Numerous residents in urban areas want to grow their own food for a variety of reasons, but they are concerned because of nearby environmental issues of contamination in their communities. If you're wondering how to get started with urban gardening, you might want to check out the Soil Sampling, Risk Mapping, And Exposure Prevention For The Urban Grower class with Sustainable Contra Costa on June 11th from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center.

This class, which is a follow-up to last year’s “Improving Your Soil Quality (for the Urban Grower),” will provide processes to assess urban soils and manage the risks. Guests of this class will expand their knowledge of how to sample soils and map those samples and the results in order to prevent exposure. This class concludes by examining urban soil safety in relation to heavy metal safe growing and risk management for backyard, production, community farms, and school farms and gardens.

Participants in the urban gardening class will enjoy morning garden activities, including a pollination station, demonstrations of weed control using simple sheet mulch techniques, and much more.