Cooperative Extension programs across the United States are embracing food systems and local food as a new topic area. Previous studies indicate that successful local food programming requires cross program collaboration.

North America’s agricultural and natural landscapes are vital to feeding humanity—they are home to many populations of important food plants and their wild relatives.

Urbanization, lack of contact with the natural world, and growing up removed from agriculture has contributed to a void of knowledge relating to food and food production, along with a phenomenon known as plant blindness.

Of the myriad gifts plants provide to humanity, food is among the most visible, as everyone needs to eat, every single day.

This presentation reveals how gardens efforts have helped surpass the goals of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge! 

Highlights:

Successful programs of crop wild relative (CWR) exploration, conservation, and utilization are ultimately dependent on sustained public prioritization and support, which in turn requires public awareness and engagement.

How can we captivate audiences through the bounty of our gardens? Food crops are one of the most approachable plant-related topics and can be a gateway to broader plant conservation discussions.

Are you interested in leveraging your collections to reach out to the public about food and agriculture?