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The Fig Trial Orchard was featured in an article by

Benton County Master Gardener Lynn Atkins.

Click HERE

The Learning Fields was also featured as part of an article in the September 2024 issue of Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Official Kids Magazine. See text below.

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​The Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing is one of the projects of the Master Gardeners program. The Learning Fields site includes a butterfly habitat, features several demonstration gardens, hosts a number of planting trials to see what will and will not grow in our area, and serves as the site for a number of educational and demonstration classes for the public each year. Many of those programs are targeted specifically at children, teaching them to grow food and that the food we eat doesn’t just come from a grocery store. One of the gardens in the Learning Fields is a Children’s Garden that includes benches, a playhouse, a fairy garden, a gazebo and lots of color. Programs for children allow participants to put new plants in the ground, as well as plant seeds in a cup of soil to take home. That’s important in the modern world where fewer children are exposed to green spaces, and also can be used to teach children about where food comes from. The Learning Fields at Chaffee Crossing, 7300 Gardener Ave. in Fort Smith, is open from daylight to dusk each day and admission is free to the public. Many of the special events held there are free to attend. Those who visit can take self-guided tours of the various gardens and can ask questions of the Master Gardeners who are often there working to maintain the grounds.

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