Extension offering free seeds for Victory Gardens

In the tradition of World War I's Victory Garden initiatives, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio State University Extension are kicking off the second year of Ohio's Victory Garden program — and this year Seneca County is part of the effort. The statewide effort, led by Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Dorothy Pelanda, is expanding from 10 to 25 counties in its second year, and 8,300 seed packets are to be provided free to participating gardeners. Seneca County's OSU Extension office, on the second floor of the Ag Center, 3140 S. SR Road 100, will be giving away sets of seeds 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. April 5-8 while supplies last. Each set contains four types of seeds. "We are so excited to participate in this program that we are contributing an additional seed variety (organic tomato seeds) in this disbursal, because no garden is complete without tomatoes," said Hallie Williams, Seneca County Extension educator. She said the program is designed to increase the number of people growing their own food, and its partly because the pandemic has raised awareness of food origins. "People want to be more connected to their food," she said. "They want to have local food experiences. This is a wonderful time for people to be growing their own gardens and investing in their food." Especially for people who haven't gardened before or haven't had the means to garden, Williams said the program is about teaching people. As part of the program startup, Williams said Extension is partnering with county resident Mackenzie Moyer to provide a webinar at noon April 7 on starting seeds. In addition, she said Extension is partnering with the community gardens program at the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center and other local groups to provide places for people to learn if they don't have a spot of their own for a garden. "We can provide resources even beyond the webinar," Williams said. "We're happy to do some hand-holding." She said Seneca County Master Gardener volunteers have offered to teach people as needed. In a state news release announcing the second year of the program, Pelanda said, "We have seen a revived passion for planting through our Victory Gardens Program, which has expanded to 15 additional counties this year. Our Ohio Victory Gardens are meant to be enjoyed by everyone, from urban apartment dwellers to those living in the country, and everyone in between. We hope this will inspire a new generation of gardeners who will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor for years to come." "We are excited to expand our partnership with ODA on the Victory Garden Program," said Cathann A. Kress, vice president for Agricultural Administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "Last year, we had an overwhelming positive response to the program. No matter your level of gardening experience, our OSU Extension educators will provide expertise that will help your gardens thrive." The release said Victory Gardens were an answer to a severe food shortage in WWI, and the idea was "wildly successful," growing an army of amateur gardeners and serving to boost morale and patriotism. Although there's no food shortage now, ODA and OSU Extension are reviving the effort and once again encouraging people to plant seeds, realize the fruits of their labor and share with others if inspired. The Victory Gardens Program offers a website (u.osu.edu/ohiovictorygardens) with details on seed distribution, advice and resources on every aspect of planting and harvesting produce. For more information on the webinar and seed pickup, visit go.osu.edu/senecavg or contact Hallie Williams at Williams.6386@osu.edu or (567) 268-6288.