Lisa Kivirist and her husband John Ivanko

The 11^th Annual Gateway to Gardening Symposium is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Warsaw Community Church at 2300 Ranch Road in Warsaw. Registration and visiting with the vendors starts at 8:45 a.m. The symposium is being hosted by the Kosciusko County Master Gardeners and Purdue Extension – Kosciusko County.

This year’s symposium features Farmstead Chef, Lisa Kivirist and her husband John Ivanko are the innkeeper’s of the nationally recognized Inn Serendipity Bed and Breakfast, completely powered by the wind and the sun.

With her husband, John, Lisa co-authored the award-winning book ECOpreneuring as well as Rural Renaissance. Lisa is a distinguished Kellogg Food and Community Fellow and leading national advocate for women in sustainable agriculture. She directs the Rural Women’s Project for the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). As a freelance writer and photographer, John contributes to Urban Farm, Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Hobby Farms, Natural Awakenings and E Magazine, among many others. They will be sharing with symposium attendees about their new book – The Farmstead Chef – how to harvest, savor, save and celebrate food along with a second session on “Sustainable Living Simplified”.

Also a part of the symposium is Anne Blackburn from Linton’s Enchanted Gardens. She has worked in the retail visual merchandising field for 32 years. Her specialty is stylized vignettes with a strong emphasis on color. Anne is also an accomplished artist with a fine arts degree from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame. Anne will be sharing fall garden design ideas.

Also featured at the symposium will be “Preserving the Abundance of Food from Your Garden” presented by Stephanie Faroh. She is currently the Health and Human Sciences Educator at the Purdue Extension office in Kosciusko County. She has been practicing as a Registered Dietician for the last 3 years with a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a Master’s degree from Ball State University.

The symposium is also featuring several local garden suppliers and crafters. If you are interested in being a vendor at the symposium, please contact the Extension Office. Please stop by and visit with them.

So, please mark your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 27, and join us for a day filled with educational and practical tips you can use in your garden. Everyone is invited to attend. You do not have to be a Master Gardner! Master Gardeners do receive 6 hours of educational time for attending the program. Registration is $30 per person if received by Sept. 19.

For more information on the symposium, please contact the Extension Office at (574) 372-2340 or visit our website at www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/kosciusko and look under current events.