Community Garden and Hydroponics
Cultivation and Education
Growing
The Community Action Center Garden program utilizes several different growing spaces to grow and harvest fresh produce for our Food Bank and Mobile Farm Stand program. These spaces include a hydroponic system in our office lobby, community garden plots at Koppel Farm, and a new greenhouse space at the Palouse Discovery Science Center!
Hydroponics – Our indoor hydroponic tanks grow leafy greens year around and can yield over 30 bags of lettuce mix a week! Other than lettuce varieties we can also grow Bok Choi, Kale, Swiss Chard and so much more. These spaces are critical during our long winters when we can’t grow outside.
Community Garden – April through October you can find our garden plots at Koppel Farm filled to the brim with veggies. The Pullman Community Garden donates 6 plots to CAC, and we use these spaces to grow things like potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and more.
Greenhouse at PDSC – New in 2023, our 700 square foot greenhouse allows us room to start more veggies in the spring, grow specialty crops throughout the year, and gives us a site for education and collaboration events in the future.
Education
In addition to food production, the garden program aims to provide garden education to the community and be a valuable resource for those who wish to learn how to grow their own food. In collaboration with local organizations like the Whitman County Master Gardeners and the Palouse Discovery Science Center, we offer several different programs throughout the year.
If you are interested in volunteering with our garden program or have an education event you’d like to see or help facilitate, email Claire at clairec@cacwhitman.org
2026 Seed to Table:
Beginning Gardening Series
Learn everything you need to know to make this year a success in our veggie garden! Classes are perfect for beginners or seasoned gardeners looking to pick up new skills. Participants can expect detailed instruction, useful handouts, and a hands-on activity each session. Classes are offered independent of each other so sign up for just one, or as many as you like! Choose from two locations, the Whitman County Library in Colfax or the Community Action Center office in Pullman. Registration is required.
Whitman County Library, Colfax Registration: email Cydeny Selk cydney@whitcolib.org
Neill Public Library, Pullman Registration: email Kelly Steward kelly.a.stewart@wsu.edu
Getting Started with Your Garden Space
Wednesday, January 21st @ 5:30 pm: Neill Public Library
Saturday, January 24th @ 10:30 am: Colfax Library
Class participants will gain knowledge on plant growth and growing their own food. We’ll talk about choosing a garden site and preparing garden beds. We will also discuss the basics of healthy soil and what you need to know before getting growing.
Planning Your Vegetable Garden- Crop Selection
Wednesday, February 4th @ 5:30 pm: Neill Public Library
Saturday, February 7th @ 10:30 am: Colfax Library
What food crops grow well in Palouse home gardens? How do you successfully grow more challenging crops in our climate? Learn about the conditions various food crops need — temperature, maturity length, harvest type, pest considerations, and more — and how to plan your Palouse garden to meet your goals. This class can help whether you’re buying seedlings or starting from seeds. The instructors will provide practical advice, drawn from WSU Extension’s science-based publications and experience with their own vegetable garden, in which they grow thousands of pounds of food each year.
Planning your Vegetable Garden- Scheduling and Garden Layout
Wednesday, February 18th @ 5:30 pm: Neill Public Library
Saturday, February 21st @ 10:30 am: Colfax Library
Learn about the timing of various tasks needed to create a successful vegetable garden. You will be provided with a simple planting schedule that outlines when to start various crops types from seed inside versus outside, and when to transplant. We’ll take a detailed look at garden layout, considering plant size, crop rotation, succession planting and companion planting. As an activity you will create a garden schedule and layout for your own garden space.
Indoor Seed Starting
Saturday, February 28th @ 10:30 am: Colfax Library
Wednesday, March 4th @ 5:30 pm: Neill Public Library
Learn how to start healthy seedlings indoors. The Palouse has a very short, 90-day growing season, so starting plants indoors is an economical way to get a head-start on the growing season. This allows gardeners to grow more food and successfully harvest from plants that require longer growing seasons—like tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, melons, flowers, and more. We’ll detail the materials you need, how to successfully sow seeds, care for seedlings, troubleshoot issues, and transplant seedlings into your garden. The instructors will provide practical advice, drawn from WSU Extension’s science- based publications and experience with their own vegetable garden, for which they start thousands of plants indoors each year.
Caring For Your Growing Garden- Pest and Weed Management
Wednesday, March 18th @ 5:30 pm- Neill Public Library
Saturday, March 21st @ 10:30 am- Colfax library
How do you decide what to do when you find something that seems like a pest in your vegetable garden? This class focuses on using environmentally friendly methods of dealing with common pests and weeds. Learn how to appreciate insects’ roles in plant pollination, and how we and other species benefit from insects.
Planting Your Garden
Wednesday, April 1st @ 5:30 pm- Neill Public Library
Saturday, April 4th @ 10:30 am- Colfax Library
Spring is coming! Let’s get ready to plant that vegetable garden! Learn what vegetables crops to direct sow in Pullman, how to properly transplant seedlings, and the challenges to expect.
Harvesting Your Garden
Wednesday, April 15th @ 5:30 pm- Neill Public Library
Saturday, April 18th @ 10:30 am- Colfax Library
Gardening season comes to an end. Learn how and when to gather your mature high quality garden vegetables and utilize various storage conditions.