It was a spectacular event in 2022. Following is the information for the March 2022 event.
Dates: Entire month of March
Location: Clark Gardens, throughout the entire property
Cost: General Admissions. For some activities, there may be an additional charge.
Grow At Clark Gardens
Month-of-March Garden Festival
Clark Gardens announces a new MONTH-long event, “Grow at Clark Gardens,” highlighting nature-based activities while encouraging healthy lifestyles. Throughout the month of March, “Grow at Clark Gardens” will host events, both weekdays and weekends, designed to enrich the lives of our local citizens and tourists through art, wellness, gardening, and other nature-based activities.
Week 1: It’s all about promoting a healthy lifestyle, from yoga and mindfulness practices to healthy cooking.
Week 2: Dive into the world of ART to enrich your life. The art exhibit Dream in Bloom…… will be on display from March 1-June 5th. Classes will cover zentangle, photography, painting, and more. Includes tips on flower arranging.
Week 3: It’s time to sharpen your gardening skills with seed starting tips, planting for pollinators, native plants, cutting gardens, enriching soils, and just about anything else you would want to know about gardening.
Week 4: The last week, we talk and learn about backyard farming - from vegetable gardens to chickens to bees to aquaponics, rain collection, composting, and so much more.
Art Exhibit Dreams in Bloom
Photos by Fares Micue is organized by Denver Botanic Gardens and will be on display in Clark Gardens chapel from March 1st - June 5th. This exhibit is a Bilingual exhibition featuring the dreamlike photographs of Fares Micue. Fifteen photos set against a dark, mysterious ground, these self-portraits integrate natural and surprising objects in vibrant hues, documenting the hope and positivity of the human spirit.
above: Photo by Scott Dressel-Martin, courtesy Denver Botanic Gardens.
A special thank you to our Grow At Clark Gardens sponsors.
Platinum
Grant
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Festival Activities Held the Month of March 2022
Wellness Week: March 1st – 11th
WELLNESS WEEK ACTIVITIES
CPR CERTIFIED TRAINING March 3, 2022 9:30 am to 12:00 pm Cost: $60 per person Location: Chapel Whether you are brushing up on your CPR skills or learning for the first time, this class will help you save lives. Be prepared for that moment. Attendees will walk away certified in CPR. This 2.5 hour class will be lead by Carol Holmes, owner of Atlas CPR Training and Circle Y Yoga Ranch. Understanding saving lives means action within seconds; ATLAS CPR trains you with hands-on experience to be skillful, confident and assertive when it counts! | Registration for this event is closed.
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GUEST SPEAKER, CARLA HAY-PERDUE March 3, 2022 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Chapel The stress response is important in keeping us safe from danger. It is designed to be activated for up to 30 minutes every 2-3 days. We however, live in a culture of chronic stress where the stress response is activated all the time. Chronic stress reactions can take a toll on our psychology and our physiology. In this program Dr. Carla Hay Perdue will guide the participants in exploring the three principle paradigm that leads to resilience. We will also explore how this awareness can lead to a quieter mind and decreased the feelings of stress. Carla Hay-Perdue obtained her Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner training from the University of Texas in Arlington and operated the Palo Pinto Rural Health Clinic in Gordon Texas for 25 years. Her master’s thesis was utilizing the Relaxation Response to Decrease the incidence of Chronic Stable Angina. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas Tech University in 2016. Through this program she was introduced to lifestyle medicine and achieved her Integrative Nurse Coach Certification. She later received recognition as a Three Principal Practitioner and uses this paradigm to decrease stress. Carla works as a nurse coach, community education coordinator, and Family Nurse Practitioner for Palo Pinto General Hospital. |
GUIDED CONTEMPLATIVE WALK March 4, 2022 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Cost: General Admission Many of you know The Unicorn's Garden has been working with Clark Gardens on building a Labyrinth. The purpose being to create a place of contemplation and introspection. As we wait for this place to come into being, we invite you to get a taste of the experience through a Contemplative Walk through the White Garden led by Bridgette of The Unicorn’s Garden will be offering a guided contemplative walk. Hosted between 12pm and 1pm to allow you a break from work, to clear your mind and recharge your soul. For easy convenience grab lunch inside the admissions booth. |
SPRING CLEANING - CLEARING OUT MENTAL CLUTTER March 5, 2022 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Clark Gardens Chapel RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED: Due to limited seating, reservations are recommended by contacting 940-682-4856 or Mental clutter builds up when we don’t have a simple way to remember how to access a clear mind. In this session you will learn how thinking became so prominent and gained such popularity that it has become the driving force of all our actions. Then you’ll get to experience a way to clear mental clutter in an instant so that you can start to focus on what matters most to you. The Unwinding as You Age expert, Jane Baldwin, helps self-care enthusiasts develop a stronger connection between mind and body using a system that came to her while healing from cancer. As a life coach and speaker, she draws on over 20 years of experience teaching yoga, breathwork, meditation, and Ayurvedic cooking. As a wellness entrepreneur, Jane co-created the first art ranch and retreat center in Texas, located in Mineral Wells. Before that she worked as a Maya archaeologist in Belize and Mexico. Jane is the founder of The Unwinding Compass, a research-based system for clearing mental clutter, relieving tension from the body, counteracting stress, and discovering what matters most to you. |
BRINGING JOY TO YOUR LIFE THROUGH NUTRITION March 5, 2022 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Clark Gardens Chapel RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED: Due to limited seating, reservations are recommended by contacting 940-682-4856 or Discover 5 things you have the right to know about depression and anxiety. Be inspired. Be encouraged. Be happy, again. This conversation will be lead by Strong On Health’s very own Dustin Strong. Dustin is the Chief Clinician and Owner of Strong on Health, a private holistic health and wellness center in the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX metro area. He specializes is applied clinical nutrition, holistic nutrition, and clinical consultation for other healthcare providers. Strong is an accomplished speaker and enthusiastic educator with monthly hands-on workshops with practitioners and is a regular continuing education presenter and featured expert in multiple podcasts, videos, and publications. As a holistic healthcare practitioner for nearly a decade, he is passionate about helping clients who have not had complete success with traditional healthcare methods, believing that being healthy requires a total approach, taking into consideration equally nutrition, physical exercise, spiritual balance, and personal motivation. He has been recognized as a Healthcare Hero by the Fort Worth Business Press and a Hidden Gem by Voyage Dallas Magazine. Dustin is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, and an Applied Clinical Nutritionist, certified by Standard Process and Parker University. Sponsored by Crazy Water. | |
BENEFITS OF FIRE CIDER March 6, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm Cost: General Admission Learn all the benefits of fire cider! Topic lead by Mineral Wells local, Tai Silva.
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INTRODUCTION TO ZENTANGLE March 7, 2022 1:00 to 2:30 pm Cost: $20 per person Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing way to create beautiful abstract images by drawing repetitive patterns called tangles. It is the perfect exercise to keep your brain flexible, develop creativity and relieve stress. No artistic talent is needed, the tools are simple and portable, and Zentangle can be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Zentangle is a fun and affordable way to be creative. Shirl Hawes, a Certified Zentangle Teacher, will teach an introduction to the Zentangle process of creating a beautiful work of art from simple patterns. All materials will be provided. Mineral Wells local, Shirl Hawes is a certified Zentangle teacher (CZT). | Registration for this event is closed.
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SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS - KNIFE SAFETY March 8, 2022 Choose one class: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, or 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Cost: $20 per person Join Chef Magen, of Magpie Inn Bed and Breakfast, and sharpen your skills. Learn knife safety, sharpening skills, as well as learn the difference between: dice, mince, chop, julienne, and chiffonade. Then get creative as each group will create a dip for our fresh cut veggies. As a class we will vote on for a winner. Ingredients are provided. | Registration for this event is closed.
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GUIDED SITTING MEDITATION March 9, 2022 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Cost: General Admission Join us for an hour of meditation led by Addie, from The Unicorn’s Garden. Meditation has been found to be useful in managing stress, controlling anxiety, improving many types of health conditions such as high blood pressure, and improving focus to help better manage our everyday life. Whether you are new to meditation or have used it before, you're welcome to come and relax and find peace in the tranquility of the gardens. Hosted between 12pm and 1pm to allow you a break from work, to clear your mind and recharge your soul. For easy convenience grab lunch inside the admissions booth. |
YOGA IN THE GARDENS March 10, 2022 10:00 am to 11:00 am Cost: $19 per person Enjoy a slow flow/gentle yoga session surrounded by nature. What better way to kick off wellness week. PAV Yoga's Ally McCrory will be leading the session. Please, bring your own mat. | Registration for this event is closed.
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WELLNESS VENDOR MARKET WEEKEND – March 5th and 6th
- Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sunday 10:30 am to 5:00 pm
- General Admissions
Here are is who you can look forward to meeting at the Vendor Market, March 5th & 6th.
Art Week: March 12th – 18th
ART WEEK ACTIVITIES
MAKE & TAKE CHARCUTERIE BOX March 12, 2022 1:00 to 2:00 pm Cost: $40 per couple Join Chef Magen, of Magpie Inn Bed and Breakfast, and learn pairing ideas, a couple of garnish tricks, and the esthetics of preparing a board. Each couple will walk away with their own charcuterie box that we advise enjoying as a picnic out in the gardens. What a great day-date with your sweetie or friends. | Ticket sales for the March 12th, Make & Take Charcuterie Box are now CLOSED.
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STAIN GLASS DEMO March 13, 2022 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Cost: General Admission Mineral Wells local and Adams Fashion Optical owner, David Adams, will be visiting and demonstrating his passion for stain glass. Additional stain glass pieces of Adams can be seen on his Facebook. Adams will be demonstrating his Wilco solid sound festival horseshoes. He refers to this art piece as the lucky weather horseshoes, because The Berkshires are notorious for squalls forming out of nowhere in June. Currently most of his pieces can be viewed at Coffee and Cocktails in the front windows. His pieces there ranging from Wilco, Rolling stones, Mineral Wells architecture as well as his 8 piece collection of Covid-19’s affect on live music pieces he compiled during the pandemic. | |
PICNIC LUNCH March 14 - 19, 2022 Cost: $5 Grab a hot dog, chips, and canned soda and head out for a family fun picnic. Clark Gardens offer many great locations to picnic. |
MOVIE MONDAY - "KISS THE GROUND" March 14, 2022 10:00 am to 11:30 am, and 3:00pm to 4:30 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Chapel Kiss The Ground is a documentary that provides a solution to heal our planet and keep our species away from the extinction list. This movie unveils a game-changer to our climate crisis: the Earth’s own soil. Here it is...we can reverse global warming. The solution is called “Regenerative Agriculture” and this film presents the research, practice, and hope we need to move forward. Together. See the Kiss the Ground movie trailer. |
PAPER CLOTH WORKSHOP March 15, 2022 1:00 to 4:00 pm Cost: $18 A presentation about Paper Cloth and uses for the material that spans personal use & k-12 art classes. In this 3 hour hands on session, participants will make paper cloth to scaffold their understanding of the art process to explore further applications. Instructor, Christine Miller will lead discussion about the various ways paper cloth can be used in art making including: covers for book making, as a material to cover 3D sculptures, a 2D mixed media approach for art making, and a substrate for embroidery and stitching. Participants will leave with the samples they create. This class is highly recommended for teachers, art lovers, and children. Class instructing artist, Christine Miller, is a nationally recognized art educator and a lifetime fiber artist. | Ticket sales closed.
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QUILT DISPLAY March 16, 2022 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Cost: General Admission Local quilters, Piecful Stitchers, will be displaying many beautiful quilts in Clark Gardens chapel. |
NEEDLE FELTING WORKSHOP March 16, 2022 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Cost: $18 A presentation about needle felting and uses for the material that spans personal use & k-12 art classes. In this 3 hour hands on session, attendees will participate in needle felting to scaffold their understanding of the art process to explore further applications. Instructor, Christine Miller will lead discussion about the various ways needle felting can be used - including 2D and 3D lessons will be shared that span k-12 curriculum. Participants will leave with the samples they create. This class is highly recommended for teachers, art lovers, and children. Class instructing artist, Christine Miller, is a nationally recognized art educator and a lifetime fiber artist. | Ticket sales closed. |
QUILTING THROUGH THE YEARS March 16, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Cost: General Admission Local quilter, Tricia Hopkins, will lead a discussion of how quilting has changed throughout the years. Hopkins will be happy to answer an questions, regarding quilting. You will even be able to see some of Hopkins hand made quilts displayed in the chapel on this day. |
SIT & KNIT OR CROCHET & CHAT March 16, 2022 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Cost: General Admission Do you knit or crochet, or even do hand embroidery? If so, this is the social event for you! Bring out your supplies and enjoy mastering your craft surrounded by other local textile lovers. What a great way to make a new friend, swap tricks of the trade, and enjoy nature |
BIRDHOUSE BUILDING March 17, 2022 10:00 am Cost: $15 Birdhouse building activity. | Ticket sales closed. |
ART OF BIRD WATCHING Currently Canceled... We are trying to reschedule this activity. Cost: General Admission Lake Mineral Wells State Park's very own, David Owen, will be guiding a limited number of people through a colorful walk through the gardens enjoying bird watching. There is so much to learn and see during this fun activity, for all ages. Attendee spots will be first come-first serve on the day of, maxing out at 20 participants. Arrive early to secure your spot. |
ST. PATRICK'S DAY BINGO March 17, 2022 1:30 pm Cost: General Admission It's time to play BINGO! |
FUN FOR KIDS March 18 - 20, 2022 All day during open hours Cost: General Admission Let the kids go crazy! Children will be able to enjoy jumping in the bounce house, lawn games, and cotton candy. |
ZENTANGLE BOTANICALS March 18, 2022 1:00 to 2:30 pm Cost: $20 Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing way to create beautiful abstract images by drawing repetitive patterns called tangles. Zentangle-inspired art is a fun way to experiment with patterns and coloring techniques. In this class, we’ll enjoy drawing and coloring simple botanical patterns to create a lovely work of art. All supplies for drawing and coloring are provided. Mineral Wells local, Shirl Hawes is a certified Zentangle teacher (CZT). | Ticket sales closed. |
FLOWER ARRANGEMENT CLASS - SOLD OUT! March 18, 2022 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Cost: $30 per couple Do you dream of arranging beautiful cut flowers as a gift for a friend? Or having fresh flowers throughout your home? You cut them from the garden or purchase them and then wonder “what’s next”? Or worse yet, you try to arrange them and the arrangement never looks like quite how you envisioned it. Join us on Friday, March 18 at 5:30 pm as Carol Elder (Business minor in floriculture from Texas A &M), owner of Famous Water, walks us through the steps for successful flower arranging. We will scout around the garden for plants and flowers, sip on lavender and hibiscus cocktails made with Crazy Water sparkling water with or without vodka, and snack on a cheese tray while Carol walks you through the steps as you make your own take away arrangement. Fee: $30 includes admission to the gardens, vase, flowers, and snacks; space is limited; reservations highly recommended. A guaranteed good time and a flower arrangement you will be proud of! |
Due to cold weather, the ART VENDOR MARKET Vendors are moved to other weekends below.
Horticulture Week: March 19th – 25th
HORTICULTURE WEEK ACTIVITIES
PICNIC LUNCH March 14 - 19, 2022 Cost: $5 Grab a hot dog, chips, and canned soda and head out for a family fun picnic. Clark Gardens offer many great locations to picnic. |
FUN FOR KIDS March 18 - 20, 2022 All day during open hours Cost: General Admission Let the kids go crazy! Children will be able to enjoy jumping in the bounce house, lawn games, and cotton candy. |
PLEIN AIR PAINTING IN THE GARDENS March 19 & 20, 2022 Throughout the Day Cost: General Admission While strolling through the gardens, keep an eye out for local plein air artist, Bob McCormick. Watch as McCormick showcases his talent. Artist Bio: Bob McCormick paints out of doors — en pein air — as often as possible because it provides the sensory experience of “being there,” which is then the best way to convey it to the canvass in paint. His favorite subjects to paint are the natural landscapes in Texas. A Master Naturalist, he wants to record the natural beauty of nature he sees. He resides on Possum Kingdom Lake and has been active in the art community for 20 years. He is a member of the Mineral Wells Art Association. Are you a plein air artist and interested in setting up at Clark Gardens? Reach out via email to or phone 940-682-4856, ext 2. |
SEED STARTING 101 March 19, 2022 10:30 am to End Time To Be Determined Cost: General Admission Starting plants from seed is fun! Why? First of all when you are itching to get out in your garden but the weather is still too cold-you can plan, dream and plant seeds for the garden. Or maybe you remember a flower from your grandmother’s garden and the plant is nowhere to be found. Or maybe you are a compulsive seed hoarder (I for one am so guilty of this) and need to plant those seeds. By following a few simple steps you can successfully go from seed catalog (dreaming!), to seed packet, to transplanting a gorgeous plant or vegetable in your garden. Join me, Carol Montgomery, and I will share with you what I’ve learned about starting seeds and my mistakes along the way. |
LET'S GET DIRTY! TALKING SOIL SAMPLES AND READING REPORTS March 19, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Cost: General Admission Birdwell & Clark Ranch co-founder, Deborah Clark, will be sharing her knowledge on soil. Conversation will include the “how to’s” or taking a soil sample, choosing a lab, interpreting the reports, and following up with appropriate actions….all in the garden! | |
TEXAS TOUGH TOP 50 March 20, 2022 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Chapel This program focuses on the best of the best native and adapted plants for Texas gardens. It is designed to assure success for novice gardeners and those busy people who simply do not have much time to spend maintaining their gardens. The hand-out becomes a shopping list after the presentation. Steven Chamblee is the Executive Director for the Longview Arboretum & Nature Center in Longview, Texas. He writes a monthly column in Neil Sperry’s eGardens newsletter entitled “Native Son” and gives garden presentations that weave together hard science, humor, and matters of the heart. |
WHAT'S ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT A CUTTING GARDEN? March 23, 2022 1:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Clark Garden's Cutting Garden A cutting garden is not just for making bouquets or indoor arrangements! A cutting garden provides beautiful flowers for the garden, for the home, for gifts and most importantly the flowers provide food for pollinators. In this informal class, led by Clark Gardens Director, Carol Montgomery, we will cover the basics. The best flowers for blooms, when to plant, how to plant (direct seed or transplant) and how to extend the life of the flowers once cut. We will meet in the Cutting Garden, walking through the early spring planted garden, and discuss how to get the most out of your cutting garden. The first 20 attendees will leave with a package of seeds. |
CONTAINER GARDENING March 24, 2022 1:00 pm Cost: General Admission Join Carol Montgomery, Director of Clark Garden, and talk all about container gardening. We will cover the basics from types of containers, to soil, plants, light requirements, fertilizing and watering. Bring a container from home and shop from our selection of plants, or purchase a container and choose your favorite plants. Or just hang out and be inspired. (The class is free with a paid admission; additional fees for containers, plants and soil). One lucky attendee will even leave with a fully designed container. |
BUTTERFLY GARDEN - POLLINATORS NEW DATE: March 25, 2022 NEW TIME: 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Pollinator Island Kara Lynn Greenfield is a retired educator, butterfly enthusiast, and a member of the Palo Pinto County Master Gardeners. While teaching, she had the honor of attending two seminars with the North American Monarch Institute at the University of Minnesota which concentrated on the biology and conservation of the monarch butterfly and its epic migration. Armed with this knowledge and grant money, Kara Lynn and her students transformed an unused school garden into a butterfly garden for outdoor education. Since her retirement, she has expanded her enthusiasm for gardening by completing the Master Gardener training and creating a butterfly garden at home. She enjoys sharing what she has learned with others interested in gardening for pollinators. Attendees to this session will learn about planning a butterfly garden, planting for all stages of the butterfly life cycle, and native plants that are beneficial to pollinators and will grow successfully in our area of Texas, while exploring the Pollinator Islands at beautiful Clark Gardens. |
WANNA EAT MORE PLANTS? HOW YOU CAN & WHY YOU SHOULD March 25, 2022 5:30 to 7:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Oxbow Overlook When you attend, you will learn some of the reasons to begin incorporating more plants into your diet. We’ll dispel some myths about plant-based diets & talk about the myriad of health benefits to be gained from plants. We will even talk a little about how to get your kiddos to eat more plants. Amy Ringo Lane will demonstrate how easy it is to make a couple of plant-based dishes and you’ll have the chance to sample them. You will leave with a list of resources to continue learning about the power of plants & where to find lots of great plant-based recipes. Amy has been in love with plants her whole life and has over 15 years lived experience in eating some form of plant-based diet. She has read countless books, attended many workshops, classes, retreats and health centers to learn about plant-based eating. She’s been cooking since she was about 12 years old and it’s one of her great passions and joys in life. Of the 4 children she raised, exactly 4 are incredible in the kitchen and that’s one of the Momming things she’s most proud of. Amy is one of the original founders of Let’s Grow Crazy, the Mineral Wells Community Garden & Farmer’s Market, is a 21 year Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant and has lived on the street where she was raised for 50 years. | |
"KISS THE GROUND" - MOVIE SHOWING March 25, 2022 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Chapel Kiss The Ground is a documentary that provides a solution to heal our planet and keep our species away from the extinction list. This movie unveils a game-changer to our climate crisis: the Earth’s own soil. Here it is...we can reverse global warming. The solution is called “Regenerative Agriculture” and this film presents the research, practice, and hope we need to move forward. Together. See the Kiss the Ground movie trailer. |
HORTICULTURE VENDOR MARKET WEEKEND – March 19th and 20th
- Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sunday 10:30 am to 5:00 pm
- General Admissions
Here are is who you can look forward to meeting at the Vendor Market, March 19th & 20th.
Backyard Farming Week: March 26th – 31st
BACKYARD FARMING WEEK ACTIVITIES
MSB POULTRY - CHICKEN TALK & ALL THAT THEY DO March 26, 2022 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Near the Vendor Market Michele Sullivan Burns is a hobby chicken farmer turned business woman teaching others about how chickens are good for you in many ways. Burns also shows chickens and is part of the Livestock Conservancy with regards to the Crevecouer Chicken, a breed that has less than 2,000 birds worldwide. Burns was recently in the Chickens Magazine. Stop by Burns booth to learn what chickens can do for you. | |
EVERYTHING I LEARNED ABOUT TOMATOES LAST YEAR March 26, 2022 11:00 am to 11:45 am Cost: General Admission Learn about tomato gardening. Parker County Master Gardener, Sharon Abner, will be sharing all her secretes about tomatoes. Growing vegetables is a passion of Sharon’s, that all started with Rutgers tomatoes between 2 pieces of bread spread with mayo! Sharon is a former military member that went from New Jersey to Idaho to Guam to Texas over 37 years ago. |
CONFESSIONS OF A FIRST-YEAR BEEKEEPER March 26, 2022, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm March 27, 2022, 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Cost: General Admission Location: Chapel Ever wonder what it takes to have your own personal beehive? Mark Montgomery will share what he learned throughout his first year of beekeeping: the good, the bad, the ugly. He’ll talk about the necessary tools and equipment you need; where to get your bees and how to care for them through the cold of winter and heat of summer. He says, "Bees are so worth the effort. Especially when you find them foraging for food on your ornamental flowers and vegetable garden." |
BIOLOGICAL COMPOSTING March 27, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Cost: General Admission
Did you know that in one teaspoon of soil, there can be more than a billion microbes? Take a look under the microscope to see the difference between nutrient rich and nutrient poor soil and learn how each microbe plays a part in growing the food you eat! Matt Saylor and Tai Silva bring 10 years of gardening and growing experience to their newly founded business, Rocky Hill Farms. Gardening started as a hobby for them but Tai is a Nutritionist and Matt is currently becoming a Soil Food Web Consultant, so gardening and farming was a natural lifestyle fit for them. About 5 years ago, while being mentored by a New Mexican farmer, they learned the importance of microbial life in the soil and its role in the nutrient quality of the food we eat. Since then, Tai and Matt have been committed to making biological compost for their home garden and teaching others too. |
PRESERVING THE HARVEST - AN INTRODUCTION TO HOME FOOD PRESERVATION March 29, 2022 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Cost: General Admission Want to know more about preserving the abundance of fruits and vegetables from your garden? There are a number of methods used to preserve food. During this session, we will be exploring various methods such as Freezing, Canning, and Drying. Sources for researched based food preservation resources and tested canning recipes will also be provided. Kathy Smith and Lynette Babcock from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will be our speakers. Both serve as County Extension Agents for Family and Community Health. Kathy is in Parker County and Lynette in Palo Pinto County. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is an education agency that provides programs, tools, and resources on a local and statewide level in the areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health and Wellness, 4-H and Youth Development, and Community Development. |
LET'S TALK ABOUT LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS March 30, 2022 11:00 to 11:45 am Cost: General Admission Location: Oxbow Overlook With the events of the last few years, most of us have become acutely aware of the importance of local farmers, food systems and community networks. Countless people have begun to make the shift to homesteading, farming and sustainable, self-sufficient living. Join a couple coordinators of the Mineral Wells Community Garden and Farmers Market for a roundtable discussion to talk about how we can work together to grow our local food system, build a thriving community network, and ensure its long-term success. | |
MICROGREEN RECIPES March 30, 2022 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Cost: General Admission The number one question we get about microgreens is: “how do you use them?” And the answer is: soups, salads, sandwiches… tacos, quesadillas, tostadas… breakfast, lunch or dinner… The diversity of microgreens makes them a delicious addition to most foods. In this session, participants will prepare and taste test various recipes that microgreens can be added too. Recipes and fresh microgreens will be available for purchase at the end of the session. Matt and Tai bring 10 years of gardening and growing experience to their newly founded business, Rocky Hill Farms. Gardening started as a hobby for them but Tai is a Nutritionist and Matt is currently becoming a Soil Food Web Consultant, so gardening and farming was a natural lifestyle fit for them. They started farming microgreens indoors and now have them available for home delivery services, at local farmers markets and a grocery store. They are working with chefs too and will be in restaurants by the end of this summer. |
PASTURE RAISED BEEF - A SUSTAINABLE SUPERFOOD BENEFITTING OUR ENVIRONMENT March 31, 2022 5:30 to 6:30 pm Cost: General Admission The secret is out. Do you know the truth? Beef is a superfood. Cattle and other pasture raised animals are critical to our planet’s health! Humans have consumed a primarily animal-based diet for our entire existence. So why have you been told not to eat red meat? What you put on your plate and how our land is nurtured and replenished matters. Native Beef is a local 100% grass raised regenerative family ranch offering premium beef in its most natural state. The combination of time-tested ranching methods and the best modern genetics results in the healthiest and tastiest beef available. Native Beef believes to be raising the ultimate superfood for a sustainable and replenishing human diet while simultaneously benefitting land conservation and reducing our carbon footprint. | |
BACKYARD FARMING VENDOR MARKET WEEKEND – March 26th and 27th
- Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Sunday 10:30 am to 5:00 pm
- General Admissions
Here are is who you can look forward to meeting at the Vendor Market, March 26th & 27th.