Welcome Summer with an Edible Garden Course
Posted in Exhibitions, Learning Experiences, The Edible Garden on June 22 2010, by Plant Talk
Adult Ed Classes Teach You How to Grow, Prepare Good Food
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Leda Meredith is the Gardening Program Coordinator for Adult Education at The New York Botanical Garden and author of The Locavore’s Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget. |
When I took on a year-long challenge to eat, almost exclusively, foods produced within 250-miles of New York City, many people thought I was crazy. That was in 2007–2008, and it’s amazing how much has changed in just these past few years. Now “local,” “organic,” and “seasonal” have become buzzwords—and for good reason.
Just bite into a perfectly ripe, locally grown strawberry and your taste buds will never again be satisfied with its out-of-season, chemically grown cousin that spent weeks in transit before you ate it.
Superb taste is just one of the reasons to celebrate local, organic food. While you’re relishing that strawberry, you’re also helping the environment and supporting small farms and the local economy. It’s a lovely win-win partnership between consumers, producers, and the planet.
Many people would love to grow some of their own food or take greater advantage of the abundant offerings at farmers markets, but they are concerned that they don’t have the time, budget, or gardening and cooking skills to do so. Here at The New York Garden we’re committed to showing you just how easy and pleasurable it can be!
As part of its celebration The Edible Garden, which opened this past weekend and runs through October 17, the Botanical Garden’s Adult Education program is offering a wealth of special gardening courses that will help you to grow and prepare great food at home.
Growing one’s own food offers big returns with safe, delicious produce you can enjoy throughout the year. Learn techniques for growing herbs, vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers in a range of exciting Gardening courses related to The Edible Garden.
As a special supplement this year, students also can learn how to use fresh produce in their own kitchens through Green Cuisine Cooking Courses at the Garden’s open-air cooking studio, the Conservatory Kitchen. The series features local botanists, horticulturists, and chefs who combine plant knowledge with demonstrations of cooking and preserving garden-fresh ingredients.
In addition, students will be inspired by the remarkable variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in cultivation at four spectacular kitchen gardens on site during The Edible Garden.
Once you’ve seen these gardens and mastered the basic techniques needed to get growing, unhealthy snacks and humdrum meals will become a thing of the past.
