Urban Horticultural Field Day planned for Aug. 19

A bit of food prehistory will come back to life at this year’s Urban Horticultural Field Day.

As part of the Renew America Food Traditions program, visitors will be able to view vegetables grown from seeds discovered in prehistoric Anasazi ruins located in the nation’s Southwest region.

The field day will take place Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will be a feast for the eyes and a treat for the tongue. Many vegetables will be available for sampling, including more than 20 varieties of edamame (soybean) that will be presented both steamed and raw. The station is also featuring a large selection of Italian vegetables, in addition to more regionally traditional plots of peppers, tomatoes, squashes and corn.

There will be no shortage of how-to gardening advice. Extension specialists and master gardeners will be stationed throughout the various trial and demonstration gardens to answer questions about insects, wildlife, plant diseases and general gardening. Home gardeners are welcome to bring samples of their vexing pests or diseased plants in plastic bags for identification.

Natural landscape enthusiasts will find experts on hand to discuss how to grow sun-loving native prairie plants and shade-tolerant native wildflowers in residential settings.

Free brochures will be available for most topics.

Children will be able to take part in a vegetable scavenger hunt, have their faces painted, and decorate cement stepping stones to take home and use in the family garden.

The station is located at 8502 Mineral Point Road, about one mile west of the beltline. Admission and parking are free. Water and soda will be available for purchase. The Urban Horticultural Field Day is sponsored by the West Madison Agricultural Research Station, the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and UW-Extension.