While nobody can feed the world on a single large produce or livestock operation, just about anyone can grow something fresh at home for their family. Whether it’s a large backyard garden with just about every crop available to grow in the summer, a blueberry bush, or a basil plant growing in a container on the porch, there’s something rewarding about harvesting and eating a product you’ve grown yourself.
Sunbelt Ag Expo attendees interested in learning more about the basics of a backyard garden will have ample opportunity throughout the show. While you are at Expo this year in October, make sure to visit the Backyard Garden Exhibit to see live demonstrations based on produce and other plants grown in the exhibit’s garden. Experts will be present to answer all of your gardening questions specific to your situation.
Gardens would be impossible, and consumers would go hungry without pollinators. In both a backyard garden and in a crop field, pollinators help fertilize the plants, making it possible for the plant to produce seeds and grow fruit. Honeybees are considered nature’s most efficient pollinator, credited with pollinating about 75% of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the US.
The Southwest Georgia Beekeeping Club, SOWEGA, will be at the backyard garden during Expo for demonstrations and how-to sessions on beekeeping basics. Look inside an observation hive, learn about the essentials to get started in beekeeping, or advance your current skills for better hive management. The population of native bees continues to decline, and it’s crucial for food production that agriculturalists on all levels play a positive role in sustaining the population of pollinators and honeybees.
