Franklin County Extension annual open house features garden tours and demonstrations

FARMINGTON, Maine – The Franklin County Extension Association will host its annual Fall Open House, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension event, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, at the UMaine Farmington Student Center, 111 South Street.

This year’s theme will highlight ways UMaine Extension programs can support families, farmers, gardeners and communities in building resilience. The evening begins with a tour of the UMF Community and Pollinator Garden, followed by an information fair at The Landing in the UMF Student Center. Visitors can meet Extension staff and volunteers, ask questions and explore programs and resources related to gardening, agriculture, food and nutrition, 4-H and more. Short demonstrations will cover safe lifting tools and techniques, budget-friendly meal preparation and managing pests and diseases in the home garden.

The event is free, open to all ages and no registration is required. Light refreshments, native seeds and other materials will be available. Visitors may enter to win a free soil test. More information is available at the event webpage. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Lauren Robinson at 207.778.4650 or lauren.robinson@maine.edu.

About University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.