01 Mar 2025 Home and Garden: Ask the Experts – It’s hip to homestead

Posted at 11:02 AMh in Features by

By Judy Riley

Sometimes what appears to be a great calamity yields great benefits, particularly when knowledgeable and passionate folks are involved. Such was the case for residents in the 501 area during the COVID-19 pandemic, because County Extension Agents Krista Quinn and Mary Beth Groce started helping others in a new way. These two University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture (UADA) Faulkner County agents collaborated to design Zoom sessions entitled “Grow Your Own Groceries” (GYOG). Five years ago, Quinn, who is armed with degrees in horticulture, and Groce, with degrees in Family Consumer Sciences (FCS), decided to take their message directly to people where they were.

Was there interest immediately? Yes, but was there a template already designed for such an endeavor? No, but they would tackle it themselves. Their goal was to provide virtual horticulture and family and consumer sciences (FCS) education to the public at a time when they needed it most. “With people spending more time at home and grocery supply chain issues growing, there was an increased interest in, and a need for, programs on home gardening, cooking and food preservation,” Quinn said. It boiled down to this: Teach the public how to grow, cook and preserve edible crops right at home.

What began as their answer to helping Faulkner County residents during the pandemic has grown into a statewide program. Anyone anywhere can access this and other programs provided by UADA. As with many virtual programs, the reach continues to expand. Two people, right here in the 501, with complementary skill sets saw an opportunity, acted and we all benefit.

Quinn and Groce started small with no idea how rapidly interest would grow. The agents publicized their plans, sharing information about logging into the Zoom sessions through their regular clientele lists. They started with a handful of participants, hosting the first sessions during the lunch hour. That handful grew to 1,300 virtual attendees, not only from across the state, but from several states, and even some people from other countries.

“It grew at lightning speed,” Groce said. Each “Grow Your Own Garden” presentation features a different crop or gardening topic. An agriculture presenter and an FCS presenter are generally paired for each session. “Whatever vegetable is featured, Krista takes the front-end information, including variety selection, planting, growing and harvesting, and I take the back end, discussing nutrient content, proper cooking techniques and preserving methods.”

The Faulkner County Master Gardeners Teaching Garden has opportunities for the public to learn about gardening and ask questions in person. March workdays are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each Saturday at 1305 E. Siebenmorgan Rd., Conway, at the former site of Freyaldenhoven’s Greenhouse. There will also be workdays at the same time on April 5 and 26, and on April 12 an Arkansas Children’s Week Event is planned. Visit your county’s Master Gardeners’ online presence to learn about similar opportunities this spring.

The Zoom sessions begin with a discussion of planting techniques, plant care and even pest control followed by hands-on demonstrations. Those include cooking procedures for the food, even steps in freezing or canning the additional product. They walk the virtual audience through the process from planting a seed or plant, to harvesting the produce and using it in recipes. The presentations are designed for home gardeners with an emphasis on container gardens and small plots, showing viewers that a small space can produce an abundance of groceries.

When COVID-19 restrictions were lowered and people began to attend classes in person, the duo settled on GYOG programs once a month. Quinn has remained the host, but other resource specialists are called on to present topics on their relative expertise. 

The original live Zoom format remains. Programs are promoted on a GYOG webpage uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/vegetables/grow-groceries-presentations.aspx. All participants, whether accessing upcoming or previous sessions, must preregister through the GYOG portal. Each will receive a followup email with a link to watch the recording. Copies of any publications and/or recipes shared in each program are included.

Another outgrowth of the pandemic was an interest in living self-sufficiently, referred to as homesteading. Families are increasingly interested in producing and preserving their own food, and even producing their own textiles, clothing, crafts and basic supplies for household use. That gave rise to another statewide offering called “Homesteading.” Quinn and Groce offer in-person classes as well as web resources. GYOG has become an integral part. Homesteading events can be found at uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/homesteading/default.aspx. 

“The GYOG series has become an excellent tool for demonstrating the breadth of extension work and our impact across the state. By including presenters from all parts of the state, attendees have learned that we have knowledgeable agriculture and FCS personnel in every county. We’ve introduced attendees to many different extension programs, including the Master Gardener program, 4-H school gardens, plant breeding research, produce safety, soil health, food safety and preservation, cooking and nutrition,” Quinn said.

The results are impressive. As with all UADA efforts, evaluating success is important. The numbers tell the story: thousands reached who might otherwise never be able to go to an extension office much less attend several in-person meetings. Untold numbers are growing their own groceries, cooking them in new and different ways, even adding essential nutrients to their diet, all at lower cost. “Even after the pandemic, I feel like many people are still gardening, a welcome break from all the technology we deal with daily. It is hands-on and stimulates the senses. It’s also good exercise for those of us who sit a lot at work. And it is productive. We can feel good about providing fresh produce for our family,” Quinn said.