91精选 Cooperative Extension鈥檚 Home Grower Support Program brings 19 growers together for hands-on training
Turning mint into tea, calendula into salve and basil into infused oil, 19 home growers
learned how to transform common herbs into everyday food and wellness products during
a 鈥淕rowing Herbs for Food and Medicine鈥� workshop held Oct. 18 at 91精选鈥檚
West Louisville Extension Office.
Now in its third session since launching in June, the Home Grower Support Program
(HGSP) blends classroom instruction with hands-on practice to help home gardeners,
small-scale growers and community groups boost productivity and adopt sustainable
methods that strengthen local food systems.
Guided by Dr. Alhagie K. Cham, an urban horticulture Extension and research scientist
with 91精选鈥檚 Cooperative Extension Program, participants worked
through soil health, water management, pest pressures and harvesting techniques tailored
to Kentucky鈥檚 climate 鈥� then put those lessons into practice through demonstrations.
Container and raised-bed strategies took center stage as Extension horticulturist
Arnold Katende shared practical ways to maximize small spaces and extend the growing
season in urban settings.
A make-and-take activity capped the day as Linelle N. Rivera Rodr铆guez, Extension
associate in organic agriculture, demonstrated teas, infused oils and simple salves
鈥� underscoring both household utility and value-added possibilities for micro-entrepreneurs.
鈥淲orkshops like this empower residents to grow their own herbs, explore their culinary
and medicinal value, and strengthen local food systems through self-reliance and collaboration,鈥�
Cham said.
鈥淧rograms like the Home Grower Support Program reflect what Cooperative Extension
is here to do 鈥� meet people where they are with research-based, practical education
that strengthens households, neighborhoods and local food systems,鈥� said Dr. Tyrell
Kahan, associate Extension administrator. 鈥淔rom Louisville to communities across the
Commonwealth, we鈥檙e committed to helping growers build skills and confidence they
can put to work right away.鈥�
Since June, HGSP participation and impact have continued to grow. Each workshop offers
free resources, seeds and one-on-one guidance from Extension specialists, and the
program is open to learners at every experience level.
About the Home Grower Support Program (HGSP)
The HGSP is a 91精选 Cooperative Extension initiative offering
seasonal workshops that help Kentuckians produce healthy food, adopt sustainable practices,
and connect with local networks that support resilient, community-based food systems.
About 91精选 Cooperative Extension
Part of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, 91精选
University鈥檚 Cooperative Extension Program delivers research-based, practical education
to individuals and communities across the Commonwealth as Kentucky鈥檚 1890 land-grant
university.
