SAN ANTONIO — More than 200 people participated in the 2015 Backyard Basics Expo held recently at the James Madison High School Agriscience Magnet Program facility in San Antonio, said event coordinators.
The expo, presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, featured educational opportunities, as well as products and services related to the production, preparation and preservation of homemade and homegrown foods.
More than 20 educational sessions were presented by AgriLife Extension personnel from Bexar and surrounding counties involved in the Backyard Basics program and other experts from organizations and area businesses with ties to horticulture and agriculture.
“People are more interested in and concerned about where their food comes from, and many people want to produce and prepare their own food to ensure the freshness and quality of what they serve to their family,” said Dr. Connie Sheppard, AgriLife Extension agent for family and consumer sciences for Bexar County and an event coordinator.
Concurrent workshop sessions addressed making soft cheeses, yogurt and buttermilk; using herbs in cooking; sausage-making; seasonal vegetable gardening; permaculture; container gardening; backyard fruit trees; egg production; food preservation; aquaponics; drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting; and raising small quantities of hens and bees.
Demonstrations were given on building a rain barrel, chicken coop and raised-bed garden.
A vendor area at the expo provided information on products and services from more than a dozen local businesses and organizations.
“We’re glad so many people attended the expo and were able to get a good idea of the variety of Backyard Basics educational programs offered through our agency,” said Nelda Speller, county director for AgriLife Extension, Bexar County.
“This program was piloted in Bexar and surrounding counties and has now spread more widely into a statewide initiative,” she said. “The response we’ve had at this expo and for agency programming here and elsewhere on individual Backyard Basics topics has demonstrated there is a genuine interest throughout Texas.”
Daphne Richards, AgriLife Extension horticulturist and frequent contributor to the Central Texas Gardener television show on Austin’s KLRU-TV, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Richards’ presentation, titled “Hashtag This: Community Gardening in the 21st Century,” explained how social media can be used to “share experiences in self-reliance and sustainability.”
“Using social media to share experiences in backyard gardening can give people a greater sense of community with those who have similar interests,” Richards said. “You can do something in your own backyard and share any knowledge or helpful tips you may have with other people within that community.”
“I have a small place, about 100 acres, outside of San Antonio,” said William Flannery, an expo participant. “We’ve already planted olive and avocado trees, and I came to see what other fruit trees might do well here. I also wanted to learn more about raising chickens for their eggs and to find out more about aquaponics.”
Aquaponics is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics in which plants, such as vegetables, and marine life, such as fish or shrimp, are produced together in a symbiotic system.
“We’ve had a lot of people stop by and ask us about chickens today,” said Bobbi Williams, 16, president and founding member of the Fancy Feathers 4-H club, which had an informational booth at the event. “There’s been a lot of interest in knowing more about breeds and which are better for producing meat or eggs. We’ve also had people interested in how to raise chickens and present them for show.”
Though the prolonged drought was recently alleviated to a degree by replenishing rains throughout Bexar and surrounding counties, many expo participants showed a greater-than-usual interest in learning about water conservation, said Troy Luepke, AgriLife Extension water program coordinator for Bexar County. Luepke presented the Rainwater Collection 101 session during the first round of concurrent educational sessions at the expo.
“I work with the Green Bridges nonprofit here in San Antonio, and we have a community garden,” said Marjorie Cummings, an expo attendee who went to Luepke’s session. “I was very interested in learning about aquaponics for possible future use and about rainwater harvesting as a way to save water and irrigate the community garden. The sessions on seasonal vegetable gardening and growing fruit trees were also helpful for me. I have a lot of information to take back and share with others involved in our nonprofit.”
For information on upcoming Backyard Basics programs, go to http://backyardbasics.tamu.edu
-30-