Penn State Extension - Lehigh County

10/16/2026

🌱 World Food Day | October 16
Every October 16, World Food Day highlights the importance of food security and access to nutritious food. This year's theme, "Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow," reminds us that meaningful change begins in our own communities.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Lehigh and Northampton Counties are helping make a difference through education, community gardening, and fresh produce donations.

🥬 3,060lbs of fresh produce donated in 2026 — and counting!

Here's how our volunteers are making an impact:

• 120 lbs donated to Betty Lou's Food Pantry, led by MG Caitlin Galligan.
• 404 lbs donated from our Lehigh County Demonstration Garden to Cedar View Apartments.
• 629 lbs donated through Adopt a Pantry, led by MG Laura Kowalski.
• 1,907 lbs donated from community gardens managed by MGs Bob Yoder and Stan Tansits.

🌱 Growing Knowledge for the Future

Beyond sharing harvests, we help grow gardening skills!

Seed to Supper, originally developed by the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon State University Extension Service, teaches people how to grow fresh vegetables on a limited budget. Our local Master Gardeners are proud to offer this program, with the next classes planned for Spring 2027!

Registration is not yet open. Follow our page for updates.

As the growing season winds down, we celebrate the volunteers and community partners making a difference, one harvest at a time.

Growing food. Sharing knowledge. Nourishing our communities.

10/15/2026

October 15th is National Mushroom Day 🍄

Mushrooms are the spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi. Some are edible, and some are toxic.

🍄 Mushrooms can come in many forms, colors, and sizes, from the familiar structures you see pictured with gills, to the shapes you see found on decaying logs, to bright orange clumps that glow green at night, to brown, to gray, to white, and colors in between. Proper identification is essential for avoiding toxic fungi.

📍 Kennett Square, not too far away in Chester County, is considered the "Mushroom Capital of the World" and produces roughly 60% of the nation's fresh mushroom supply. Commercial production serves as a form of recycling, as the process to create the controlled environment for fungi to thrive often uses agricultural "waste" such as straw-bedded manure and mulch hay.

🌳 Have you ever seen mushrooms in the wild?

10/12/2026

Happy National Farmer's Day! 🚜

🗓️ Today is a day to celebrate and extend our gratitude to our hardworking farmers in Lehigh County. Our local farmers and their farms are pivotal in not only sustainably stewarding the land and securing our regional food supply, but they are also constantly involved in research and innovation that continues to impact generations to come.

🌱 To date, Lehigh County has over 29,000 acres of protected farmland across 428 farms.

If you're interested in learning more about farms in Lehigh County, check out the Open Gate Farm Tour on October 17th & 18th. Farms participating on the tour can be found here: https://extension.psu.edu/2026-open-gate-farm-tours

10/08/2026

Master Watershed Steward’s dedication helps conserve natural resources | Penn State University

We're proud to have volunteers, like Stefanie Green. Bertsch-Hokendauqua-Catasauqua Watershed Association

With a background in environmental biology, Stefanie Green, of Northampton County, has always been interested in understanding and maintaining the natural environment. After joining the Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward program, she put her skills and program resources to use.

10/07/2026

Registration deadline is approaching! Register today to join us at this informative in person workshop.

🌱🕷️Spider Plants Made Simple: Care, Propagation, and Potting

Learn spider plant care and propagation through hands-on practice, including watering, light, soil, container selection, and troubleshooting common issues.

📅When:
October 17, 2026
(10:00 AM-12:00 PM)

📍Where:
Penn State Extension Lehigh County
4184 Dorney Park Rd.
Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104

Price: $12

Registration deadline:
October 10, 2026
11:45 p.m.

🌱Who is this for?
Home gardeners of all experience levels, including beginners

🌱What will you learn?
Care and propagation of spider plants
Basic care practices, including light, watering, soil, and container selection
Strategies for maintaining healthy plants indoors
Common problems and how to correct them

🌱About The In-Person Workshop
Discover how to grow and propagate one of the most popular and beginner-friendly houseplants in this hands-on workshop. Learn the essentials of spider plant care, including light, watering, soil, and container selection, as well as practical techniques for maintaining healthy indoor plants. Participants will explore how to successfully propagate spider plant plantlets, commonly known as "babies," and gain guidance on proper separation, planting, and early care. The workshop will also address common challenges such as leaf tip browning, overwatering, and crown rot. Through a guided hands-on activity, participants will pot a spider plant plantlet while building confidence in caring for and propagating spider plants.

Space is limited. Preregistration is required.

🚨Register Today!
https://extension.psu.edu/spider-plant-care
or 877-345-0691

09/28/2026

Congratulations to our Northampton County Master Gardener colleagues on this wonderful statewide recognition! 🌿🏆

The Louise Moore Park Pollinator Habitat Demonstration Garden project received First Place in the Demonstration Gardens category for the 2026 Penn State Extension Master Gardener David Gibby Search for Excellence Awards.

Many of our Lehigh and Northampton County Master Gardeners work, learn, volunteer, and celebrate together as part of a connected regional Master Gardener community, so we are excited to help share this beautiful project and the team effort behind it.

Take a closer look at the project behind the award in this short finalist video. 💚

09/25/2026

🌼 How long can you keep fall mums blooming?

Last year, Penn State Master Gardener Magda Masterson planted the fall containers shown here in late September — and some of those mums were still blooming on December 2, alongside the winter holiday decorations!

So what helped them last?
From choosing plants with plenty of unopened buds to managing crowded roots, watering carefully, and protecting blooms from frost, a few simple steps can help extend the life of your fall display.

👉 Swipe through for Magda’s tips for keeping mums, asters, and other fall containers looking their best for as long as possible.

And this year, she’s adding native New York asters to the mix — a beautiful late-season option that also provides valuable resources for pollinators. 💜🐝

How long have you managed to keep your fall flowers blooming?

Tips and photos by Penn State Master Gardener Magda Masterson, Lehigh & Northampton Counties.