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Children Can Learn to Garden in Knox County

mbasic.facebook.com

Children will have an opportunity develop a "green thumb" thanks to the Knox Prairie Community Garden.

The garden is an outreach of the Knox Prairie Community Kitchen, which serves several hundred meals each month to local families.  The vegetables and herbs grown in the garden are used in the meals.

Plots are now available for children, who will choose what they want to grow from a variety of seeds provided by the community kitchen.

Founder Jim Eastwood said he has been trying to generate interest through local children's groups including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the YMCA.

"The real important thing is I want the kids to decide what to plant, and show them how to plant, tend to it, and harvest," said Eastwood.

The children can keep their harvested plants or donate them to the community kitchen.

Jen Burbick with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois says the children are learning a tremendous amount of information.

"They are learning the importance of all the tools, when to grow their plants, what will work. Jim (Eastwood) encourages them to try different things, too," said Burbrick.

Burbick's daughter Mary Helen loves the variety of plants they can grow.

"We have  radishes, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, and pumpkin in our garden right now. Gardening looks easy, but it is a lot harder than you think."

The children will be able to participate year-round because of the timing that plants need to grown.