Agriculture Education

Published: 2020
By Molly Masters

While many closures happened this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSU Extension in Big Horn County never stopped. Class formats were adjusted or changed to meet local and state requirements while still serving the people of Big Horn County. One excellent example of flexible program delivery was the Gardening 100 series. This in-person series about basic gardening information got changed into a weekly short video posting on the Big Horn County MSU Extension Facebook page. The first video included topics on how to choose the correct seed for a growing area, days to maturity for planning around frost free days, when to start seed indoors, and how to read seed packets. Other videos included how to start seed at home with information about soil media, watering, and other tips for success; nutrient information for seedlings; when and how to transplant seeds into larger pots; and how to prepare a garden site before planting. The garden site preparation included information about proper pesticide use, as well as using a dark tarp to help decrease the weed seed bank prior to gardening season. There was an excellent response to the video format, with over 400 people reached on the Big Horn County MSU Extension Facebook page. Timing was important as ever with these videos, as many people across Big Horn County, and the nation, were trying gardens and growing their own food while coping with the pandemic.