UC Cooperative Extension
Karmjot Randhawa
County Director
(559) 243-6564

UC Cooperative Extension
145 Tozer St. Suite 103
Madera, CA 93638
Office Phone: (559) 675-7879
Fax: (559) 675-0639

FOOD GARDENING

What is Food Gardening?

The Madera County Master Gardeners mission is to provide science-based horticultural information and to teach home and community gardeners how to grow food sustainably.

When you grow food sustainably you nurture and protect the soil; use compost and organic amendments to feed the soil organisms that, in turn, feed your plants; use mulch to cover your soil, prevent weeds and conserve water; practice minimum soil disturbance; plant the right plant, in the right place, at the right time; include flowers that benefit the vegetables and that attract good insects; and avoid using synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

The Madera County Master Gardeners have specialized food gardening training and experience. In addition to their horticultural knowledge and interests, they are all passionate food gardeners—many with years of first-hand experience growing crops in the Central Valley.

Plant a Row for the Hungry

Plant a Row for the Hungry: Nationally sponsored by the Garden Writers’ Association, Plant-A-Row encourages gardeners to grow a little extra to donate to food banks. You can also donate any surplus of fresh garden produce, even it it wasn’t planted for donation!

Resources

Vegetable Planting Guide

Home Vegetable Gardening

Seasonal Produce / What produce is in season and where can you find it? Click here to find Farmers Markets, Farm Stands and CSAs in Madera County

Three Sisters Demonstration Garden. The Madera Master Gardeners and the college have a partnership to use the demonstration garden to hold free workshops, public events and the veggie garden donated almost a ton of fruits and veggies last year to Madera Food Bank

Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative

The Grow LA Victory Garden Initiative helps new gardeners start their own gardens quickly and easily in a container, in the backyard or at a community garden.

Check out our schedule for upcoming workshops.

Led by UC Master Gardener volunteers, these four-session classes for beginning gardeners are offered at many locations each spring and fall.

Upon completing all four classes, participants become UC-certified Victory Gardeners. Also, participants continue to work together informally in a neighborhood Victory Garden circle to ask questions, get support and continue learning.

If you cannot participate in our classes, it's easy to start a vegetable garden at home. Download a copy of the Vegetable Gardening Handbook for Beginners (English/Spanish) and take a look at our helpful gardening articles.

For more information on UC Cooperative Extension's gardening programs, please visit the Master Gardener Program.

UC Master Gardener program / Sonoma Couty

To find more information about food gardening check on the UC Master Gardener program in Sonoma County website! So many resources and classes online. To find out more click here to view the website.

The site also has Food Gardening Articles from A to Z. Great job Sonoma Master Gardeners.