LAUDERDALE LAKES, FL- The City of Lauderdale Lakes will host the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a tour of the Community Gardens on August 10th, 2016 at 9:00AM located at 3100 NW 40th Street, Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33309.
Broward County Horticultural Technician, Julio Perez, appointed The Lauderdale Lakes Children’s Garden as the best choice to receive a copy of the Microbial Ecology section of the Ecological Society of America’s curriculum and composting materials to assist an urban agriculture organization in the Ft. Lauderdale area, which is the location of their ESA annual meeting this year. In a letter written to Perez, the USDA representative requested to have an organization that would benefit from the composting curriculum and other materials. The Lauderdale Lakes Gardens are thriving and exhibiting such promise – certainly deserving of the attention.
Deputy Under Secretary Ann Bartuska of the USDA will take the tour of the Gardens with Commissioner and Master Gardener, Beverly Williams, CRA Director Gary Rogers and other master gardeners who are dedicated to the success of these urban community gardens. The tour will begin at the Children’s Garden and will finish up at the Community Garden located on 36th Street in Lauderdale Lakes. “I am extremely pleased that Mr. Perez recognizes our hard work and dedication to our gardens, our community, and providing hands-on agricultural education to our children,” said Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Beverly Williams. “We will definitely benefit from the curriculum and materials, and we look forward to touring our gardens with the USDA Deputy.”
Microbial Ecology section of the Ecological Society of America is in it’s third year of working to donate composting materials to community gardens around the country. The section saw fit to reach out to South Florida organizations that they felt would benefit from these materials. The donation will include a hard copy of our composting curriculum which includes information, instructions for composing and vermiculture, and activities like coloring pages and word searches; a large composing bin; thermometer; moisture probe; large soil sieve; and see-through compost container. The master gardeners in Lauderdale Lakes are looking forward to the opportunity to tour and discuss the curriculum and other ecological matters with the high ranking USDA official.
For more information on this tour, the garden, or other City of Lauderdale Lakes projects, please contact the Public Information office at info@lauderdalelakes.org.
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