Growing Hope Campaign - Feeding People One Bed At A Time

Join us for a special fundraising event benefiting the new Yokefellow Community Garden on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Iredell Cooperative Extension Center (444 Bristol Drive, Statesville, NC). Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for check-in, demo garden tours, a light breakfast spread, local plant vendors, and silent auction. Our speaker will go live at 10:00 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Extension Master Gardener Association of Iredell County. 

This inspiring morning will feature guest speaker Mark Weathington, Director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, and is hosted by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Iredell County. He will present Nearly Native: Wild and Cultivated Plants from Our Own Backyard. Mark travels extensively in search of plants that enrich and diversify the American landscape and is the author of Gardening in the South: The Complete Homeowner’s Guide.

Proceeds from this event support the Yokefellow Community Garden, a volunteer-led initiative where NC Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers and community members will grow fresh produce for the Yokefellow Help Center, mobile food pantries, and other local food assistance programs. The garden will also serve as an outdoor classroom, offering hands-on gardening education and meaningful volunteer opportunities.