Youth Master Gardener Program
Georgetown Optimist Club

8260 State Road 64, Georgetown, IN

 

The Sunnyside Master Gardeners have conducted a Youth Master Gardener Program since 2002. Located at the Georgetown Optimist Club since 2004, we teach children ages 8 -12 how to grow vegetables and flowers. The class schedule covers topics such as Plant Growth & Development, Soils & Composting, Vegetables, Herbs, Fruit, Annuals & Perennials, Pest & Beneficial Insects, and Wildlife in the Garden. Each of these topics is supplemented with hands-on activities with the children.
 

Integral to the learning experience, each child plants, tends and harvests in half of a 4’ X 18’ raised bed, under the guidance of an SMG mentor. The children learn that vegetables come from the soil, not from the supermarket, and that the labor of gardening is rewarded by a fresh harvest.

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Additionally, another raised bed is dedicated to producing vegetables for local food pantries, a lesson in sharing with those less fortunate.
 

Classes are held on seven Monday mornings in June and July. Planting Day is usually the second Saturday in May.

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Youth Master Gardener Application Form