By Betsy Kennedy and David Hensley
Kids Day at the Franklin County Farmers Market — held the second Saturday of each month through November — is an excellent opportunity for young people to be introduced to gardening and growing local. Volunteers from the Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners (CAEMG) have been on hand to participate.
In July, children had the opportunity to plant and grow their own succulents. Bluebird Hill Farm in Lawrenceburg provided the supplies — soil mix, succulent cuttings and pots. CAEMG members David Hensley, Mary Martin, Bill Klier and Betsy Kennedy helped the kids pot plants to take home.
In August, kids that visited the table enjoyed learning about insects by way of sticker sheets and plastic bugs. Who doesn’t like a good bug? Stephanie Kalla, Arba Kenner, along with Hensley, Klier and Kennedy, talked with kids about the role that insects play in the garden and discussed the many beneficial insects.
CAEMG members are graduates of the University of Kentucky Extension Master Gardener Program. The program’s purpose is to educate and assist gardeners by providing reliable, research-based knowledge. And what better way to serve Frankfort and Franklin County than by helping young people to learn the basics of gardening and see the benefits of supporting the environment.
