Container Gardening and Healthy Eating is a program offered to a low-income area of Mason County. Classes had been offered to adults at the community center in years past but there was little to no interest. The housing authority director was contacted about starting the program and with her approval residents were allowed to keep potted plants outside of their home. In 2017 we offered our first series with over 17 participants. In 2018 we decided to offer the series in another low-income community center, the director advertised the class to the residents in their monthly newsletter but there was very little interest. With little interest, we decided to go house-to-house. We knocked on every door and personally invited residents and if someone was not home we left a booklet about the class and a note inviting them. After going house-to-house, we had had between 25-30 people sign-up to attend the series.

The program involved Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) (Anita Boyd), horticulture agent (Macy Fawns) and program assistant (Austin Howard). The series offered classes once a week for six weeks at the Beechwood Housing Authority Community Center, all ages were invited to attend and parents were encouraged to bring their children to participate. 

For each lesson participants learned how to plant and take care of a vegetable. The Extension office provided all materials needed and each participant planted a vegetable in a container to take home, in addition they learned how to identify and control insects and disease. Vegetables planted included peas, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and zucchini. After planting the EFNEP assistant taught lessons on healthy eating and provided a sample of a recipe with the main ingredient being the vegetable that was taught that session. There were seven lessons taught including My Plate, Know the Limits, Meal Planning, Reading Labels, Food Safety, Eating Better on a Budget and Breakfast made Easy. Recipes sampled include: Skillet Enchiladas, Salsa, Breakfast Pizza, “Obama” San, Southwestern Veggie Salad and Hoppin John. Each participant not only learned how to prepare and take care of a garden, but they actually grew their own garden and for many people it was their first time. Overall improvements: 75% in food safety, 100% in food resource management, 50% eat more veggies more often each day and 50% eat dark green veggies more often each week. They also learned different ways of cooking vegetables healthy, how to clean, prepare and store vegetables properly.

Through this program the extension office worked with people of different ethnicities, economic backgrounds, ages, and genders. Before this series most of the participants had never been to the Mason County Extension Office or even know what it was. Residents have already asked to have the class again and for additional classes. We plan to continue to offer this program annually and next year plan to add a preservation class as participants have learned their container garden can produce more than they can eat at one time. Additional classes are now being offered at the housing authority community center as the director and many residents have requested.