Biscuits, Bloody Marys and Winter Garden Wisdom come to Mellody Farm
Gardeners looking to prepare their yards, plants and vegetable gardens for colder weather can get expert advice during a free “Winterizing Your Garden” workshop at Mellody Farm on from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, kicking off a full day of activities during the Mellody Farm Harvest Festival.
Led by Mellody Farm’s dedicated MicroHabitat farmer Alejandra Rodriguez, the workshop will offer practical seasonal advice on putting gardens to bed for winter, protecting plants from colder temperatures, preparing soil for the months ahead and setting gardens up for a successful spring.
Rodriguez will be joined by Alex Landberg, Lake County Master Gardener/Master Naturalist Program Coordinator with University of Illinois Extension — Lake County, as well as Lake County Extension Master Gardeners. Representatives from American Farmland Trust and the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership will also participate, sharing information about sustainable agriculture, farmland stewardship and their work supporting farmers and landowners in Lake County and throughout Illinois.
All participating agricultural and gardening experts will remain on site through 1 p.m., giving guests additional time following the workshop to ask questions, learn more about their organizations and pick up educational materials. The workshop is free, but advance registration is requested through Eventbrite. The first 20 registered attendees will receive a complimentary seed packet.
Guests can make a morning of it with Biscuits & Bloody Marys, a special Harvest Festival food-and-drink experience taking place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. One $35 ticket includes the morning experience — biscuits from Buttermilk restaurant, Bloody Marys and apple cider — and also includes admission to the Bites & Sips portion of the Harvest Festival later that day, featuring food and beverage tastings from participating Mellody Farm restaurants and businesses. Proceeds from the ticket benefit the Hawthorn School District 73 PTO.
The workshop is part of Mellody Farm’s ongoing Urban Farm programming, connecting the community with local agriculture, gardening education and the seasonal growing process. Mellody Farm’s Urban Farm features 60 planters maintained by MicroHabitat, with produce harvested throughout the season benefiting the Vernon Township Food Pantry.
Guests are invited to stay for the full Mellody Farm Harvest Festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and features food and drink experiences, live entertainment, face painting, balloon artists, shopping, community programming, pet-friendly activities, giveaways and more. Additional Harvest Festival programming and participating businesses can be found at mellodyfarm.com.