Grow your own program cultivates skills and community

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Submitted by Caitlin Blethen.

The 2026 Grow Your Own Food program helped local residents turn curiosity into confidence, equipping participants with practical skills to grow their own food while strengthening community food resilience.

Originally piloted in 2019 through a collaboration between the Joyce Sobel Family Resource Center, San Juan County WSU Extension Master Gardeners and San Juan County Health & Community Services, the program has since been refined and adapted into a strong foundational gardening curriculum that meets the needs of local residents.

This four-part, hands-on gardening series — led by San Juan County WSU Extension in partnership with San Juan Health & Community Services, the Mullis Community Senior Center and the San Juan County Master Gardener Foundation — guides participants through planning, planting, care and harvesting, with locally relevant, accessible instruction.

Program results show strong impact:

100% of participants reported good or excellent understanding of key gardening topics.

Over 85% plan to improve their gardening practices, especially in planning, soil preparation and composting.

The program earned high marks, with a 4.7 out of 5 rating and 88% of participants interested in future sessions. One participant shared: “Thanks for all the wonderful educational opportunities you offer FREE to the public. We are lucky to have such an incredible community asset!”

Originally developed to address barriers like limited space, cost and local growing conditions, the program continues to expand its impact — supporting a more food-secure community.

Next steps include offering advanced workshops and publishing the curriculum to support adaptation on other islands.

For more information about upcoming workshops or to connect with the San Juan County Master Gardener program, contact WSU Extension San Juan County at 360-370-7663, email mg.sanjuancounty@wsu.edu or visit https://extension.wsu.edu/sanjuan/master-gardeners-2/.