The 2024 Seed to Supper program reached 30 Pennsylvania counties, introducing a full-color course book while continuing to empower food-insecure residents with gardening skills.
All class participants reported improved knowledge and confidence across all measured categories.
Highlights
The highlight for this year was the publication of our full-color course book which received rave reviews. Looking ahead, we plan to expand and further improve the course book with a new edition scheduled for release in 2026. This future edition will include additional information about common home garden diseases affecting Pennsylvania vegetables, along with new sections covering perennial vegetables and common berries—topics frequently requested by program participants.
Participating Counties
The following are counties that conducted classes in 2024: Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Bradford, Clarion, Clinton, Crawford, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Greene, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mercer, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Snyder/Union, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, and Wyoming.
Don't see your County listed here? Interested in starting a program in your county or at your organization? Contact your local County Penn State Extension Master Gardener Coordinator to request one.
Program Impact Evaluation 2024:
| Areas Where Participants Reported Gaining Knowledge | % of Class |
|---|---|
| Overall – Participants reported gaining knowledge in least one category | 100% |
| Choosing the best garden location | 99% |
| Preparing the garden location for success | 99% |
| Methods for planting a garden | 97% |
| Methods that support a healthy garden throughout the growing season | 98% |
| Integrated pest management practices (IPM) | 98% |
| Areas Where Participants Reported Gaining Confidence | % of Class |
|---|---|
| Overall -- participants gaining confidence in at least one category | 100% |
| Evaluating a site to choose an effective location to plant a garden | 98% |
| Preparing a location for a garden by using a soil test kit | 96% |
| Planting a garden using succession planting or interplanting techniques | 97% |
| Caring for a garden through the growing season using mulch or other water management practices | 98% |
| Using IPM practices to protect a garden from pests | 97% |
| The Seed to Supper Program helped me: | Agree to Strongly Agree |
|---|---|
| Grow my own food. | 95% |
| Increase garden knowledge. | 98% |
| Eat more vegetables. | 86% |
| Try new varieties of vegetable. | 91% |
| Connect with others in my community. | 89% |
| Learn more about resources available to me within my community. | 96% |
| Spreading the Word and Passing on Knowledge | % of Class |
|---|---|
| Likely to share information learned in Seed to Supper with others | 97% |
| Likely to recommend Seed to Supper to others | 91`% |
| Over the Past 3 Years | Agree to Strongly Agree |
|---|---|
| Reported using practices from Seed to Supper during the gardening season | 100% |
| Plan to continue gardening the next year | 95`% |
For additional general or county coordinator information, contact Kinorea Tigri at kkt5317@psu.edu or Lori Voll-Wallace at lkw17@psu.edu.
Be sure to let us know which county you are from and please include your contact information, email, and phone number.
