Get Healthy through Gardening: Food for Growth
5/14/2026 | Felix Vallé House State Historic Site | Ste. Genevieve, Mo.
Felix Vallé House State Historic Site is hosting a series of hands-on gardening classes presented by the University of Missouri's MU Extension program. This eight-week course goes from mid-May to early July. Throughout the series, participants will discover the various health benefits of gardening, while learning how to create and maintain a fruit or vegetable garden of their own. Each class takes place on a Thursday evening in the backyard of the Felix Vallé House. All activities are free.
You are welcome to attend as many classes as you wish. Visitors who attend six or more classes will receive a free small appliance of their choosing, courtesy of MU Extension.
Gardening Classes:
Each class is limited to 15 people ages 17 and up. See the Youth Activities section for information about programming for visitors who do not meet the age requirement.
Online registration is required for the classes. Registration links are provided in the table below.
Series Schedule and Registration Links:
All classes go from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
| Class Date | Class Theme | Class Description | Registration Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 14 | Introduction: Food for Growth | Let us introduce you to gardening and nutrition basics. This class will cover the ways in which we can use a home garden to help meet our nutritional needs. | Register for the May 14 class. |
| May 21 | Garden Planning | Ready to start gardening but unsure where to place your raised beds and rows? This lesson will cover the essentials for setting up new gardens, as well as how to plan out an existing garden to make the most of your available space. | Register for the May 21 class. |
| May 28 | Seeds: What's on a Label? | Learn how to decipher seed packet label information. This lesson will give you the tools to pick the vegetables that will work best for your garden, and it will teach you how to effectively plant the seeds. | Register for the May 28 class. |
| Jun 4 | Preparing to Plant | This lesson will cover methods of seed-starting and transplanting to minimize stress and plant loss. We will also discuss amendments that may be helpful for boosting seedling growth. | Register for the June 4 class. |
| Jun 11 | Nutrients for Plants and You | This lesson will discuss the importance of nutritional balance in our daily lives. It will also explore the roles that soil nutrition and composting play in garden health. | Register for the June 11 class. |
| Jun 18 | Pests and Problems | This lesson will help you identify and remedy the pests and diseases that are most likely to strike your garden. | Register for the June 18 class. |
| Jun 25 | Food Preparation: Then and Now | We will explain food safety basics for harvested vegetables and fruits. In addition, a member of the historic site staff will provide a presentation on historic food safety tactics, featuring a tour of an 1840s kitchen. | Register for the June 25 class. |
| Jul 2 | Garden Celebration | Come party in the garden and participate in a garden craft in the last event of the series. | Register for the July 2 class. |
Youth Activities:
Visitors who do not meet the age requirement for the classes can participate in youth programming during the normal class time. Youth programming may feature backyard games or a craft. There is no need to register for these activities.
Things to Bring:
Both the classes and the youth activities are free. All participants should bring a water bottle and wear sturdy shoes that can get muddy. Tools and supplies will be provided.
Contact Information:
Felix Vallé House State Historic Site is located at 198 Merchant St. in Ste. Genevieve. For more information about this series, call the historic site at 573-883-7102 or contact MU Extension's Jefferson County office at 636-797-5391, Ext. 6327.