By Staff
By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles &Features Editor
City dwellers will get the chance to grub in the dirt and grow their own vegetables because of a new program implemented by the Beaufort County Cooperative Extension Service, Beaufort County Master Gardener organization and the city of Washington.
The Beaufort County Community Garden is the brainchild of the master gardeners group, which wanted to promote the benefits of vegetable gardens, said Tanya Weyhrauch, a local extension agent.
A parcel of land across from the local extension office, located on Airport Road in Washington, is being developed into a series of plots in which members of the community may plant vegetable gardens, Weyhrauch said.
Plans for the project include a well, irrigation system, deer fence, raised plots for easier accessibility, demonstration gardens and an activity field for educational programs.
As part of the program, Beaufort County Cooperative Extension Service staff will educate gardeners on best-management practices for vegetable gardens and offer tips on the proper ways to store and prepare fresh produce, Weyhrauch said.
The project is a way to introduce children and adults to the joys of gardening while also advocating physical activity and the benefits of the consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables, she added.
Jim Keen, a master gardener and BCCG chairman, heartily endorses the project.
Donations to support the project are welcome, said Weyhrauch, and an organizational meeting is planned for March 9, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the extension office. Community members may add their names to the garden-plot waiting list at that time.
For more information, visit www.beaufortcountycommunitygardens.or or call the extension office at (252) 946-0111. Weyhrauch may be contacted via e-mail at tanya_weyhrauch@ncsu.edu.
Cutline for corresponding photo: As storm clouds roll in Friday afternoon, Taylor Well Systems owner John Taylor removes the drill rod from his drill rig at the Beaufort County Community Garden site. At right is his employee Brady Andrews. “The pole is a darn good lightning conductor,” Taylor said. “As soon as the clouds come in, we stop working.” Taylor, from Chocowinity, is drilling the well to feed the garden’s irrigation hydrants. (WDN Photo/Paul Dunn)