Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers at the LA County Fair!

Do you wonder why your tomatoes are so tiny or why there are so few? Do you wonder when to start lettuce seeds so you can harvest throughout the winter to avoid the high prices at the stores? Maybe, you're not sure when to prune your roses for lots of color next year. Well, the Los Angeles County Master Gardeners can help you. Trained by the experts from the University of California and having had many years of gardening experience, they know the answers to the challenges gardeners face.

You can chat with Master Gardeners in person at the LA County Fair (in the Flower and Garden Building) on Saturdays and Sundays in September from 11 am to 9 pm.

Throughout the year, you can call the Master Gardener Helpline at (323) 260-3238 to leave a message. Or you can email your question with a photograph of your gardening problem to mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu. Master Gardener volunteers will respond within three days.

The Los Angeles County Master Food Preservers will also be at the fair. Learn how to pickle and make jellies and jams. They will be conducting demonstrations on two stages: The Culinary Styles Stage (under the racetrack grandstand) and the Farm House Kitchen (at FairView Farms across from the Big Red Barn).

A special feature will be a giant solar dehydrator on display at FairView Gardens from 9 am to 12 pm on Wednesdays through Fridays.

To contact the Master Food Preservers Program and request volunteers, email mfpla@ucdavis.edu.

The mission of the Los Angeles County Master Gardeners and Master Food Preservers is to train volunteers to teach low-resource communities how to grow and eat more fruits and vegetables, preserve the excess from their gardens, and employ food safety practices at home.

For more information, please visit the Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program and the Master Food Preserver Program. To find out more about UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County, please visit our website.

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