FREE

Sponsors
The
WAY
Fun
Run
FREE
Day Committee would Gardens
like to thank our sponsors
for their generous support! September 18, 2010
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Games &
Alabama Cooperative Extension Oak Mountain Middle
The Institute for America’s Health
System Inflatables
Tameron Automotive Group School
Alabama Department of Agriculture
Holistic Healthcare
and Industries Farmer’s
US Department
Blue of Agriculture
Cross/Blue Shield
Market
Live Open to
Alabama Cooperative
The Institute Extension
for America’s Health Music the Public
System
(IAH)
Alabama Green
Alabama Green Industry
Industry Training
Training Vendors
Center
Center (AGITC)
ALFA
Better -Basics,
Tragg Inc.
Tew
Prizes
St. Marks Knights of Columbus
ACES
Cooking
Argo Power Equipment Company
United States Department of
Agriculture
Better Basics, Inc.
Food
Wayne’s
Tameron Environmental
Automotive Group Services,
Inc. Saturday September 18, 2010
Holistics Healthcare
Alabama Department of
ALFA Insurance—Tragg Tew Oak Mountain Middle School
Agriculture and Industries
Alabama Travel and Tourism
Alabama Travel and Tourism 5650 Cahaba Valley Road

Birmingham, AL 35242

9:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

 What is WAY Day? Alabama Specialty Crops
WAY
WAYDay Dayisisa acollaborative
collaborative effort of
effort Specialty Crops are defined by the United States
numerous national and Alabama cor- Department of Agriculture as “fruits, vegetables,
comprised of ideas from Alabama tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery
porations, non-profits and agencies
non-profit organizations in an ef- crops (including floriculture).” The Specialty
to raise awareness of health, nutri-
Crop Program in Alabama is managed by the Al-
fort and
tion to raise awareness
agriculture in aofFUN
health,
yet abama Department of Agriculture and Industries
educational
nutrition and way. agriculture
Our goal is to inpro-
a (ADAI) with the goal to increase the research,
mote the efforts of
FUN yet educational way.communities and
Our production and use of these crops across the
schools statewide to become more state. Oak Mountain Middle School students work
goal is to promote the efforts of lo-
health conscious. WAY Days are state- in their vegetable garden.
cal organizations In Alabama, Specialty Crops include the peaches
wide, so if you wouldand like schools in
one in your
of Chilton County, the tomatoes of Sand Moun- Specialty Crop fruits and vegetables are the
their quest please
community, to become more
contact us health
and we tain, satsumas in the Mobile area and the flow- cornerstone of a healthy diet and will play a major
can help you get started!
conscious. ers and nursery stock grown across the state by
part as Alabama regains her position as a leader
hundreds of nurserymen.
nationally in their production.
Many of Alabama’s soils are perfect for Specialty
Other crops, especially sod, flowers and nursery
Crops, especially when amended with lime, fertil-
izer and organic matter following a soil test. stock, are grown in our state and shipped around
the region. Most of the plants installed by land-
Soil testing and lots of research-based crop scapers and sold by retail nurseries are grown
advice is available from your local Alabama Co- here in Alabama.
operative Extension Service (ACES), normally lo-
WAY (Wellness, Academics, & You) is a cated in your county courthouse. Partnering with So, whether you are eating rabbit eye blueberries
classroom based resource kit designed for ACES and the ADAI, the Alabama Green Industry or collards or planting pansies or perennial flow-
elementary teachers. Thanks to generous Training Center is helping to implement Specialty ers, you are helping the Alabama Specialty Crops
funding by the Alabama State Department of Crop projects in many Birmingham area schools. industry and local growers.
Education, the Institute for America’s Health Current projects include four gardens in Fairfield
has been able to provide thousands of chil- schools with Better Basics and the large gar-
dren the resources they need to learn how to dens and nursery area at Oak Mountain Middle
make healthy choices. School.