The Garden Shed

Arbor Day is always the last Friday in April. This year it will be celebrated on April 25. Arbor Day is an excellent opportunity to inspect and help envigorate the trees on your property, or any woodlot or park in your community. Work with those involved in maintainence and make suggestions or help with repair, treatment, or even planting of new trees
Think about how planting new trees might improve the appearance of a property, or provide conservation. Find out from shade tree comissions, soil and water conservation districts, cooperative extension offices, or local and county environmental commisions about the availability of trees and programs on tree planting and education for Arbor Day. There may be events to encourage the planting of trees at schools, parks, or government facilities.
All our communties and properties benefit from tree planting and the care of healthy trees. Get involved and plant a tree for Arbor Day.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Rutgers will be holding its 32nd annual Home Gardeners School on Satruday March 15 in New Brunswick on the Cook Campus of the College of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. For registration information contact Kenneth M. Karamichael at 732 932-9271 x 660 or email karamichael@njaes.rutgers.edu
There will be 28 different gardening topics. Some examples are: Accessorizing Your Landscape; Amazing Annuals;Container and Patio Gardens; 5 Easy Steps to Build a Better Garden Soil ;Healthy Eating; HeirloomTomatoes; Weeds in Nature:Invasive Plants of New Jersey. A full brochure is also available at www.cookce.rutgers.edu

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent

Buying locally grown and produced plants, animals, fruits, and vegetables, and puchasing the products and services of these from local farms is one of the greatest ways to celebrate National Agriculture Day on March 20. Farmers and the farmland they preserve are so important in every commmunity. There is a National Agricultrul Day Organization that can be accessed at www.agday.org/. Each year they plan a wide variety of activities and events on National Agriculturel Day and during National Agriculture Week from March 16-22.

Teachers, agricultural and non agricultural organizations and governmental agencies are encouraged to procclaim and celebrate this national week and day for our country and worlds' farmers. Most people know so little about farming it is important to constantly educate them on the benefits of sustaining and preserving farms and farmers.

Jerry Frecon
Agricultural Agent