The 10,000 Garden Challenge is headed to Kansas City, Mo.  The Missouri Department of Agriculture will visit the Farmers’ Community Market at Brookside, Saturday, May 28 to register gardens, share gardening advice and encourage Missourians to participate in the Challenge.

The 10,000 Garden Challenge is an initiative to register 10,000 Missouri gardens to promote agriculture, gardening, health and nutrition.  Department staff will be at the Border Star Montessori School on Wornall Rd. in the Brookside area of Kansas City from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to add to the more than 3,200 gardens already registered on the AgriMissouri website, http://www.agrimissouri.com.

“The response to the 10,000 Garden Challenge has been outstanding, from individuals and community groups registering their gardens and in terms of support from those in the horticulture industry,” said Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler.  “We are excited to take the Challenge to towns throughout Missouri, and to spend time with the people setting an example for the rest of the state by rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands in the soil.”

The Challenge website, http://www.agrimissouri.com, allows individuals, community organizations and school groups to register their gardens.  The site also provides classroom activities and lesson plans for teachers, gardening tips and advice and a registry of Missouri’s public gardens.