Leveraging Community Partnerships to Expand Youth Horticulture Education: Program Growth & Impacts from Iron County, Utah
Extension Education
Joshua Martin
Assistant Professor in Horticulture
Utah State University
Cedar City
Abstract
Developing youth horticulture education programs can be challenging in rural communities where dedicated teaching spaces and program infrastructure are often limited. In Iron County, Utah, a partnership-based model was used to establish youth horticulture programming by leveraging existing community resources and relationships. The primary objective of this programming is to create impactful youth horticulture education opportunities that provide both instructional space and opportunities for hands-on learning. Additional objectives include establishing demonstration garden areas for youth and community education and developing lasting partnerships that strengthen both Extension programming and community organizations. To accomplish these objectives, Iron County Horticulture Extension personnel engaged local partners to identify potential collaborators and suitable locations for horticulture-based programming. Outreach focused on identifying partners interested in supporting youth education while providing space for applied learning. These efforts resulted in building upon a partnership with the Frontier Homestead State Park, which now provides access and use of a large garden area, a classroom and additional park facilities for educational activities. This collaboration quickly produced a functional demonstration and teaching garden that now serves as a central hub for multiple Extension horticulture programs. Three youth-focused programs currently utilize the site: the Iron County Junior Master Gardener program that includes eight yearly classes, two annual youth horticulture summer camps, and 4-H Cloverbud gardening and plant science classes. The garden also supports community vegetable production workshops, gardening events and limited field research. In 2025 alone, these programs provided hands-on horticulture education to more than 80 youth and over 150 adults. This partnership-driven approach demonstrates how Extension professionals can expand youth horticulture programming by aligning Extension goals with existing community assets and partners. By utilizing shared spaces and Extension expertise, this model creates valuable educational infrastructure while strengthening community partnerships, increasing agricultural literacy, and providing a replicable framework that other Extension professionals can adapt to develop impactful youth horticulture programs in their own communities.
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Authors: Joshua Martin
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Martin, J. Assistant Professor in Horticulture, Utah State University, Utah, 84721