Film Screening! Food for the Rest of Us in partnership with the DisOrient film festival and the Lane County Master Gardener Association on April 5. Watch the trailer. Food for the Rest of Us will examine how getting back to the land is tied to other movements such as Black Lives Matter, Idle No More and Times Up. Food for the Rest of Us is a feature film that presents 5 stories of people living life on their own terms, serving as leaders and leading a revolution to a better world, from the ground up! “Growing your own food is probably the most revolutionary thing you can do!” Directed by Carolyn Cox / Canada / 2021 See the emailed version of eNews to sign up.
- Shoutouts
- Next Board Meeting is Monday, April 11, 3:00 – 5:00. See invitation from the board president to join.
- Spring schedule for program coordinator: March-June, Elizabeth’s weekly schedule is Wednesday-Sunday, 8-5.
- LOTS of new volunteer opportunities, see below!
- Free Seed Packets. We are fortunate to have several generous local garden supply companies who have donated commercial seed packets to the Master Gardener Program that we’ve primarily used for Seed To Supper. Although the packets expired last year, many still have useful viability. We have a large variety of vegetable as well as perennial and annual flower seeds for MG use! If you have a project that could benefit (community gardens, beautification areas, etc.) please contact Shikha Ghosh Gottfried at shikhagg@gmail.com.
- Volunteers needed
- 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.
- The Grow Team is looking for volunteers to help start seeds at the Philomath High School greenhouses to have plants ready for the annual plant sale on May 7. Please follow the link to Sign Up Genius to volunteer to help with seed starting. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C45AAAE2AA57-bcmg1
- The Outreach Committee is seeking a volunteer to coordinate clinic tables at local nurseries and related businesses this spring/summer. These are similar to the clinic tables at the Farmer’s Market except they can happen on weekdays, weekends or evenings. It is a great opportunity to connect with the community, and an easy way for our MGs and trainees to gain experience and hours. If you are interested in this position, please contact either Bob Smythe at smytherobert1@gmail.com or Nancy Tovar at njtovar@gmail.com
- Mentors needed! We have a full class of people about to start training to become Master Gardeners. Mentors are key to helping these folks become effective problem solvers, as well as part of the Master Gardener community. At this time, mentors and trainees are unable to work together at the help desk in the Extension office but can do so in the conference room. They can also meet virtually from anywhere. Training for mentors is being updated to make these meetings easier, using new resources as well as refinements of the virtual help desk. There is a place for continuing Master Gardeners to serve at all levels, from working at the traditional desk to those totally online, so please volunteer to mentor the next generation and keep Master Gardeners thriving. Contact Alan Taylor, Mentor Committee chair, at tayloala@peak.org or 541-929-4141.
- 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. Desk is open for solo volunteers, or grab our ipad and mini microscopes and work in the conference room with a friend. Sign up HERE. If you’re a trainee, please wait to connect with a mentor, before enrolling.
- Find ongoing and anytime opportunities on the Benton Volunteer Opportunities Page.
- Continuing education opportunities:
- Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022:
- April 12: Plant Grow Harvest Repeat: Succession Planting
- May 10: Growing Great Roses!
- June 14: Irrigation Choices and Design for the Home Garden and Landscape
- Find more HERE.
- Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022:
- OSU Extension MGV Program news
- March is Women’s History Month: A message from Celina Ratliff, Clackamas County Master Gardener. Recognizing National Women’s History Month during the month of March, I invite you to explore these articles and videos highlighting gardening and landscaping accomplishments by women. Read the blog.
- 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.)
- Evening Garden Club accepts applications for 2022 Grants Program: Corvallis Evening Garden Club is accepting applications until March 30, 2022.The Evening Garden Club supports the expansion of gardening, education and beautification in the Corvallis community through its Grants Program. The EGC offers grants to Benton County nonprofit organizations to carry out worthy gardening related projects. To learn more about the program and to apply please visit our website: https://corvalliseveninggardenclub.org/grants/