Fitzgerald quoted in Kennebec Journal article on Manchester greenhouse
The Kennebec Journal spoke with Caragh Fitzgerald, an agricultural educator at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Kennebec County, for an article about the 40th anniversary of Longfellow’s Greenhouse in Manchester. The surge of younger gardeners has led the greenhouse staff to become more like growing coaches to their customers, advising them on how much light is needed, what types of fertilizer work best and how they should water their plants, according to the article. “We see in gardening programs and in the community, anecdotally, a lot of interest in where food comes from,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re seeing that in our younger population, supporting local food production on down to home gardening. We see that some with Cooperative Extension clients, but also with colleges and universities … More schools are putting in school gardens.” Fitzgerald added that issues related to food and social justice are more prominent today than they were a decade ago. Longfellow’s has made a name for itself over the years, growing despite the tough competition from big box stores and smaller operations, Fitzgerald said. “That business is certainly one of the leaders in the industry,” she said. “They pay really close attention to the trends.”