The Independence Public Library is excited to announce a new initiative, Eat, Play, Read. This grant-funded initiative will provide learning opportunities and resources for families with limited resources to learn about growing their own food, preparing healthy family meals, and focusing on creating a food-secure community. The aim is to connect families with the resources to grow fresh produce to provide healthy options for their families.
Through our partnerships with area organizations, the Independence Public Library will connect families with content experts who can demonstrate easy, low-cost gardening techniques, provide hands-on learning opportunities, and create a learning kitchen garden at the library. Thanks to grant funds, IPL will have two raised beds inside the library for patrons to learn about different fruits and vegetables and feature two hydroponic towers. Currently, the youth hydroponic tower is up and running with over 30 strawberry plants. Over the next month, we will add another tower and plant in the raised beds. Throughout the summer and fall, the library will offer gardening and sustainability classes for all ages.
Eat, Play, Read is a grant-funded initiative made possible by the Association of Rural and Small Libraries in partnership with Penguin Random House Publishing. The Independence Public Library is one of 46 recipients nationwide of this year’s grant to provide much-needed support for collections and library programming. “Libraries are the epicenters of our communities. They encourage new readers, support lifelong learners, and delight book lovers of all ages. Through our new Library Grants, we will recognize rural, small, and tribal libraries that support underserved communities in the U.S. and U.S. territories to help elevate their impact and build community support.” – Penguin Random House
To learn more, stop by the library and see the progress!
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Find us at the Farmers Market!
Saturday, June 3 @ 7:30 AM
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Eat, Play, Read Storytime, Find the Pollen
Tuesday, June 6 @ 10:00 AM
Ages Birth-5
Join Mr. Jacob for a story about flowers and to learn about a plant’s life cycle. This interactive storytime will have children up and moving, along with a fun activity. This storytime will feature important pollinators, parts of the flower, and teach attendees about the plant lifecycle.
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Eat, Play, Read Storytime, What is a seed
Tuesday, June 13 @ 10:00 AM
Ages Birth-5
In this second edition of Eat, Play, Read Storytime, attendees will hear a new story, and participate in a fund seed activity. Children will discover how plants make new plants and get to plant a few seeds of their own!
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Garden Plant Care 101
Friday, June 16 @ 6:00 PM
Presented by Jesse Gilmore, Extension Agent, Horticulture, Wildcat Extension District
Ages 18+ (Families Welcome)
Are you new to gardening, or just want to have a higher yield? Join Jesse Gilmore from the Wildcat Extension District for a Garden Plant Care 101 class.
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Nature Walk Challenge Begin
Monday, June 19 – Thursday, August 31
Ages 5-11 (Families)
Nature is all around us! Go on a walk around your neighborhood and find items in nature that are the colors of the rainbow. Record what you find in the BeanStack Challenge to earn a prize!
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Bean Challenge Begins
Monday, June 19
Ages 12-17
Learn how a plant grows by participating in our Bean challenge on BeanStack. Youth are encouraged to stop by the library to pick up their seed starting packet. The packet explains how to participate using the BeanStack app. Youth can plant the seed, and then using BeanStack document the progress. At the end of the challenge, teens who completed it will receive a prize!
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Eat, Play, Read Storytime, Flower Salad
Tuesday, June 20 @ 10:00 AM
Ages Birth-5
Another story about flowers? This storytime will have kids moving and shaking, to create an appetite for a Flower Salad! Attendees will learn about edible flowers and create a flower salad!
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Foraging
Thursday, July 13 @ 6:00 PM
Presented by Jesse Gilmore, Extension Agent, Horticulture, Wildcat Extension District
Ages 18+ (Families Welcome)
What is foraging? Foraging is the act of gathering wild food for free. Have you ever wondered what was edible in your yard? Have you heard of people making dandelion jam? Join Jesse Gilmore, from the Wildcat Extension District to discover the basics of foraging.
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Find us at the Farmers Market
Saturday, July 15 @ 7:30 AM
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Bean Challenge Begin
Monday, July 17
Ages 12-17
Did you miss the first challenge, or want to participate again? Learn how a plant grows by participating in our Bean challenge on BeanStack. Youth are encouraged to stop by the library to pick up their seed starting packet. The packet explains how to participate using the BeanStack app. Youth can plant the seed, and then using BeanStack document the progress. At the end of the challenge, teens who completed it will receive a prize!
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Find us at the Farmers Market
Saturday, August 12 @ 7:30 AM
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Family Container Garden
Thursday, August 10 @ 6:00 PM
Ages Family
Did you know you can grow your own food with limited space? Come out to discover how you can start your own Family Container Garden inside your home. This family friendly workshop will teach participants how to regrow food, and create their own small container garden. Sign-up is required due to limited space and supplies. Sign up by calling the library at 620.331.3030 or emailing Brandon West at brandon@iplks.org.
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Fall Gardening
Sunday, August 13 @ 2:00 PM
Presented by Jesse Gilmore, Extension Agent, Horticulture, Wildcat Extension District
Ages 18+ (Families welcome)
Did you know you can grow a garden in the fall? Join the Independence Public Library and the Wildcat Extension District as we learn about fall gardening. This informative presentation is geared towards adults, but the whole family is welcome.
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Food Saving/Storage
Tuesday, August 29 @ 6:00 PM
Presented by Holly Miner, Extension Agent, Health, Food Safety and Nutrition, Wildcat Extension District
Ages 18+ (Families welcome)
Food saving can be a nightmare, but also a blessing. Join Holly Miner from the Wildcat Extension District as they teach us how to preserve the food we grow.
Books Available at IPL!
Container Gardening / by Williams, Paul
Tomorrow's Garden : by Orr, Stephen
The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias / by Whittlesey, John
The Complete Guide to Working With Worms : by VIncent, Wendy M
Hydroponics for Beginners / by Harms, Jeree
The Organic Home Garden : by Lima, Patrick
Diy Hydroponic Gardens / by Baras, Tyler
Complete Container Herb Gardening : by Goetz, Sue
The Flower-Powered Garden : by Vernon, Andy
Month-by-Month Gardening In Kansas : by Miller, Mike
Southern Living Big Book of Flower Gardening.
Sustainable Market Farming : by Dawling, Pam
The A-Z of Companion Planting / by Neville, Jayne
Suzy Bales' Down-to-Earth Gardener : by Bales, Suzanne Frutig
Aquaponic Gardening : by Bernstein, Sylvia
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide : by Pleasant, Barbara
P. Allen Smith's Colors for the Garden : by Smith, P. Allen
Growing Flowers : by Irving, Niki
Gardening With Prairie Plants : by Wasowski, Sally
Organic Gardening for the 21st Century / by Fedor, John
Gardening Success : by McHoy, Peter
The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening : by Nardozzi, Charlie
Flower Gardening 1-2-3 :
The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers From Seed to Bloom / by Powell, Eileen
A Backyard Vegetable Garden for Kids / by Leavitt, Amie Jane
Got Shade? : by Harstad, Carolyn
The Medicinal Gardening Handbook : by Cummings, Dede
Fresh Food From Small Spaces : by Ruppenthal, R. J
Herbs / by Lewis, Eleanore
How to Build, Maintain, and Use A Compost System : by Smith, Kelly M
The Heirloom Gardener : by Forti, John
Year-Round Bloomers : by Baker, Jerry
Gardening Shortcuts / by Hendy, Jenny
Midwest Fruit & Vegetable Gardening : by Elzer-Peters, Katie
The Backyard Parables : by Roach, Margaret
Container Theme Gardens : 42 Combinations, Each Using 5 Perfectly Matched Plants / by Ondra, Nancy J
Taunton's New Front Yard Idea Book / by Soria, Sandra S
New Garden Book /
Square Foot Gardening / by Bartholomew, Mel
Prairie Lands Gardener's Guide : by Barash, Cathy Wilkinson
Better Homes and Gardens Herb Gardening.
Discover The Basics!
Find out more by subscribing to Kansas State University’s Extension YouTube Page.
What is Hydroponics?
D.I.Y. Hydroponics
Vertical Tower System
Aeroponic System
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Hydroponics System
Kratky System
What Can I Grow?
Books Available for Check-Out!
More Content Coming Soon!
Books Available for Check-Out at IPL!
Well-Preserved : by Bone, Eugenia
Saving the Season : by West, Kevin
The Country Living Handbook : by Gehring, Abigail R
Canning for A New Generation : by Krissoff, Liana
Home Hacks :
Henley's Formulas for Home and Workshop :
Make It Ahead : A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook / by Garten, Ina
Fix, Freeze, Feast by Neville, Kati
Downshiftology Healthy Meal Prep: by Bryan, Lisa
The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook / by Saunders, Rachel
The Heirloom Life Gardener : by Gettle, Jere
Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond : by Schneider, Angi
Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook : by Gunders, Dana
Stocking Up :
Food In Jars : by McClellan, Marisa
Preserving Your Food
How to Can Your Food
Find out more by visiting the Kansas State Extension’s YouTube Channel!
Join the Community
The Independence Public Library and our Community Partners are working to ensure you have access to the resources and knowledge to grow and preserve your own food. As part of this endeavor we are working to build a community to help one another achieve food security and provide healthy eating options. Do you have a question about gardening or food storage? Is there something you would like to learn more about? Feel free to submit a question or comment and we will ask the experts for you!
The Independence Public Library is proud to be working with an amazing group of community partners! Our Eat, Play, Read partners consist of content experts, audience experts, and local farmers and gardeners. Click on each of our community partners to learn more about them!
Content Experts: Organizations with knowledge of gardening, food production, healthy meals, and nutrition.
- Independence Garden Club
- Wildcat Extension District
- Winkleman’s Garden Center
- Independence FFA Chapter
- Greenbush
Audience Experts: Organizations who work with families with limited resources.
- Four County Mental Health, Project Before
- Independence Diversity Task Force
- SKIL
- Parents as Teachers
- Tree House of Early Learning
Individual Experts: Individuals who are either audience or content experts, but do not represent an organization.
- Erin Bunn, & Bunn’s Backyard Farm
- Malory Dean, Sight Bites Cookbook
- Kortny Robinson
