University of Wyoming Extension News

Tag Archives: gardening

Creative New York City gardener offers take-home messages for Big Horn Basin green thumbs

UW Extension will sponsor a free showing of “Truck Farm,” an award-winning comedy film directed by Ian Cheney, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, at the Powell Library.

The film depicts the roots of the Truck Farm mobile garden education project, which began when Cheney planted a garden in the bed of a 1986 Dodge truck in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“New Yorkers must be creative when it comes to growing their own food in the city,” said Sandra Frost, UW Extension educator. “Wyomingites can take home messages from the film and apply them to growing food in our own unique environment.”

Nutritionist Marion Nestle, chef Dan Barber and rooftop farmer Ben Flanner are featured in the film.

“The film tells the story of quirky urban farmers,” said Frost. “Ian takes an old truck, gives it a new, green life, and takes us on a tour of urban farms in New York City while blending humor and philosophy.”

The event is part of extension programming that revolves around a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit called “Key Ingredients: America by Food,” which will be on display at theHomesteader Museum from Aug. 24-Oct. 25 in Powell; the exhibit examines food in American life and its relationship with our history and culture, said Frost. Visit www.homesteadermuseum.com for information about the “Key Ingredients: America by Food” exhibit.

For more information, contact Frost at 307-754-8836 or email her at sfrost@uwyo.edu.

Hot Springs County extension provides Master Gardener training

Barton Stam

Barton Stam

Training to become a Master Gardener or to learn more about gardening begins Monday,March 4, offered by the Hot Springs County office of the University of Wyoming Extension.

Training sessions are 9 a.m.-noon Mondays and Wednesdays March 4-April 29 in Thermopolis.

“Attendees will get 48 hours of training on multiple topics including soils, insect control, plant diseases, integrated pest management, vegetable and flower gardening, lawns, pruning and more,” said Barton Stam, extension educator. “Anyone is welcome to join, especially those striving to become Master Gardeners.”

The course fee is $125 for those intending to become Master Gardeners and $225 for those not intending to become Master Gardeners. The fee includes the “UW Sustainable Horticulture Handbook,” one soil test and classroom materials.

“The training enables people who love gardening to learn more about horticulture from extension experts, connect with like-minded individuals and engage in activities that will benefit their local communities,” said Stam.

Applications are available at the Hot Springs extension office in Thermopolis. For more information, contact Stam at 307-864-3421 or at brstam@uwyo.edu.

Sugar beet diseases, drought, wolves topics at WESTI Ag Days in Worland

Barton Stam visits with a producer during last year's WESTI Ag Days.

Barton Stam visits with a producer during last year’s WESTI Ag Days.

Sugar beet diseases, drought risk management, wolves do’s and don’ts for landowners and pesticide application certification sessions are among 34 concurrent sessions at Wyoming Extension’s Strategically and Technologically Informative (WESTI) Ag Days in Worland Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 5-6.

Registration begins both mornings at 8:30 at the Worland Community Center Complex at 1200 Culbertson Ave. Sessions are 9:15-noon and1:15 -3:45 p.m. Tuesday and 9:15 a.m. to noon Wednesday. A rangeland healthassessment panel discussion is 1:15-3 p.m.

Lunch is provided both days. Sponsored by the Big Horn Basin Ag Ambassadors, the schedule is at bit.ly/2013WESTI.

Other sessions include trends in local food marketing, estate planning, quick dinners from the garden, range nutrition, raised bedgardening, weed control in sainfoin, high tunnels and members of the Wyoming Highway Patrol will present “Commercial vehicles and agricultural operations.”

Bulletin suggests tools, techniques for gardeners experiencing aging, physical difficulties

Randy Weigel

Tools and techniques to help gardeners experiencing the effects of arthritis, aging or physical limitations continue to garden are described in a new bulletin from University of Wyoming Extension.

Wyoming AgrAbility project director Randy Weigel compiled the publication.

“Identifying each gardener’s individual needs, adapting his or her garden and gardening practices and utilizing the wide variety of excellent tools and techniques available will ensure the capabilities of every gardener are maximized,” said Weigel, extension human development specialist.

Solutions for living: Tools for the enabled garden, B-1238, is available for free download by going to www.uwyo.edu/ces and clicking on Publications on the left-hand side of the page. Click search bulletins and type the bulletin number in the Publication Number search field.

UW offers extension seminar series at Laramie County Fair

University of Wyoming Extension is hosting a seminar series starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, in the Frontier Park Exhibition Hall during the Laramie County Fair in Cheyenne.

The series consists of multiple 30-minute workshops and is free to the public. No registration is required.

“Participants are welcome to come and go as they enjoy all of the activities offered by the fair,” said UW Extension educator Juliet Daniels.

The workshops are:

4 p.m. – Renewable energy for heating and cooling: The other half of the pie

4:30 p.m. – Managing your land in drought

5:15 p.m. – Gardening 101 in Cheyenne

5:45 p.m. – Raising poultry

6:15 p.m. – Preparing dehydrated food for your hunting trip

For more information, contact the Laramie County extension office at 307-633-4383 or juliet.daniels@uwyo.edu.