It’s time once again to get your hands dirty and start growing! The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio State University Extension offices are kicking off the third year of the Ohio Victory Gardens program. Due to high demand, the program is expanding to include 42 counties, up from 25 counties last year. Thousands of seed sample kits will be available for free to the public to get people planting.
“In the third year of our Victory Gardens program, we are proud of the ground we have covered in reigniting Ohioans’ love for backyard gardening, while lifting people’s spirits and re-teaching an important life skill of growing your own food,” said Dorothy Pelanda, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “We’ve gone from distributing 3,000 seed kits in six counties in 2020 to distributing more than 20,000 free seed kits in 42 counties across the state this year. Next year, we plan to expand again to reach even more Ohioans who want to grow a Victory Garden.”
“Whether it’s growing a large backyard garden, a few potted plants on a kitchen windowsill, or a smaller container garden on your porch, the Ohio Victory Gardens program has something to offer everyone,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State’s vice president for agricultural administration and dean of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). “We are excited to partner again with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to enrich Ohioans’ appreciation for growing food for their households.”
Extension’s educational outreach is enhanced by more than 3,200 Master Gardener Volunteers statewide, who support the Ohio Victory Gardens program by providing gardening advice, helping with community gardens, and promoting local food production among their neighbors throughout the state.
Seeds packets are now available for pick up at OSU Extension in Fairfield County. Just stop by the Fairfield County Agriculture Center located at 831 College Avenue in Lancaster to pick up your seed packet. Each packet contains a sample packet of lettuce, carrots, cucumber and sunflower seeds. The Fairfield County Agriculture Center is open M-F from 7:30am until 4 pm daily.
Victory Gardens participants will be eligible to win a free starter gardening toolkit by completing a short All online survey to enter. Victory Gardens originated during World War I, as an answer to a severe food shortage at the time. The idea was wildly successful, growing an army of amateur gardeners and serving to boost morale and patriotism. ODA and OSU Extension revived the effort and are, once again, encouraging people to plant seeds, realize the fruits of their labor, and share their harvest with others if inspired. For more details on the Ohio Victory Garden Program and sowing those seeds check out https://u.osu.edu/ohiovictorygardens/sowing-the-seeds/