Eating organically is one way to stay healthy.
Now, locals will have the chance to start an organic garden and learn how to grow their own vegetables for free.
Jan Garrett, a research fellow in the organic vegetable production research program, will be holding a free organic vegetable production workshop May 2 from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The workshop will be on her farm in Tuskegee.
"(I'm) going to concentrate on things that need to be done right now," Garrett said. "We're going to talk about bed preparation, soil building, fertilizing, compost and planting seeds and seedlings."
Garrett said she keeps a garden.
For years, Garrett has been growing organically.
"I grow a lot of different stuff," Garrett said. "(I have) a large variety of crops -- corn, beans, peas, squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions and egg plant."
Lindsay McCormick, a senior in public relations, thinks the workshop is a good idea.
"I care about my health, and even with the economy the way it is, my health is something that I will still continue to take care of," McCormick said. "Now I simply have to find less expensive ways to do so. Growing my own vegetables is one of those ways."
According to an article on ConsumerReports.org, surveys show that eating organically grown produce can reduce exposure to chemicals found in conventionally produced food.
The article also said organic foods limit exposure to harmful pesticides.
McCormick said she is looking forward to starting her own organic garden once she moves out of an apartment and into a home.
"Once I have my own home I can do it in my backyard," McCormick said. "I have friends who grow their own veggies and say that they taste unlike anything you can buy, simply because it comes straight from the yard as opposed to being shipped from store to store in a truck."
The workshop can teach people more about the benefits of organic vegetables, McCormick said.
She also stressed how to grow organic vegetables in the most convenient way, without pesticides.
Amanda Smith, a senior in finance, also thinks the workshop will be beneficial for those who like eating organically, but can't always afford it.
"If they are good at growing vegetables, they have the opportunity to have fresher vegetables at probably less than half the price of purchasing them at the grocery store," Smith said.
Smith said she is also in two classes that have been helpful in teaching her how to garden organically.
"There are certain tips I have picked up, but I could always benefit from more," Smith said.
Smith said she has already grown a few spices in her garden, such as basil, thyme and oregano.
McCormick thinks that learning to grow vegetables organically can be beneficial for the body.
"Our bodies are not meant to ingest pesticides and preservatives," McCormick said. " I feel so much better, and my body works better when I eat organically."
Garrett said she plans to hold more workshops throughout the year to teach people how to garden organically in different seasons.
"I hope to be able to give people the basics of how to get started in their own organic garden," Garrett said.
For more information about the workshop, e-mail Jan Garrett at garrecj@auburn.edu.
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