The Brown County Food, Farm, and Garden Council invites community members to attend the 2023 Brown County Earth Day Celebration this weekend.

The celebration will take place on Saturday, April 22 — Earth Day — at the Brown County Community YMCA.

According to a press release about the event, the council will be giving away more than 100 trees and youth will be able to plant and take home a flower for Mothers Day.

Additional activities to be offered at the celebration include live cooking demonstrations with tasty samples and informational booths regarding land management, invasive species, pollinators, insect protein, energy conservation, and more, the release said.

Vendors will also be featured at the celebration, including South Central Indiana REMC, Keep Brown County Beautiful, Brown County Native Woodland Project, St. David’s Creation Care, Brown County Food Alliance, Indiana Raptor Center, Brown County Public Library, Nashville Farmers Market, Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District and Girl Scouts of Brown County.

Katie Finney, county extension director and 4-H youth development extension educator for Purdue Extension – Brown County said via email last week that the trees to be given away at the event were donated by Rep. Dave Hall (R-Dist. 62) and the flowers were funded through a grant, along with Purdue Extension.

Finney said the council originally formed in 2021 as part of an initiative to link food growers to local pantries and increase education around gardening and food resources.

“According to our mission, we serve as a community collaboration to connect people with food through education, local gardens and farms, and food distribution,” she said.

“Purdue Extension — specifically our Community Wellness Coordinator Annie Eakin and former Extension educator Kara Hammes — secured a grant that has funded the creation of this council and its recent endeavors, but the plan is for Purdue Extension to be a team member rather than a leader of this group as it becomes more established.”

Finney said the council and community members will serve as volunteers for the celebration.

“Brown County is blessed with a beautiful state park and natural surroundings, and both our local enjoyment and our major industry of tourism depend upon our own conservation efforts,” Finney said.

“This event reminds us to celebrate, protect, and responsibly use our natural environment, and many of our vendors will have demonstrations and educational materials related to these initiatives.”

Those interested in joining our celebration as vendor can complete a survey to reserve a spot at: bit.ly/23EarthDayVendor. Volunteers can sign up at bit.ly/EarthDayVol.

“If our council’s mission piques your interest, we invite you to join us,” Finney added.

Want to go?

The 2023 Brown County Earth Day Celebration is on Saturday, April 22 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Brown County Community YMCA, 205 Locust Lane.

Food, Farm, and Garden Council

If you’re interested in joining the council, contact Katie Finney at [email protected].