Gardening for 45 minutes burns as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Preschool children served homegrown produce are more than twice as likely to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day as children who rarely eat homegrown produce.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering eight new “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes at seven locations statewide to help Nevadans who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing more of their own food.

“Gardening in Nevada is a challenge,” Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist Heidi Kratsch said. “But you can learn to deal with our harsh climate and poor soils by building on the success of others. Grow Your Own educators are experienced gardeners and growers and are excited to share what they know with the community.”

The series of workshops will run 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 4 through April 27. The workshops will provide gardeners and those interested in growing healthy foods with a back-to-the-basics guide to producing bountiful harvests in Nevada. The topics will include:

• April 4: Starting Plants From Seeds or Cuttings
• April 6: Growing Tomatoes
• April 11: The Challenge of Gardening in Nevada Soils
• April 13: Attractive & Edible Landscapes
• April 18: Vegetable Garden Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects
• April 20: Ins & Outs of Fruit Trees
• April 25: Vegetable Garden Pest Control
• April 27: Successful Berry Growing Basics

The workshops will be held at the Washoe County Cooperative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way in Reno, and will also be available via interactive video at Cooperative Extension offices in Elko, Hawthorne, Lovelock, Pahrump, Winnemucca and Yerington.

“Anyone can become a better gardener by attending these classes,” Kratsch said. “From the beginner to the advanced gardener, everyone can benefit from a Grow Your Own class.”

To register for any or all of the upcoming “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes, visit GrowYourOwnNevada.com. The class fee for those attending at the Washoe County office is $15 per class or $60 for all eight classes. The cost covers class supplies, materials and refreshments. Reno participants attending all eight classes will also receive a USB flash drive containing gardening resources. K-12 teachers and Master Gardeners in Reno receive a discount on registration cost. Class fees in other locations vary. Residents should contact their local Cooperative Extension office for information on attending the workshops in those locations. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Ashley Andrews, andrewsa@unce.unr.edu, at least three days prior to the first day of the course.