4-H gardening programs are a great way for youth to learn about food safety, nutrition, and growing their own food. This summer, Henderson County 4-H provided a new summer gardening program called Just Grow It! Over 9 weeks, participants broadened their knowledge of garden care, soil, beneficial bugs, and much more! Students were given vegetable seeds and transplants to grow along with many hands-on activities to complete.

The hybrid program combined the flexibility of at-home activities with opportunities to engage with each other in person at the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center.  We had a blast learning about seed germination, planting seeds in the Bountiful Harvest Community Garden, and acting out the role of pollinators! At the end of the program, participants brought salad vegetables from their garden to have a Salad Celebration at the Henderson County office.

We lo

ve being able to see youth gain confidence and knowledge through 4-H programs like Just Grow It. Thank you to everyone who participated this summer, and a big shout-out to our wonderful volunteers and sponsors!