During the month of August, many area gardens are reaching their peak performance. Homegrown tomatoes are enjoyed in salads and sandwiches; and zucchinis are generously shared with neighbors. However, individuals sometimes find themselves asking what else can be done with a bountiful harvest?
Attend any of these upcoming programs at the Bradford Area Public Library individually or with friends, family to discover how today’s harvest can be enjoyed well into the future!
McKean County Master Gardener, Steve Marconi will present The Art and Practice of Seed Harvesting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3. This will be a free program that does not require registration. It will have both an indoor and outdoor component, dress appropriately.
Marconi will cover a variety of topics during his presentation, including: Botany; Mating Systems and Pollination; Cultivar Maintenance; Plant Cycles; Harvesting, Drying and Cleaning Seeds; Storage of Seeds; and System Planning: Where to Begin?
All participants will receive a free wine bag, courtesy of the Penn State Extension office. The bag is specially designed to safely carry four bottles of wine.
The Bradford Library is very interested in starting a seed library for our community, but needs the help of local gardeners to bring this project to fruition. Participants can learn how to save seeds for personal use or donate them to the library’s future seed library.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, individuals and families can gain more valuable information from the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, as well as the Extension’s Food, Family, and Health EFNEP during the Cooking with Fresh Vegetables program.
Participants will receive instruction on drying, freezing and canning vegetables and will be able to sample some delicious and nutritious recipes that will be prepared by Extension nutritionist, Laurie Maletto. As before, all participants will receive the free wine bag.
Interested individuals are asked to register for this event, to ensure an ample supply of vegetables are on hand for the sampling portion of this program. Register by calling the library at (814) 362-6527, visiting the library’s Circulation Desk, or emailing marketing@bradfordlibrary.org.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, Flea Market Gardening will be the final library gardening program for August. Master Gardener Keith Adkins will demonstrate creative do-it-yourself projects that can easily add a little whimsy and fun to any garden.
Program participants will learn how to up-cycle flea market and thrift store finds into unique garden art. They will also have an opportunity to create their own artistic garden mushroom using some dollar store products, paint and a touch of glue.
This is a free program, but registration is required. Register by calling the library at (814) 362-6527, visiting the library’s Circulation Desk, or emailing marketing@bradfordlibrary.org.
For more information about these harvest programs and more, visit https://www.bradfordlibrary.org/.
