Benton Master Gardener eNews

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The Moore Family Center at OSU is seeking Linn and Benton County Master Gardener volunteers to serve as Garden Mentors and/or Garden Educators for the 2023 Hope Grows Here project, a gardening and nutrition education program for cancer survivors. Hours spent on both opportunities qualify for your required Master Gardener volunteer hours. Please join Candace Russo, project manager, for an informational session via Zoom on Wednesday, March 8th from 12:00 – 12:45 p.m. The session will be recorded for those who cannot attend at that time. Register for Info Session HERE.

  • Garden Mentors
    • Garden Mentors are paired with participants (either 1:1 or with a small group) and meet regularly throughout the summer gardening season (May – September).
    • Time commitment Minimum: 1-2 hours for training, plus ½ hour a week for 20 weeks, May – September (total = 12 hours).
    • Optional: additional hours can be earned by attending garden gatherings a community garden sites during the summer.
  • [T] Garden Educators
    • Garden Educators work with the Hope Grows Here study manager to develop and deliver four basic gardening classes in April. Classes will be delivered remotely or in-person, (remote classes will be recorded).
    • Time commitment Approximately 12 hours.

Shout outs

  • 3/4 BEEvent! Trainees from both counties are welcome! People are especially needed to bring cookies! Learn more and RSVP. Time volunteering can count as fundraiser: support. Time learning can count for garden labs!
  • Returning volunteers – meet new trainees and invite them to your favorite activities! It’s a new day for mentoring – special skills are no longer required! Announcement from Alan Taylor:
    • We have a large incoming class of trainees, and they need mentors to welcome them to our Association and to help them continue their training as Master Gardeners. The welcoming part is easy and any active Master Gardener, whether certified or not, can do it. Do you love the demo garden? Do you enjoy the teamwork and camaraderie of the plant sale? Do you value the opportunity to teach others about gardening through Seed to Supper? This is your chance to bring new blood to your favorite project…without needing to work at the help desk. Let me know if you want to help, and I will share info about the interests and talents of our trainees, and you can pick someone you would enjoy mentoring.
    • We also need a core group of dedicated help desk gurus to teach these trainees how to properly use the computers, the microscope and camera, and the pH meter and how to effectively communicate with the public in person, by phone, and by email to respond to their gardening questions. Let me know if you’d like to help, and I will arrange refresher training on using the desk…which we all need after the last few years.
    • Finally, we need Master Gardeners at our Farmers Market and other remote clinics who can work with those of our trainees who need to fulfill their service hours on weekends or in the evenings. People with experience with Ask an Expert will also be useful. Let me know if you are available, and I’ll get you in touch with those activities.
    • Thank you, Alan Taylor, 541-929-4141, alantaylor@alyrica.net
  • BCMGA News
    • NEW! Annual BCMGA Membership Awards: It’s time to submit nominations to the Board for two of our annual BCMGA membership awards: Benton County Master Gardener of the Year, and Benton Behind the Scenes Award. Complete and send the attached nomination form to Membership Secretary Marge Alig at mvictoralig@gmail.com. The Board will select awardees at its April meeting. The nomination form will be available shortly at bentonmg.org in the Members section.
      • Benton County Master Gardener of the Year Award
        • This annual award recognizes the outstanding dedication and service of an OSU Master Gardener for Benton County. The award should be based on years of service, association involvement, leadership with BCMGA, and outstanding and unusual service.
      • Benton County Behind the Scenes Award
        • This annual award recognizes an OSU Master Gardener™ who works quietly and unselfishly behind the scenes to further the OSU Master Gardener Program. This is not a person who is out in front working on projects so everyone knows their contributions. It is likely that this person is NOT a committee chair or on the Board of Directors. Rather it is a person who few may actually know the level of their contributions. Please nominate a single individual.
    • OSU Extension Needs Assessment Committee and OMGA Advocacy Committee: The Needs Assessment group will be sending out a questionnaire to all Master Gardeners. Please take the time to do it. It will provide vital information to inform the OSU Extension administration about the Master Gardener program’s needs. OMGA Advocacy group is launching a campaign to push for more state funding for Extension programs. They are asking MGs to contact their legislators to ask that Extension funding be increased. See the 6-month action plan and timeline in the link. It is not too soon to start now. This is extremely important to the future vitality of Master Gardeners and Extension as a whole. View the presentation here.
    • OMGA Advocacy Committee: BCMGA member Judith Kenner shared these resources from OMGA about the advocacy effort for the Oregon Master Gardener Program and how to participate. Please check out the latest OMGA newsletter and website.
  • Volunteer opportunities [T] = includes opportunities that trainees can join now!
    • [T] 2/25 Plant Sale Team – propagation – 10:00-12:00, Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St. RSVP to lesliehauser107@gmail.com. Report service as Fundraiser: Support.
    • [T] 3/4 BEEvent! People are especially needed to bring cookies! Learn more and RSVP. Report service as Fundraiser: Support.
    • [T] 3/10 Plant Sale Team – propagation – 1:00-3:00, Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St. RSVP to lesliehauser107@gmail.com. Report service as Fundraiser: Support.
    • [T] 3/11 Seed Library Veggie Growing Clinic – 10:00am -1:00pm, Belushi room, Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis. Report service as: Plant Clinic: direct
    • 3/18 Spring into Gardening “Our Changing Landscape”, a one-day educational event organized by Yamhill County Master Gardener Association. For more information and registration, go to the Yamhill County MGA website ycmga.org. All classes (except Topiary) count toward Continuing Education hours
    • [T] 3/18 Plant Sale Team – propagation – 10:00-12:00, Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St. RSVP to lesliehauser107@gmail.com. Report service as Fundraiser: Support.
    • [T] 3/18 Seed Library Veggie Growing Clinic – 10:00am -1:00pm, Belushi room, Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis. Report service as: Plant Clinic: direct
    • [T] 3/24 Plant Sale Team – propagation – 1:00-3:00, Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St. RSVP to lesliehauser107@gmail.com. Report service as Fundraiser: Support.
    • [T] 3/25 Seed Library Veggie Growing Clinic– 10:00am -1:00pm, Belushi room, Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis. Report service as: Plant Clinic: direct
    • [T] various dates – Community science – Contribute data to research on gardens, plants, and wildlife. Explore and sign up. Many projects are remote and on your own schedule. Report the time as “citizen science: indirect
    • Various dates – Peaceful Valley Seed in North Albany is seeking volunteer presenters for various topics including composting, spring perennials, sustainable landscaping, summer garden maintenance, summer pruning and more. Certified volunteers who are interested may contact the organizer directly: Kimberly Montgomery 541.981.2248 kimberly@groworganic.com Report service as Instructor: Direct.
    • Master Gardener Desk (Office Plant Clinic): The office is open and there are questions coming in from the public. Returning volunteers are encouraged to return to the desk, in particular, certified MGs comfortable with the pH meter and the microscope are needed. (Trainees – there will be special shifts for you soon, with helpers to start you off right!) Report service as Plant Clinic: Direct
  • Continuing Education -[G] = opportunities that Trainees can use for Garden Lab credit.
    • [G] 3/4 BEEvent Pollinator Conference – 9:00am – 3:30pm, Linn Expo Center, Albany, Oregon or purchase a recording. “Adapting Your Garden to the Coming Changes”. $25-30. Registration at www.LinnMasterGardeners.com
    • 3/8 Public Seed Library Talks – Garden planning, crop families, succession gardening– 6:00pm – 7:00 pm, Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis.
    • [G] 3/11 The Food Garden – Basic Organic Gardening (start of free 6-class series) 10:00am-12:00pm, Lebanon Senior Center, 80 Tangent Street Lebanon. RSVP to casteen@aol.com
    • 3/14 Growing Oregon Gardeners – Put It to the Test: Improving Garden Fertility with Soil Analysis, Soil Regions, and Microclimates – 12:00pm – 1:00pm, ZOOM. Learn more & RSVP: beav.es/Sov
    • 3/16 Gardening in the PNW – Garden Planning presented by Karin Magnuson – 12:00pm – 1:00pm, OSU Linn County Extension office 33630 McFarland Rd, Tangent
    • 3/16 Public Seed Library Talks – Choosing a good garden spot, soil and fertilizer, use of compost, mulch and soil thermometer – 6:00pm – 7:00 pm, Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis.
    • 3/23 Gardening in the PNW – TBA Topic, – 12:00pm – 1:00pm, OSU Linn County Extension office 33630 McFarland Rd, Tangent
    •  [G] 3/31 Growing Together – Soils & cover crops – 1:00pm – 2:00pm, Linn County Master Gardener Association Demonstration Garden in the Fairgounds, 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany
    • Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022: watch recordings HERE.
  • 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.)
    • 2/26 @1pm-2:30pm. MG Trainee David Barron (farmer, firefighter, dad) invites you to a community food systems walk and discussion. The topic will be how the food system works for black Oregonians. Community discourse event with a walk around Corvallis wrapping up at the cozy Bier Library. Bring kids and friends. Learn more and RSVP.
    • OSU Today is a daily e-mail newsletter provided by OSU News and Research Communication Services. The newsletter includes links to OSU stories in the news media. It also includes information news from campus, such as lectures, workshops and webinars. Anyone with an e-mail address can subscribe to OSU Today. If you’d like to try it out, you can subscribe here: https://today.oregonstate.edu/email/osu-today-signup. You can check out the web version here: https://today.oregonstate.edu/email​​​​​​​.
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