In 2020, OSU Extension started a gardening from seed program, in part because people worried that grocery stores wouldn’t be able to stock fresh produce during the pandemic. The “Grow this!” challenge is now in its fifth year and expanding.
Lauren Tobey works with the Oregon State University program, which aims to bring more fruits and vegetables into Oregonians’ diets. She said, early on, the Garden Challenge teamed up with Bi-Mart, who has supplied the seeds every year.
Tobey said people can order seed kits as an individual, as the leader of a group, or for school use.
“We’re working with hundreds of teachers in all counties of Oregon with these teacher’s kits," she told KLCC.
Tobey said one Philomath teacher has a specific audience in mind: a classroom pet tortoise.
“We are working with them to see if we grow greens and berries and lettuce for Mookie if the kids in the classroom will be even more excited about the classroom kit and eating fruits and veggies,” she said.
In addition to the seeds and the growing kit, participants receive a monthly email with recipes, gardening information, and storage tips. Everything is available in English and Spanish.
Tobey said when asked why they’ve chosen to join the program, "learning about pollinators" was a common refrain. For that reason, flower seeds are also included with every kit.
Last year, more than 122,000 Oregonians participated in the Grow This! Garden Challenge, an increase of 31 percent over the previous year.
