Timeline question for public education program*input please*

[robbobbin]

Hello everybody-I've been very busy lately and not posting as much as I should be, but with this project I am turning to you, my garden friends, for help. thank you for reading and whatever input you might have.
I have just taken on a two year commitment for my local Master Gardener Association, as Public Education Committee Chair. In short I will (with the help of a couple other ladies) plan and host monthly public education opportunities for the general public.
For October 27th we have planned a canning/preserving/putting it up-program.
MY QUESTION: Do you think the date is too late in the year to be of much help for people with this years harvest? The 27th is so late-I fear it will not be the optimum time to offer this program-perhaps we should save it for next Sept?? or will people still find the info timely? We are in central Indiana zone 5.
October is my 1st month in charge and we needed most the month for planning/organizing/and getting info to the PR people.
Any help, ideas, thoughts would be greatly appreciated at this point.
Also-if you have ideas for programs that would be beneficial for the general public-I sure would consider them for my up coming programs. We have a small budget-so I am also trying to come up with a special presenter...ideas??

 

[patandchickens]

For October 27th we have planned a canning/preserving/putting it up-program.MY QUESTION: Do you think the date is too late in the year to be of much help for people with this years harvest?

Well, as you say it is not the optimum time, but there are still SOME things around (most notably apples), and if it is that or nothing, then an argument might be made for just doing it anyhow. If you needed to 'fill time' in it, you could include jellies/jams/etc using fruit frozen earlier in the year (strawberries, rhubarb, blueberries, peaches, etc).

Have fun,

Pat

 

[poppycat]

I think it's ok too. If you could do something really simple like applesauce or pears, then people could use their new canning skills for the next spring. The process is the same. It's just the ingredients that change. Another possibility is to focus on canning or preserving something to give as holiday gifts.

As far as other topics go, I am doing a similar outreach program for our neighborhood association. We are also just getting started, but two things I am considering is a rainwater "harvest" workshop that would have a speaker and resources for collecting rainwater and an invasive species recognition and removal class.

 

[robbobbin]

Thank you both/
Pat-excellent idea -using frozen fruits from earlier harvest. And was already planning to touch on jellie and jams. I got a bunch of good book to take with me also. I have a cookbook collect that lines two walls of my kitchen...hehehe
Cat-the holiday gifts is diffinately worth mentioning. The last committee chair said she tried a program in December for 'Gifts from the Garden' and it flopped-but I think adding it in as an 'unthought of' for canning products...excellent.
thank you
We already did a program on rain gardens and water conservation. I created a PowerPoint presentation and gave it to about 32 attendies. What fun! I plan to do it again next year.
We also made Clay Pot people-an idea for you. And bird baths from Hosta leave -is this next yrs plans.