MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Growing your own vegetables has tons of benefits. It’s economical, nutritious and a lot of fun. How can you get started? The Ocean County Library Stafford Branch will tell you.

Learn how to start and maintain your garden with “Starting a Vegetable Garden? Let’s Pro-Seed!” on May 8 at 10:30 a.m.

This program, in partnership with the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Ocean County, is led by Master Gardener Nancy Osterberg, a lifelong plant enthusiast and retired elementary school special educator. She will detail everything from placement to harvest.

The Whiting resident traces her agricultural ardor back to her childhood, in which gardening was an activity shared by everyone in her family. The lifelong educator and learner strives to raise awareness of the many benefits that gardening can offer.

Rutgers Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who deliver horticulture programs developed by the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension.

You can also bring your garden questions and plant or insect samples for diagnosis and recommendations by the Master Gardeners in the OCL Stafford Branch, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month, now through September.

Register at www.theoceancountylibrary.org/events for this free program. For more information, visit the OCL Stafford Branch, 129 North Main Street, Manahawkin, or call (609) 597-3381.