Please bookmark the Volunteer Resource Page. It has newsletter archives, an updated volunteer sourcebook, continuing education opportunities, and volunteering opportunities. It is your one-stop source for program essentials!
Have an item for eNews? Please contact staff by the second or last Wednesday of each month. Please use this event checklist to ensure all needed information is included in your request.
A call to action for gardeners: Dirt! The Movie screening! As part of OSU’s 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration 2023, the OSU Extension Master Gardener program is proud to host an online movie screening of Dirt! The Movie.
We’ll be screening the movie online with an opportunity to chat with other attendees throughout the movie. No registration required. Free. Report this experience for continuing education – when you log your time, include your reflections on the three questions found HERE.
Shout outs
From Gail Langelotto, Statewide Program Coordinator: “July 2023 will mark my 16-year anniversary at Oregon State University (OSU). I’ve loved my time working in the Master Gardener Program. But, it is time to move on to new opportunities. I will be staying at OSU, where I will be transitioning to a research/teaching position on July 1st. The change will give me time to focus on my research with the OSU Garden Ecology Lab, and to pursue some novel opportunities in supporting native plant producers, hydroponics, insect husbandry, urban agriculture, and environmental microbiomes . . . all of which are super interesting, but not directly germane to the work of the Master Gardener program… As I look back on my time in the Master Gardener Program, I am both proud of the work that I have done, and excited for what is yet to come.” Read the post.
Saturday! – Seed Swap at the Albany Library Jan 14, 2023. Help people select seeds and answer garden questions at this fun event. Assist with set up and clean up. Learn more and sign up.
Saturday training session!Plant Problem Scenarios 2023-Calling all returning Master Gardeners! Join the fun! Meet and get to know the 2023 Master Gardeners Trainees and help prepare them for the help desk and clinic tables. Working on recertification? Collaborate with a certified peer volunteer and earn the direct service hours you need. Are you a recent graduate? Participating as a facilitator in Plant Problem Scenarios will be an excellent way to get acquainted with experienced facilitators. And our introduction/refresher sessions for facilitating the scenarios will not only sharpen up your skills but also be a fantastic time for new and experienced MGs to socialize. Learn more and sign up HERE.
Coffee chats are back for 2023! If you are a board member, committee chair, or engaged volunteer, this is a chance to visit informally with program staff (Elza). Learn more and sign up HERE.
LCMGA News
Save the date – 9th Annual BEEvent. 9th Annual BEEvent Pollinator Conference- March 4, 2023, Linn Expo Center, Albany, Oregon. “Adapting Your Garden to the Coming Changes”. This in-person conference is back after a 2 year on-line only presence. Focus on Home Gardens and Small Farms. 9:00am – 3:30pm Registration will open in February: www.LinnMasterGardeners.com
Volunteer opportunities
New – BEEvent! March 4, 2023. The committee is still looking for some additional helpers. Learn more and RSVP.
New – Learn About the Oregon Season Tracker Program! Are you interested in how the seasons change throughout Oregon? The OSU Extension Oregon Season Tracker program engages volunteer observers across the state who report their local precipitation patterns and plant phenology by monitoring rain gauges and observing native plants in their backyards, farms, woodlands, and schools. Join us to learn more about the Oregon Season Tracker community science program – including how the data contributions help climate science researchers in Oregon and beyond and how you can volunteer! Webinars will be hosted on January 24, 2-3 pm, and January 26, 6-7 pm. Learn more and register at: https://beav.es/5BV. A recording will be sent out to those who register but are unable to attend, for any questions please contact Sarah at sarah.cameron@oregonstate.edu. Report service as Citizen Science: indirect.
GARDEN EDUCATION CLASSES Help develop gardening classes at the Demo Garden for 2023. We have two beds set aside at the Demo Garden and two beds at Willamette Community Garden to use to teach gardening classes. Classes will start in early 2023 and will be similar to Seed to Supper but with a hands-on approach. Want to help design the classes email me, Betty at goergenb@gmail.com. Perfect way to earn Direct Education hours.
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”.
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.)
Soil Amendment Sale: Order soil amendments and feed the microbes, fungi, and other members of the soil micro-herd, who will in turn help feed your plants and give you a bountiful harvest! We also offer a wide selection of propagation supplies, organic pest controls, cover crop seeds, and poultry/livestock supplies. Order with us to get bulk pricing and save on freight charges. We’ll group your order with those of other local farmers and gardeners so we all share in the savings. Proceeds help support Ten Rivers Food Web.
Order online: Through January 31st.
Pick up your items: March 4th at the Benton County Fairgrounds
Share an item for eNews by contacting your program staff by the second or last Wednesday of each month. Please use this event checklist to ensure all needed information is included in your request.
Via Elizabeth Records: “I have a new nickname – Elza. I am still fine with Elizabeth, too, but wanted to share a more informal option. I have never had a nickname that I like, but now I do!”
12/16 Plant propagation @10am-12pm – Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate Street. We will seed perennials inside the greenhouse and also repot nursery plant donations outdoors. We’ll have canopies up to provide as much cover as possible but you may want to wear warm clothes and rain gear just in case.
The Extension office will be closed 12/24/2022 – 1/2/2023.
You are invited to meet 2023 applicants and share your experiences with being a Master Gardener! Please RSVP to Elza for one of these hourlong events:
Wed 1/4/2023 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Corvallis
Fri 1/6/2023 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Corvallis
Sat 1/7/2023 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM ZOOM
Seeking project leaders – MLK Day of Service at Lupe’s Garden in Philomath. Collaborate with garden volunteers to construct a 3-bin compost system similar to this one and/or apply wood chips to paths. This type of service project is typically outside the MG wheelhouse but for MLK day we have the go-ahead to support a community organization with a hands-on task. Interested? Please contact Elza.
Help kids learn cultural connection and conservation at dual immersion schools in Corvallis! The Willamette-Laja Twinning Partnership needs Master Gardener expertise for planning bird/pollinator and food gardens, and leading school volunteers and students in successfully installing the gardens. To learn more please contact Elza.
Extension News
Did you watch one or several of the webinars that were part of the Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series in 2021 or 2022? If so, we would love to learn from you to get a better understanding of how you have used the information from the webinars. Please complete this short survey, which should take no more than 5-10 minutes, and please submit your survey response by Monday, December 19th.Follow this link to the Survey: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_40X575BBx513j3o Your responses will help us plan programs that fit the needs of gardeners across Oregon. Thank you!
Coffee chats are back for 2023! If you are a board member, committee chair, or engaged volunteer, this is a chance to visit informally with program staff (Elza). Learn more and sign up HERE.
BCMGA News
Membership Meeting: The first membership meeting of the new year will be held on Monday, January 30 in the Sunset Room of the Sunset Building. It will also be available via Zoom. Please enter by the east side door rather than the front entrance if you attend in person. The speaker will be Stephanie Hazen who will discuss Monarch Butterflies and plants that support them beyond Milkweed. Doors open at 6:30, the program begins at 7:00.
OMGA would like to invite you to join in to help with the planning of our Joy of Gardening Conference 2023. Our first meeting is set for Friday, December 16 at 3 PM. Check the email newsletter for a link to join.
Via Jana Tindall: “reminder to pay your membership dues as soon as possible. Dues are $15 (plus a small fee if you use a credit card).
Volunteer opportunities
New BCMGA Plant Sale opportunities
Friday, December 30 – 10am-12pm – Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate Street, We will be seeding more perennials inside the greenhouse where it will be warm and toasty!
Plant Problem Scenarios 2023-Calling all certified Master Gardeners! Join the fun! Meet and get to know the 2023 Master Gardeners Trainees and help prepare them for the help desk and clinic tables. Are you a recent graduate? Participating as a facilitator in Plant Problem Scenarios will be an excellent way to get acquainted with experienced facilitators. And our introduction/refresher sessions for facilitating the scenarios will not only sharpen up your skills but also be a fantastic time for new and experienced MGs to socialize.
We will be holding the group leader training sessions on Wed Jan 11, 2023, at the Benton County Extension office conference room (1:30 pm – 3:30 pm). Sign-ups coming soon!
For the 2023 trainees, we will be conducting four scenario sessions in February (Feb 2, 9, 16, 23) from (10:30 to 11:45 ) in the Benton County Extension Sunset room. Each session will end with a presentation by 2-3 committee chairs and a brown bag meet and greet. The facilitators will work in teams of 2. Don’t worry if you are new to PPS, we will pair you up with someone who is experienced. Note: You do not have to attend all four sessions! (Although we would love it if you did!)
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”.
Growing Oregon Gardeners – Level Up 2022: watch moviesHERE.
Insights into Gardening– save the date – February 11, 2023! Online registration will begin on January 2, 2023.
Save the date – 9th Annual BEEvent Pollinator Conference- March 4, 2023, Linn Expo Center, Albany, Oregon. “Adapting Your Garden to the Coming Changes”. This in-person conference is back after a 2 year on-line only presence. Focus on Home Gardens and Small Farms. 9:00am – 3:30pm Registration will open in February: www.LinnMasterGardeners.com
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.)
The Public Seed Library is a new collaborative project of the Benton County Master Gardeners and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, with the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library serving as the host partner. The free, volunteer-run Public Seed Library is expected to open at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library downtown by March ’23. Learn more and donate seeds.
Have your friends or family always wanted to volunteer as community gardening educators? Invite them to apply to become Master Gardeners! The 2023 training combines online coursework with in-person plant problem scenarios and garden labs – led by returning volunteers. Learn more and apply HERE by 12/31/2022.
Shout outs
11/19 Master Gardener Celebration and Graduation. 2-4pm in Tangent. Small bites & treats potluck+ awards. To RSVP CLICK HERE.
Got photos of fun MG events this year? To get them included in the slideshow, send them to Betty Goergen: goergenb (at) gmail.com
Thank you everyone for reporting service hours and re-enrolling!
104 Benton MGs and trainees completed 9,150 service hours and 862 continuing education hours during the past year! They made 4,311 contacts. Congratulations!
If you want to participate in 2023 but still haven’t RSVP’d, please complete the DocuSign in your email. If you need paper forms or have questions please call Elizabeth: 541.730.3471
Please bookmark the Volunteer Resource Page. It has newsletter archives, an updated volunteer sourcebook, continuing education opportunities, and volunteering opportunities. It is your one-stop source for program essentials!
Have an item for eNews? Please contact staff by the second or last Wednesday of each month. Please use this event checklist to ensure all needed information is included in your request.
OSU Extension Master Gardener Program News: How’s the diversity, equity, and inclusion work going? Introducing the Growing & Belonging Committee. This is an update in our ongoing series of the work being done in the OSU Master Gardener program of growing who we are and serve and creating a community where everyone belongs. Formerly known as the OSU Extension Master Gardener Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce, the group has a new name.
Extension partner spotlight: FoodHero.org is your go-to site for advice on growing your own garden and more. Check out Food Hero gardening resources for English and Spanish gardening handouts and more!
Via Jana Tindall: “reminder to pay your membership dues as soon as possible. Paula Lupcho will be attending the Graduation/Celebration on November 19 so you can pay in person there. Paula will accept cash, check or credit card. Dues are $15 (plus a small fee if you use a credit card).
The next board meeting will be Monday, November 14, 3:00-5:00. Please see an email from Jana Tindall for link to join via Zoom. (No in-person meeting.)
Like construction? Being an MG is not just about plants. We need you on the BCMGA Greenhouse Facility Committee. We need your skills for constructing shelters for new plants, building irrigation systems, maintaining the greenhouse, and other tasks. Some are occasional jobs that need a crew, and some can be solo projects. If this other way to contribute (and clock MG hours) appeals to you, join up. The new committee has a leader, Jeff Stephens. Please let him know he can call on you to join in on group projects or take on a solo one. Email: jeffks023@gmail.com or phone (360) 624-4981.
Insights into Gardening is returning next year! After a 2-year hiatus we will be back with more great educational and entertaining presentations. Once again we will be at LaSells Stewart Center with classes beginning at 9 AM. So, save the date – February 11, 2023!Online registration will begin January 2, 2023.
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”.
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.)
NEW farm to school booster grants DUE November 8, 2022. Up to $2,000 for school garden projects (and maybe community garden projects)! Short application! Learn more and apply.
