Author: Sharon Flynt
Planning Unit: Scott County CES
Major Program: Horticulture, Commercial
Plan of Work: Youth and Adults Agriculture and Natural Resources Education, Adaptation, & Sustainability
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Every year since 2014, Scott County Master Gardener volunteers have collaborated with their agent to present an “open to the public” garden expo. At the expo, guests can learn about researched based gardening information and techniques, listen to gardening experts, see, and participate horticultural demonstrations, and sample nutritious fruit and vegetable recipes, free of charge. Businesses with a gardening/horticulture connection are also invited to showcase their services and sell some of their home grown products, tools, plants, etc. It was one such farmer, who had for years been attending and selling honey and value added value added baked goods she produced on her farm. In 2023, she came to drop off her vendor registration and remarked that she didn’t want to miss the opportunity to attend. Last year (2022), she stated, she not only sold out the goods she had brought with her, but “picked up several steady customers throughout the summer” who had met her at the EXPO. They had been unaware of her business and through the Expo discovered and visited her on-farm business, where she was able to not only sell more honey and honey products, but introduced them to and sold her home-grown vegetable plants and flowers, making her business profitable.
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