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Folks interested in growing more food - and therefore buying less - are invited to tour a local vegetable garden Thursday.

The Routt County Cooperative Extension Office is sponsoring the event with the city of Steamboat Springs and Routt County. Food prices and environmental concerns have increased interest in the subject, Extension Agent C.J. Mucklow said.

"We had a conference last spring on local food production," he said. "People were interested in seeing what people grow in local gardens."

The bus tour is free, and 25 seats are available. The Extension Office has invited master gardeners, eight of whom have signed up, Mucklow said. Everyone else is welcome, as well, he said. Those who want to come are asked to reserve a spot.

Participants are slated to take a look at Todd and Joan Allsberry's garden.

"What's unique about my garden is it's in kind of a circular pattern, and what's wonderful about it is it's surrounded by raspberries, strawberries, wildflowers and lavender, and then I just have all kinds of veggies there," Joan Allsberry said.

She said the family has gardened for only a couple of years. The Allsberrys grow lettuce, squash, beans and herbs, among other foods. Allsberry said neighbors and local master gardeners have helped her get her garden growing. This is her first attempt at a vegetable plot.

It's going well. Allsberry said she rarely enters the produce section of the grocery store this time of year.

"It's an experiment every year figuring out what works and what doesn't work," she said. "We just try not to get too attached to anything because you never know when you're going to have a snow or a freeze or grasshoppers."

This year, Allsberry said, her family has seen a bumper crop of strawberries. The garden is organic, she said.

Mucklow said the trip will allow participants to check out the Allsberrys' successes and ask questions.

"It will give people an idea of what can be grown in the Steamboat environment," he said. "They can do a lot here. It might not be Florida, but we can do a lot here."

- To reach Blythe Terrell, call 871-4234

or e-mail bterrell@steamboatpilot.com