Benton County Fairgrounds – 110 SW 53rd St Corvallis, OR 97389 Solar Barn & Floral Courtyard May 7, 2022 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- The 2022 Plant Sale is on!
- Click HERE to volunteer for the BCMGA Plant Sale on May 7 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. Volunteers are needed for both May 6 (Set up) and May 7 (Sale day). If you have any questions or prefer to not use Sign-Up Genius, please email Leslie Hauser, this year’s Volunteer Coordinator, at lesliehauser107@gmail.com. Ready to sign up?? Click HERE to find exact shifts, times and job descriptions.
- We are planning a debrief meeting after the Plant Sale so we can continue to make it better. If you have comments to share after the sale, you can attend the meeting on Tuesday, May 10, at 1:00 in the Extension Conference Room. Or send your thoughts to Kathy Clark at bobandkathyclark@gmail.com. Thanks, Kathy
- Correction: Debbie Lauer’s email address had an error in eNews. The correct email for Debbie is DSL2017@peak.org
- Shoutouts
- Volunteer opportunity: Trainees and other Volunteers Welcome at the Fairgrounds Demonstration Garden. The BCMGA maintains a demonstration garden at the Benton County Fairgrounds to demonstrate planting possibilities, practices and techniques for home vegetable gardens. It is supported by a small but lively group of volunteers who have a lot of fun working in the garden and learning from each other. We would love to have new volunteers – no experience is necessary. We are currently meeting on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. You can access the garden through the RV park entrance to the Fairgrounds. Sign up is not required and drop-ins are welcome. If you would like more information, please contact Denise Saunders at vdenisesaunders@comcast.net or Dan Dix at ddix@verizon.net
- Clinic Table Volunteers Needed! We will be holding three clinic tables at special events this spring. Both certified Master Gardeners and Trainees are needed. This is a great opportunity for mentors and trainees to work together! SIGN UP HERE.
- –May 21 is the Poultry Swap and Homesteading Fair, 10:00 to 4:00 at the Benton County Fairgrounds. Volunteers will work shifts of 2-4 hours depending on the number of volunteers.
- –May 28 is the NAACP Great Tomato Giveaway, 10:00-12:00 at the Southtown Co-op. This event is in partnership with the Linn Benton chapter of the NAACP and Crescent Valley High School Students for Environmental Change.
- –June 18 is Quilts in the Garden. Details on hours and locations are still being worked out.
- BCMGA news
- Next Board Meeting is Monday, May 10, 3:00 – 5:00. Please see Board President’s newsletter for directions on how to participate.
- Volunteers needed
- Online Plant Clinic – check for messages on evenings and weekends. Volunteer from anywhere with an internet connection. Enroll HERE.
- Office Plant Clinic sign ups open: The office is open to the public, and volunteers can sign up for plant clinic shifts as desired, to answer client questions or practice skills. Pairs of volunteers can currently sign up in the front office again! Sign up HERE. If you’re a trainee, please wait to connect with a mentor, before enrolling. If you’re a trainee, please wait to connect with a mentor, before enrolling.
- Farmer’s Market Clinic Table! It’s time for the outdoor farmer’s market in downtown Corvallis. Beginning in May the Master Gardener clinic tables at the Farmer’s Market will be the 2nd Saturday and 4th Wednesday of each month. Certified Master Gardeners are required to give advice but trainees may volunteer as well. If enough people volunteer, we can have two shifts. Please contact Debbie Lauer at 541-929-7544 or DSL2017@peak.org to sign up.
- Seasonal content team:
- Work with staff, intern and a small-medium group of volunteers to create blogs and social media, based on: OSU Garden Calendar and Master Gardener Program Priorities. Interested? Email elizabeth.records@oregonstate.edu
- Find more opportunities on the Benton Volunteer Opportunities Page.
- Continuing education opportunities:
- Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022:
- Community news (Please note that anything in this section is not eligible for MGV volunteer service nor endorsed by Extension, but is mentioned as a courtesy to our community.)
- Dry Farming Institute Spring Fundraiser. Do you want to experiment with dry farming or minimal irrigation? These top-performing drought tolerant crop varieties are a good place to start! Thank you for supporting the Dry Farming Institute. The deadline for pre-ordering plants has passed. We will be selling plants at the Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group plant sale at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene on May 7th, from 9am to 2pm.
- Save the date for the 21st Annual Through the Garden Gate tour! Saturday June 18th, 202210:00 to 4:00, Six unique & artful Albany gardens. Tickets on sale June 1 at linnmastergardeners.com
