UNION COUNTY — Fall is here and winter is approaching, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for everyone to put away their gardening equipment.

The Union County Master Gardener Program is conducting a winter carrot planting project this year to learn more about growing winter vegetables in the area, according to Sarah West, master gardener coordinator. The Community Science Project pursues two goals of the Master Gardeners and the Oregon State University Extension Office: community gardening and local data collection.

“We have 27 registered carrot growers throughout Union County,” West said.

Master gardeners are community educators, West said. The program provides a meaningful gardening experience for community members while collecting data for the future.

The OSU Extension office offers free gardening advice, West said. One of the most frequently asked questions in the office, she says, is from people wanting to know what they can grow in late fall and early winter to extend the growing season.

West said programs such as the winter carrot planting project allow the OSU Extension office and master gardeners to collect data specifically about Union County. This information can then be used and shared to better guide people on what they can grow and when.

Although the program is called the Winter Carrot Planting Project, the project itself began during the last months of summer. The program provided gardeners with a specific variety of carrot seeds, West said, which were to be planted from late July to mid-August. Participants also received educational kits and support from master gardeners.

The project was open to all Union County gardeners with in-ground or raised garden plots that received at least six hours of sunlight per day. West said this year the majority of registered gardeners were in or around La Grande.

Carrots should be kept in the ground until Dec. 15, West said. Once harvested, gardeners will answer questions and submit data by February 2025. Participants keep track of information such as planting times, germination, harvest dates and carrot yields.

They’ll also share the size of their carrots, how many survived, and the flavor profile. West said winter carrots — as well as other winter vegetables such as kale — become sweeter as they grow after frosts.

When carrots are exposed to cold, the amount of sugar present in the cellular fluid increases. Sugar is a defense mechanism and acts as an antifreeze since sugar solutions freeze at lower temperatures than water. The increase in sugar helps prevent cells from growing and bursting in freezing temperatures.

Master gardeners themselves are also involved in the project, West said. They have a half-plot where they grow winter carrots at Eastern Oregon University’s La Grande Community Garden.

West said Union County Master Gardeners will lead the project again next year, so they can collect data over time.