By Julia Bott
I’m sure that, if we looked, we’ll find that a lot was accomplished every year in the years past. However, looking back at 2024, it seems that a lot happened! These successes have set the stage for CCMGA to expand the many ways that we help our community with their sustainable gardening activities.
In September, we held a groundbreaking ceremony for our new demonstration greenhouse and learning garden, located at the Gold Beach Community Center. This represents the culmination of at least 10 years of vison, with a focused commitment to the project starting in 2022. CCMGA is unique as it usually does not rely on grants because our annual plant sale has funded our administrative and educational and school programs. We undertook an extensive grant seeking effort and have been awarded more than in $115,750 in grants. CCMGA usually doesn’t ask for donations — beyond their knowledge and time — from their members, but this project required a special ask and by the end of 2024, more than $25,000 was donated by members (not to mention the in-kind donations of time)!
Both Little Bear Patch Garden (Kalmiopsis Elementary School in Brookings) and Riley Creek School Garden (Gold Beach) are flourishing because of energized volunteers, and further up the coast, Port Orford’s Driftwood Elementary’s school garden is being cared for by Master Gardener volunteers. Master Gardener volunteer involvement (one as a teacher) at Pacific High School’s Horticulture Program is a highlight and exciting success of 2024.
The 2024 OSU Master Gardener Training Course was notable because of the number of north county members continuing as volunteers, including 2 – Martin and Laura Teague who will serve as co-chairs in 2025.
We welcomed a new OSU Education Assistant: Paul Maree. Our Brambles newsletter received a makeover. Both are helping to expand our educational reach.
A heart felt thank you to all of the CCMGA 2024 volunteers and officers, with a special thank you to the 2024 co-presidents, Debbie Carroll and Ginny Knox.
