Farmers Against Hunger Benefit at EARTH Center this Weekend

On Saturday, Aug. 18, The EARTH Center, home to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County, will host their Garden Field Day/Open House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will take place in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Ave. in South Brunswick, and is great day of fun for the family in a beautiful park setting.

New to the day for 2012, will be the Walk-A-Farm & Feast to Fight Hunger, an organized walk around the park to raise funds for the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Farmers Against Hunger Program (a 501 c 3 non-profit organization).

The walk will take people around the trails of Davidson’s Mill Pond Park to points of interest occupied by local organizations including but not limited to the Middlesex County Board of Agriculture, The Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, Middlesex County’s Mosquito Commission, Farmers Against Hunger, Middlesex County Improvement Authority’s MC Blue, the Recycling Robot and the East Coast Greenways.

The Extension Agriculture Department as well as Rutgers Master Gardeners will be on hand, offering sound advice on horticulture and environmental stewardship while guiding visitors through their various teaching gardens and learning projects. Examples of their work include the Children’s Garden with Green Roof playhouse, an enormous vegetable display garden, environmentally conscious rain garden and the popular Butterfly House.

Available Food at the event will be in the form of a Feast to Fight Hunger. Applebee’s of Milltown will donate grilled items and a staff to cook and serve the food. Side dishes will be donated by local farms and prepared by Elijah’s Promise culinary program.

The EARTH Center’s Garden Field Day attendance is free, however, prices to participate in the Walk A-Farm & Feast Against Hunger and receive its benefits are as follows: 

Walk-A-Farm 

Adult $12 (T-Shirt included with Pre-Registration)

Child $12 (T-Shirt included with Pre-Registration)

Child $5 (T-Shirt not included)

Family two adults + one/two children $25 (Two shirts included with Pre-Registration)

Feast Against Hunger

Adult with Walk-A-Farm registration $7 without Walk-A-Farm registration $10 Child with Walk-A-Farm registration $3 without Walk-A-Farm registration $ 5

Attendees can register on the day of the event, however, T-Shirts will not be guaranteed. Register by contacting Kris Guttadora at 609-462-9691, e-mailing farmersagainsthunger@gmail.com or visiting the Farmers Against Hunger booth at the Middlesex County Fair. Registration fees will benefit Farmers Against Hunger program Society (a 501c3 non-profit organization).

Also part of the EARTH Center Garden Field Day, the Second Annual “Greatest of the Garden” competition will take place, so gardeners are encouraged to bring along their biggest or most outstanding home grown produce to win prizes and recognition.  This will give residents a chance to show off their green thumbs to fellow gardeners.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their homegrown entries for the following categories: 

Biggest Tomato

Biggest Cucumber

Biggest Zucchini

Biggest Pumpkin

Biggest Squash

Biggest Water Melon

Biggest Sunflower Head

Longest Gourd

Smallest Pumpkin

Smallest Cherry Tomato

Oddest Heirloom Tomato

All Vegetables..Best Likeness to Celebrity or Historical Figure.

Hottest Pepper Variety Grown (judged by Scoville ratings)

Garden Field Day attendees can also enjoy samples of locally grown produce courtesy of Middlesex County farmers, while enjoying the sounds of acoustic musicians, “Off the Grid."

There will be “green” living displays including talks on Compost Tea and kids can meet MC Blue, the recycling robot.

For more information and participation contact David Smela at 732-398-5268 or at david.smela@co.middlesex.nj.us

Even if you can’t visit the EARTH Center this season, you can still discover what types of programming the EARTH Center offers, just visit www.co.middlesex.nj.us/extensionservices.