Note: This event has already taken place. If you are interested in learning about current and upcoming Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Events, click here.

When: Saturday, October 24, 2009 - Sunday, October 25, 2009 from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest

Fairchild’s Edible Garden Festival and Scarecrow Contest will feature informative lectures, delicious food, cooking demonstrations, plant vendors and demonstrations on how to create a fruit and vegetable garden in your own home garden or as a container garden.

For a printable coupon worth $5 off admission, click here.

For a complete program, click here.

Lectures

Saturday, October 24

• 10:00 a.m. The Sustainable Edible Garden, Ginny Stibolt
• 11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
• 12:00 p.m. Growing Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, Margie Pikarsky
• 1:00 p.m.  Edible Landscaping in Paradise, Gabriele Marewski
• 2:00 p.m.  Organic Pest and Disease Management, Andres Mejides
• 3:00 p.m.  Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening, Adrian Hunsberger
• 4:00 p.m.  Growing the Chocolate Pudding Fruit in South Florida, Noris Ledesma

Sunday, October 25

• 10:00 a.m. Get Your Veggie Garden Growing!, Angela Garrison
• 11:00 a.m. Creative Container Gardening, Carolyne Coppolo
• 12:00 p.m. Sustainable Gardening: Rain Gardens, Ginny Stibolt
• 1:00 p.m.  South Florida Gardening with Fruits and Vegetables, Dr. Richard J. Campbell
• 2:00 p.m.  Counter Top Gardening with Sprouts, Keith Seidler
• 3:00 p.m.  Easy as Takeout: Asian Edibles in the Landscape!,Ron Mossman
• 4:00 p.m.  Extreme Edible Landscaping: Urban Homesteading!, Melissa Contreras

Gardening Demonstrations

Saturday, October 24

• 11:30 a.m. The Fall Veggie Garden: South Beach Style, Danny Ackell
• 1:30  p.m. Composting and Worms, Lanette Sobel

Sunday, October 25

• 10:00 a.m. Slow Food School Gardens, Hunter Reno
• 1:30 p.m.  Square Foot Gardening with Kids, Hunter Reno

Cooking Demos

Saturday, October 24

• 11:30 a.m. Fall Favorites, Chef Derek Hernandez, Whole Foods Market
• 12:30 p.m. Fall Salads, Chef Sean Bernal of Oceanaire Seafood Room
• 1:30 p.m.  Herb Pesto, Chef Kira Volz of Creek 28
• 2:30 p.m.  Avocado Tartare, Chef Elizabeth Barlow of Canyon Ranch

Sunday, October 25

• 11:30 a.m. Split pea Dal over Basmati Rice, ,Chef Adri Garcia of Green Rocks Foods and Mise en Place
• 1:30 p.m.  Gnocchi Sardi, Chef Giancarla Bodoni from Escopazzo
• 2:30 p.m.  Apple Pear Cucumber slad, Fruit Salad with Honey Dressing, Pomegranate Basil Dressing, Chef Lori Moldovan, Certified Holistic Health Counselor

Scarecrow Contest

During the Edible Garden Festival, Fairchild will host its first ever, scarecrow contest . We invite you to create your own scarecrow to display in the garden. The competition is open to individuals, groups and businesses. One hundred percent of all entry fees, ballot sales and donations from the contest will benefit Project Restock (PR). PR is a new initiative designed to improve the quality of Fairchild’s lakes and to encourage local and migrating birds to pay the garden a visit.  Scarecrow displays will be set up around the garden on October 18, 19 and 20, the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before the Festival and will remain in place through Halloween. Scarecrow Contest forms must be returned by October 9.

A $1 donation will allow anyone the opportunity to vote on their favorite scarecrow in all three categories listed below. The voting period is from Wednesday through Sunday, October 21-25, 2009. Get your creative juices flowing and enter your own scarecrow. 

Scarecrow Categories

Junior: Open to all under the age of 18 (groups or individuals) Fee $15.00/scarecrow
Adult: Open to all 18 and up (groups or individuals) Fee $25.00/scarecrow
Corporate: Open to Businesses (company logo allowed) Fee $100.00/scarecrow

Scarecrow Competition Prizes

Junior winner: a framed certificate and $125
Adult winner:a framed certificate, a Fairchild membership, two bottles of wine and a private
shuttle tour of Fairchild for up to 6 people with Jeremy Davit.
Corporate winner:plaque designed by Fairchild with a photo of the winning Scarecrow and team, publicity on the Fairchild Web site, a mention in The Tropical Garden (TTG) magazine,
Fairchild's quarterly publication and a one time 1/8 page advertisement in the TTG.

For a Scarecrow Competition Application, click here.