Community Spotlight | The seventh annual Okra Occasion celebrates a summer harvest and offers a prelude for local growers fests to come

BY MICHELE MILLER
What’s What New Port Richey

September 14, 2022

Dell deChant was feeling pretty good if not a tad worried as he looked over the crowd gathered in the community room at the New Port Richey Public Library.

Ordinarily and especially with the pandemic, he expected to see the typical 20 or so folks that have come out each year for the Okra Occasion, which is billed as “Less than a festival but more than an ordinary day.”

deChant, who serves as chair of the New Port Richey Environmental Committee hosting organization, figured they had tripled that number for this year’s Okra Occasion held on Sept. 3. The event, now in its seventh year, celebrates summer’s harvest and offers a modest prelude to growers’ local fests to come including the Sweet Potato (November), Collard Green (January) and Loquat Festivals (April).

“These kinds of experiences where people get together are what makes a community,” deChant said with a grin while mentally tallying the numbers. “Hopefully there will be enough to go around.”

As in the past, guests were wooed with the opportunity to taste veggie with a “love it or hate it” reputation with a spread that would have them wanting to grab a package of free locally harvest seeds to plant in next year’s summer garden.

Attendance was a pleasant surprise at the Seventh Annual Okra Occasion held on Sept. 3 at the New Port Richey Public Library. PHOTO | MICHELE MILLER (Sept. 3, 2022)

On the menu and served on completely compostable dinnerware – Saucy Spicy Succotash, Okra Quiche, Summer Harvest Medley, Cornmeal Crusted Okra with Mustard Dill Mayo and Pickled Peppers, Roasted Okra Salad, Pickled Okra, and options of spicy or “regular” Brunswick Stew.

The event offered the opportunity to give okra a try and also learn more about how to harvest seeds, how to grow and when to plant (spring) the various varieties of one of a few vegetables that can withstand and even thrive during Florida’s hot and steamy summer months.

One dried pod of okra can provide enough seeds for next year’s garden, said Dell deChant, to attendees at the 7th Annual Okra Occasion, held on Sept. 3 at the New Port Richey Public Library. PHOTO | MICHELE MILLER

Guest speakers included Lisa Bekiaris and Steve Hayes from New Port Richey FarmNet, a local organization that “is dedicated to quickening the rise of a healthy and resilient community in the City of New Port Richey and surrounding areas on the basis of agrarian principles and practices, and a commitment to food sovereignty.”

As part of their educational initiative the local non-profit hosts a monthly Farmers Market at Roses Bistro of Main (the next one is from 12-2 p.m. on Sept. 24) and occasional classes on gardening. (next upcoming class on seed starting will be on Sept. 25 at Grand Gardens – TBT).

Kristen King spoke about Keep Pasco Beautiful and upcoming volunteer opportunities for the Keep Pasco Beautiful Cleanup on Sept. 17. There was information on the free seed catalog at the New Port Richey Public Library that features seeds grown and harvested locally.

And there was an introduction to Grand Gardens, a community garden located on donated land on Grand Boulevard.

There, for an annual fee of $50 locals can rent and tend to their own 10′ x 10′ dedicated plot and learn from or teach others the intricacies of planting in the Florida climate. It is also the hosting spot for the Sweet Potato Festival to be in November so those who attend can purchase locally grown sweet potatoes to prepare for their Thanksgiving dinner.

While the sweet potatoes have yet to be harvested, now is the time to get a start on some of those fall vegetables whether you are going in your own backyard or as part of a community venture such as Grand Gardens.

“We started this effort seven years ago and the average life expectancy of a community garden is about 3-4 years,” deChant said, noting that Sunday – “Community Day” is a good day to stop by.

As for the okra, well in the end there was plenty to go around with people taking modest helpings.

My favorite – the Cornmeal Crusted Okra with Mustard Dill Mayo and Pickled Peppers with Brunswick Stew coming in as a close second.

Brunswick Stew

All in all, it was all good and yes, I’m thinking I’ll give okra a go next year. Don’t take my word for it. Check out the OKRA Cookbooks that are back in stock and available for a $15 donation. For information on that and more, go to the New Port Richey FarmNet FB page.

Also of interest….

Gardening 365 Festival & Plant Sale, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. October 1 at San Antonio City Park

Grow your gardening skills with the masters! Join UF/IFAS Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service for our 6th annual Pasco Master Gardener Volunteers Gardening 365 Festival & Plant Sale Saturday, October 1 at San Antonio City Park, 12200 Main St., San Antonio. The FREE event includes a large selection of plants, seminars, educational resources, and “Florida-Friendly” gardening information

This event includes a variety of educational seminars:

9 a.m. – Attracting Wildlife to Your Florida-Friendly Yard
10 a.m. – Joy of Gardening in Community Gardens
11 a.m. – Dade City: Monarch City USA
12 Noon – Connecting with Nature Through Horticulture Therapy

Educational booths and hands-on activities for children will be available. We kindly request certified service animals only. For more information, visit: mypas.co/2022PlantSale

Pasco County Library Gardening Programs

Library branches throughout the county offer gardening seminars and workshops from time. It’s a good place to get some helpful information from Master Gardeners. The New Port Richey Public Library also has a seed borrowing program for patrons.

Check out Sept & Oct. Gardening events below at www.pascolibraries.org for Pasco County Libraries, or go to www.nprlibrary.org for events at the New Port Richey Public Library or to learn more about the seed borrowing program

New River Garden Club: Butterfly Gardening 101. Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10:30 a.m. — 12 p.m. at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel. Come join like-minded gardeners for a short meeting in New River’s Discovery Gardens. This garden club meeting will be followed by a garden presentation outdoors. This month’s presentation is Butterfly Gardening 101. Do you like seeing butterflies in your garden? Learn not only how to attract these flying beauties but the secret to getting them to stay. Whether you are a new gardener or already have plenty of plants in your yard, you are sure to come away inspired! Call New River Library if you have any questions at 813-788-6375. Please register.
Master Gardener. Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9:30 — 11:30 a.m. at the Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 8th Street, Zephyrhills.
Master Gardeners: Growing Bananas. Monday, Sept. 19 from 2 — 3 p.m. at the Centennial Park Library, 5740 Moog Road, Holiday. This program is presented by County Extension’s Master Gardener Program. This FREE presentation will cover the taxonomy morphology and origins of the edible banana. We will learn which cultivars perform well in our county and how to care for them. Registration is recommended but not required. Please register at pascolibraries.org.
Master Gardener Seminar: Got Milkweed? Species and Stories of a Misunderstood Genus. Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m.— 12 p.m. at the Starkey Ranch Library, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive, Odessa. Join the Master Gardeners to learn more about Milkweed and how you can turn your garden into a Monarch butterfly oasis. Please register.
Garden Rededication Ceremony & Family Day. Saturday, Sept. 24 from 10:30 a.m. — 12 p.m. at the New River Library, 34043 State Road 43, Wesley Chapel. The Discovery Gardens at New River Library is now a Monarch Butterfly Waystation! Join us as we make it official! There will be a butterfly release and other fun activities for the whole family.

Ask A Master Gardener. Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 5 — 6 p.m. at the Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson. The Master Gardeners of the Pasco County Extension Office will be in the lobby to answer your specific gardening questions.
Pasco County Extension Master Gardener Seminar – Turf Grass in Florida. Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 6 — 7:30 p.m. at the Hudson Regional Library, 8012 Library Road, Hudson. The Master Gardeners of the Pasco County Cooperative Extension office present on a variety of topics.