Growing your own herbs can provide you fresher herbs that you could ever purchase at the store. And growing your own herbs will provide you a constant supply to add flavor to your dishes. Having multiple fresh herbs to choose from will add variety to your diet that doesn't take the fun out of eating healthy.

The Boone County Extension Horticulture Advisory Council requested a class be taught on growing herbs. To meet this need the agriculture and natural resources agent, the 4-H youth development agent and the horticulture technician decided to offer Herbs 101 during August 2020. Due to COVID 54 class participants were sent a power point presentation on 3 main topics. They were: Pollinators for Herbs; Growing Herbs; and Cooking with Herbs.

Twenty-two people completed the on-line evaluation. Twenty-one people responded yes to the question of ‘Did you grow any herbs this year in your garden?’ Seventeen people responded they had increased their use of herbs in cooking due to the information they received. Nineteen people stated they allowed their herb plants to flower for pollinators and several participants stated they shared the information received with others.

One participant sends pictures of butterflies, and flowers to her siblings. Another stated she shared plants with her 3 sisters and one friend. Finally, one stated they talk about herbs with her sister-in-law often.

What's on the shelves will never match what you grow yourself. Herbs have many values but a few of the most common uses include aromatherapy, medicinal, as seasonings and flavorings in foods and beverages, and in salads. Many herbs are chockfull of cancer-fighting antioxidants, valuable nutrients, fat-free flavor, and more.