The Environmental Horticulture Department at Bakersfield College held its fifth annual “Garden Fest Green and Clean” event April 24, on the BC campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event, which hosted over 140 vendors, was open to the public and included attractions such as free horticulture and landscaping seminars and demonstrations given by local professionals in addition to presentations from the horticulture department staff.
The event also included laser tag and food prepared by the BC culinary department as well as the “Mean and Green” car show, which featured show-style cars from local car clubs and eco-friendly hybrid vehicles to emphasize the “going green” theme in celebration of Earth Day.
The vendors that were featured throughout the show were from local retailers and independent home-based businesses that offered a wide variety of services and arts and crafts including paintings, ceramics, jewelry and clothing.
Plants were also sold, as well as landscaping accessories like furniture and gardening tools. There were even live Koi fish for sale.
One of the purposes for the show is to exhibit the horticulture department at BC and the work students have accomplished. The green houses were open for the public to view the different projects that the students are involved in, which included one display that showed their recent work with their new hydroponics technology.
While some organizations were there as retailers, some were there to create awareness and to get the community involved with their cause.
Shri Knight-Stelzner, president of the Kern Association for the Education of Young Children and BC staff member with the child development center, was on hand to get parents and children involved in a free community project that would entertain and teach young children about horticulture.
The young children and their parents would use a small, specially designed planting cup that they would fill with soil and a few sunflower seeds. The filled cups, which are made out of peat moss, can then be planted as they are once water is added, according to Knight-Stelzner.
However, not all of the vendors were promoting ag related themes and services. One such group, the Bakersfield Historical Costuming Society, was at Garden Fest to introduce their organization and add a new dimension to the festivities.
“We’re just trying to bring to Garden Fest a taste of the arts to a venue that usually doesn’t see theater and that sort of thing,” said Kathryn Clowes, president of the organization.
Clowes, along with her costumed associates, sold various self-crafted items like necklaces, tea cups and pin-cushions to support their group. Their costumes were self-made and designed in the “Steampunk” fashion, which is a Victorian-era style with a sci-fi edge that draws inspiration from steam driven technology and robotic designs derivative of 19th century concepts.
Some of the booths among the many vendors in the event were from BC clubs and organizations, too. All of whom were there to promote their organization to both students and the general public. Many of these groups, like the child development center on campus, also raised money by raffling off themed gift baskets for one dollar.
The Student Government Association was also on hand to promote BC and to raise funds for the Renegade Pantry by selling SGA T-shirts for a donation, according to Lisa English, student ambassador for the agriculture department and recent winner of the SGA presidential election.
BC student and business administration major Francisca Ramirez, 26, was excited about Garden Fest and especially liked the Orchid display put on by the Golden Empire Orchid Society in one of the green houses. She also enjoyed shopping at the show with the variety of retailers present at the event.
“I loved it. I came out to support the BC programs and I thought the whole thing was pretty cool,” said Ramirez.
Professors Lindsay Ono and Sally Sterns, both with the environmental horticulture department, were also very pleased with the show and the turnout from the public.
“Well, today, by many of the vendors it was considered a major success. We had a great turn out with the best weather possible in Bakersfield. Everybody enjoyed the atmosphere and enjoyed the sense of community,” said Ono.
Ono proceeded to describe how Garden Fest started five years ago as a small gathering with only five participants, four of which were local nurseries and one garden group. The show now begins the day at 4 a.m. with a continuously growing number of vendors participating, including an estimated 75 student volunteers assisting in the success of the event.
Last year’s event had over 3,000 people in attendance.
Sterns was also excited about the number of participants from BC groups that got involved this year.
“We had more BC groups involved, either individual staff or faculty members, and also a lot of clubs here — more than ever before,” said Sterns. “And, there really isn’t another event on campus that invites everyone for one day to be in one spot together.”
“When you think about it, a lot of organizations would think of it as major competition, said Ono. “We are losing money because people are spending it on other people around here, but the purpose of the event itself is not necessarily to bring money in as much as it is to bring in publicity and enrich our program.
“If we can make environmental horticulture bigger, then we win.”