John Modell and Bruce A. Chadwick. The authors wrote that in 1975, 49 percent of American households had vegetable gardens compared to the 33 percent by 1987. Last year, though, the Garden Writers Association found in its consumer surveys that the number of vegetable gardens almost doubled, and the increase is likely to continue this year.
For people wanting to be growers, helpful information and support is available. Area Virginia Cooperative Extension offices remain one of the single best places to find brochures and information specific to a grower’s area. For online sources, new growers and gardeners can try some of these links:
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1.
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“Growing Vegetables in the Home Garden,” http://agnic.msu.edu/hgpubs/modus/morefile/hg202_85.pdf
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2.
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“Home and Garden Tips,” http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/highlights/homegarden/lawn.html
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“Minimum Chemical Gardening,” http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-366/426-366.html
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