Youth craft, gardening classes start

Butler County University Extension is leaping into spring by offering opportunities for students ages 8-18 to become involved in gardening and crafts through 4-H.

Missouri Master Gardeners are organizing a new Youth Gardening Club, which will meet at 4:30 p.m. every other Thursday beginning March 25.

If spring crafts interest youth, they may also choose to “Hop on in” for a class at 4 p.m. Monday, March 29.

The first gardening class will be greenhouse container planting, conducted by Jane Arnold.

“If the first class is full, students may sign up and have the opportunity to go to one of the other classes,” Kim Allison said.

Sharon Beck will teach the second session April 8. Other gardening meetings will be April 22, May 6 and June 3, and each instructor will be a Master Gardener. They will teach a different gardening technique. Among the topics will be transplanting and planting seeds to eating produce.

Some classes will be indoors, while others will be outdoors, depending on the work being done.

While the gardening classes will be limited in size, the 4-H members may choose not to attend each session, which may create openings for others, Allison said.

The craft class is a one-session event.

The gardening club, as well as the craft class, will meet at the Butler County Extension office, 614 Lindsay Avenue, Suite 3.

Students interested in these activities, but who are not currently 4-H members, may join for $20. The fee enables the student to participate in a variety of activities for a year.

“In April, we will be having other things becoming available,” said Allison, suggesting the students may want to contact the extension office about the gardening club, the craft class or 4-H.

To contact Allison, call 573-686-8064 or email allisonks@missouri.edu.

Among the Butler County 4-H clubs are the Steppin’ Up 4-H Club lead by Chris Waite; Neelyville 4-H Club, whose leaders are Curtis and Peggy Reinbott; Rombauer Rascals 4-H Club led by Betty Schalk; Royal Riders 4-H Club with leaders Ed Flanigan, Phyllis Flanigan and Nancy Morse; Oak Grove STEM Club with leaders John Fuller and Jeremy Catt; and SEMO House of Robotics Homeschool Club directed by Lakota Myers.