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“Backyard to Front Burner”
Squiggle-Line

The Condill brothers of The Great Pumpkin Patch (TGPP) will be appearing at the 2009 Illinois Master Gardener conference “Nurture Nature – Nurture You” at the Keller Convention Center in Effingham IL on Sept 11th. Buck presents his squash cooking demonstration “From Dirt to Dessert” on Friday morning from 10:30am to noon, which provides actual visual, olfactory and taste effects to get you salivating at the prospect of growing and preparing your own fresh-from-the-earth produce. Buck will be illustrating the user-friendly and creative techniques of storing, preparing, and cooking and baking with these phenomenal fruits. Mac’s presentation of “The Fascination of Cucurbits” that afternoon from 1:30pm to 3:00pm focuses on the preservation and continuity of both the common and the rare heirloom varieties of the extraordinary cucurbit family. He explains the planting and nurturing processes to follow in order to produce a satisfying garden harvest. Mac also enlightens you as to the indisputable factors of functionality, economy and nutrition that coexist with the mere inclusion of squash in your routine meal planning. All of you gardeners, and, yes, you wanna-be gardeners too, will be truly inspired by the valuable information gleaned from your visit to this event!

Now that you’ve gained more knowledge of and confidence in the fascinating cucurbit family, be sure to stop by Mac and Buck’s stand. This way you can take home some freshly harvested TGPP squash for your fall-time family menus. The Homestead Seeds (THS) shelves at their stand will help you get a jump start on planning your spring 2010 vegetable garden. All the while, The Homestead Bakery (THB) shelves will provide you with delicious, made-from-scratch (straight from the TGPP harvest) baked goods to munch on as you meander through the aisles of all the interesting and informative vendor booths.

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