By Blake Jackson
More than 100 gardeners from across Missouri gathered this fall for “Growth Through Gardening: Feeding Our Future,” a three-day Train the Trainer event hosted by Lincoln University of Missouri (LU).
The program was designed to empower community garden leaders and local growers with tools to enhance food systems and tackle food insecurity across the state.
Part of LU’s ongoing Train the Trainer series, the event offered sessions on food safety, pest management, and the mental health benefits of gardening. Now in its fourth year, the program is held twice annually to coincide with the planting and harvest seasons.
The initiative was started by Sherry Maxwell, an LU program assistant from Charleston, who recognized the need for educational support in community gardening. She secured grant funding that helped establish gardens throughout Missouri. Since then, the project has continued to grow through Lincoln University Extension and its many partnerships.
Event coordination was led by Josh Dunne, manager of LU’s commercial kitchen, and Yvonne Matthews, director of the Paula J. Carter Center on Health and Aging. “We hope to see the farms continue to grow and get bigger,” Dunne said. “And we’d like to see more farms in these food-insecure areas so we’re able to feed more people. That’s what we’re here to do.”
Dunne noted that the initiative is personally meaningful, as it was the first major project he worked on at LU. “We have made great relationships,” he said. “There are so many partnerships that are built through this program.”
The event attracted both experienced farmers and newcomers. Chris Coker of Springfield, a returning participant, said she enjoyed learning about pumpkin plants in a session led by Dr. Judith Mutamba, LU’s State Specialist for Human Nutrition and Health. “I didn’t know you could eat the leaves,” Coker said. “I tasted a little bit at the banquet. They’re good.”
Bryan de Valdivia from LU’s Innovative Small Farmers’ Outreach Program appreciated the networking opportunities, while Dr. Sujan Acharya, assistant professor of food science, emphasized safe food handling, warning, “Two hours is enough time for deadly bacteria to grow in your food and make you sick.”
Photo Credit: lincoln-university-missouri
Categories: Missouri, Education, General