What is your passion? Where do you experience a sense of wonder and hope? Jeff Ishee and Mary Sketch Bryant talk with Kate Bracken and Craig Fracker of the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardener Association about how they empower communities with research-based garden education from the soil up, and specifically about their HOPE (Helping Our Planet Endure) initiative. Kate and Craig as Master Gardener volunteers with Virginia Cooperative Extension share how their local association builds and maintains active interest among their community in the care of lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, gardens, and most importantly soils. Without soil, there are no gardens.

To learn more about Virginia Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and the Goochland-Powhatan Master Gardener Association's Hope from the Garden initiative, please visit https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/master-gardener/Become-a-Master-Gardener.html and https://www.hopeftg.org/

Learn more about the Virginia Soil Health Coalition and pledge your support for soil health at https://www.virginiasoilhealth.org/ and https://4thesoil/take-the-pledge

4 the Soil: A Conversation is made possible with funding support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Agua Fund. Other partners include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Virginia Cooperative Extension; Virginia State University; Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation; and partners of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

Disclaimer: Views expressed on this podcast are those of each individual guest.

To download a copy of this, or any other show, visit the website 4thesoil.org. Music used during today’s program is courtesy of the Flip Charts. All rights reserved. 4 the Soil: A Conversation is produced by On the Farm Radio in collaboration with Virginia Tech. The host and co-hosts are Jeff Ishee, Mary Sketch Bryant, and Eric Bendfeldt.