FiveCAP holding garden workshop May 23

FiveCAP holding garden workshop May 23

SCOTTVILLE — A small garden in the backyard or in containers on a patio can yield a great quantity of fresh vegetables while giving low-income families some control over what they are consuming and allowing food budgets to stretch much farther.

FiveCAP, Inc. will hold its 50^th annual garden workshop on Thursday, May 23 at 10 a.m. at the FiveCAP Johnson Road Warehouse in Scottville for Mason County residents. Led by a Michigan State University trained master gardener, participants will be provided with tips on how to get the best harvest out of their plants. To start their garden, each attendee will receive a variety of vegetable plants including green beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, Roma tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and broccoli.

The workshop is offered through Community Services Block Grant funding that is distributed to FiveCAP by the federal government. The best use of these funds is determined by the FiveCAP Board of Directors, which is charged with evaluating the specific needs to the community and working to combat poverty locally.

For five decades, FiveCAP has seen the important role gardening can play in helping residents of its four-county service area become self-sufficient. Workshops are offered in each county of Mason, Manistee, Lake and Newaygo, as well as food preservation workshops in the fall.

Eligible participants are county residents with annual income at or below 125 percent of poverty: One-person household, $15,613; two-person household, $21,138; three-person household, $26,663; four-person household, $32,188; five-person household, $37,713; each additional person, add $5,525.

To sign up, contact FiveCAP at (231) 757-3785 or stop by the Mason County FiveCAP Office, located at 302 N. Main Street, Scottville.