Project Activities 2
New Crops for the Coachella Valley: 2013-2016: Stevia Trial
My cooperators are S&W seeds. Stevia peeked the interest of those searching for a sugar alternative. It is a crop from the highlands of Brazil. It was unknown how it would grow in the Coachella Valley given the climate extremes.
Indio Senior Center Community Garden 2010-2014
My collaborators are Nancy Vance, Indio Senior Center Director and Letty Vasquez, Burrtec Waste Management. From planting to harvesting the seniors were involved in setting up the garden. Each senior had a garden plot. I gave them 3 educational classes covering vegetable gardening, Insects Identification and Management, and Understanding and using fertilizers. This project has been well received and seniors have supplemented their diets with the vegetables they have grown themselves. When the Indio Boys and Girls Club heard about this project they also asked to be included in the programing.