Fortunate to have Ohio State Extension Office

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Editor:

Carnegie Public Library and our community is fortunate to have a vibrant and engaged Ohio State Extension Office. Many citizens do not know about their services beyond 4-H, and I often hear folks ask who is responsible for the beautiful flower pots downtown. OSU Extension is! Already in 2019, among their countless endeavors, our partners at OSU Extension’s Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Science Programs have led nutrition, gardening, and financial literacy programs at both of our library locations. The material proffered in these sessions is both expert and hyper-local. This is an unbeatable combination in my book.

Thanks to our friends, the Master Gardener Volunteers of Fayette County, Carnegie Public Library hosts beautiful plantings of Gold Yarrow, Red Yarrow, Papyrus, Spearmint, Autumn Joy Sedum, Butterfly Weed, Knockout Roses, and more. When you enter the library parking lot, you can’t help but notice the splash of color, the relief of green and lovely mulch in our parking lot flower beds. Home to overgrown evergreens for many years, Master Gardener Volunteers stepped in and began planting these popular perennials last fall. These lovely flowers attract pollinators and patrons alike!

In the lot beside the library, raised garden beds flourish in our Library Garden. With the help of volunteers from previous years, it has thrived and grown. Today, alongside library staff, OSU Master Gardeners teach storytime children how to plant, water, weed, examine, and cultivate vegetable plants and flowers. Peppers and tomatoes grow alongside marigolds and a dedicated pollinator bed to make a lovely oasis, resplendent with buzzing bees, delicate butterflies, and visiting birds. It is the simplest of treats in downtown Washington Court House. At nutrition programs, children and adults try new healthy snack foods through demonstration, sampling, and recipes. This is ideal for both children and adults. At one such program, we learned that some of our library kids were trying guacamole for the first time! Attendees have also created “astronaut star sandwiches,” strawberry s’mores, fruit pizza, and more. Fun, delicious, and nutritious.

Library work is not all about novels and due dates. New ideas, inspiration, and lifelong learning provide the very heartbeat of your local public library. We gratefully count Fayette County’s OSU Extension as one of our partners in this delightful endeavor!

Sarah Nichols

Carnegie Public Library Director

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