The Fall Garden Festival offers affordable plants grown by master gardeners such as Carol Stuttard, left, who are happy to share their expertise (submitted photo).

The Fall Garden Festival offers affordable plants grown by master gardeners such as Carol Stuttard, left, who are happy to share their expertise (submitted photo).

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension of Maricopa County Master Gardener Program and Phoenix Union High School District’s top performing Metro Tech High School host the annual Fall Garden Festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25 on the Metro Tech campus at 1900 W. Thomas Road. Admission is free.

The most popular feature of the Fall Garden Festival returns with the sale of reasonably priced plants grown locally by Master Gardeners and students in Metro Tech’s horticulture program. Also popular is the eclectic rummage sale. Shoppers are advised to come early in the day for the best selection of plants and merchandise.

Experts from Maricopa County Cooperative Extension will provide practical information on gardening and nutrition, and a chef from Metro Tech’s culinary program will demonstrate cooking techniques.

New this year is Food Day, a nationwide movement celebrating healthy, affordable, and sustainable food (http://foodday.org). Festival attendees can learn to grow their own vegetables, find healthy recipes and nutrition information, and get a jumpstart on grocery shopping at the mini farmers’ market. Food growers of all kinds (small farmers, community gardeners, backyard gardeners) are invited to bring their surplus harvests to sell at the Community Exchange Table. Clerks will be on staff to sell the produce and 80 percent of sales will go back to the growers.

Also for the first time, members of Seeds for Autism (http://seedsforautism.org) will sell handmade soil probes, which are a great help to gardeners in determining the adequacy of watering for different soils and plants.

If you have questions or need assistance with disability-related accommodations, please call 602-827-8211.

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