Integrated Programming

Community Gardens

In Gaston County NC

Integrated Programming

• Issues-based programs that break the barriers between different program areas and agents

• We’ve always worked together, but Integrated Programming is intentional and recorded

• Intended to magnify impacts

Benefits

• This makes what you’ve always done look even better– Working with other agents isn’t a new

concept, but the name makes it sound impressive, intentional and impactful

• Measurable impacts mean better reports and potential funding

Facts

• Combines the strengths of different colleagues in different program areas– Agriculture– Natural Resources– Family and Consumer Sciences– 4-H and Youth Development– Community Resource Development

Examples

• Local Food Movements• Military Base Programs• 4-H Summer Camps• Senior Programming• Community Gardens

My Point of View

• Community Gardens are a great way to integrate diverse program areas and agents within Cooperative Extension to impact our community

GastonCommunityGardens

Promoting healthy lifestyles through vegetable gardening and nutrition education

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

• Agricultural basics• Preventing youth

obesity• Promoting healthy

lifestyles• Character building• Experiential learning

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Support local, sustainable agriculture.

Youth are learning about:• sustainable agriculture practices• environmental responsibility• taste and quality of locally grown

produce

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Create an outdoor classroom.

Many teachable moments occur in the garden: • Math• Science• Biology• Character building

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Horticulture• Garden Skills• Harvest how to• Stages of

growth and development

4-H and EFNEP• Food safety• Nutrition

education• New foods

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

4-H Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Volunteers• Master Gardeners

• Site coordinators

• Master Beekeepers• Food systems

Gaston Community Gardens

• Impacts of spring 2009– 150 students in 9 classes in schools

throughout the county– 15 weekly class and garden lessons– KASA changes in horticulture skills, food

and food system knowledge, nutrition aspirations

Integrated Programming

• Brought together almost every agent in our local staff

• Is a developing concept in our office and across the state– Looking for more opportunities locally– Statewide, there are several great

examples

Resources to Get Started

• Your staff members• Online

– www.communitygarden.ncsu.edu– http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/4hplantandsoils/– www.bostonnatural.org– http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/garden/– http://www.greenguerillas.org/

www.communitygarden.ncsu.edu

Just Remember…

Plants have all the anthers!

• Site visit• Interagency

agreement• In-kind donations

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Things We Learned

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Watering delicate plants is an

essential part of gardening activities.

Things We Learned

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

This is a vegetable garden, but it is

also a flower garden and a

home for bugs and other creatures

Things We Learned

Gaston Community Gardens – Harvesting Healthy Youth

Proper harvesting techniques are

important to teach!

Things We Learned

Go out and garden

Mark Blevins

mark_blevins@ncsu.edu