President’s Message
🍇 October is a busy month in the BCMGA calendar. Plant Sale is in full forward motion with the last year of Dig & Divides. There is also activity going on at the Philomath High School greenhouse where all of the “best practices” propagation takes place. The next D&D is on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Contact Leslie Hauser if you would like to participate.
Insights into Gardening and Gearing up for Gardening are also in full swing as the programs for these two winter education events are finalized. Trainees are enthusiastically invited to explore these committees. If you would like to become involved contact Janet Magedanz (Gearing Up for Gardening) or Lynn Trimpe/Jana Tindall (Insights into Gardening) to learn about upcoming meetings.
Biweekly Nag: Please figure out your hours and enter them into the VRS system. https://mgvrs.extension.oregonstate.edu/ You can estimate the number of hours you will contribute in October so that you can get them recorded well before the end of the year (Oct. 31).
Awards & Graduation Celebration
🍇 Save the Date! Our awards and graduation will be on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Central Electrician Training Center in Tangent. We invite all continuing Master Gardeners and trainees to come for a pot-luck brunch before the awards and graduation. The training center is at 33309 OR-99E (just south of Hwy. 20-34). So, bring something “brunchy” and enjoy the company of your fellow MGs from Benton and Linn Counties. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Membership Renewal
🍇 BCMGA membership renewal begins at the annual membership meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. As a courtesy to both our treasurer and membership secretary, we like to have membership renewal completed by Thanksgiving so that these ladies can enjoy the holiday season.
Continuing members are trained Master Gardeners and trainees who are extending their graduation to a second year. Continuing members do not have to be certified. Dues are $15. Dues can be paid with check, cash, or credit card. Checks should be made payable to BCMGA. If using a credit card, there is a swipe fee charge. The charge for continuing Master Gardeners is $15.75. Here is the credit card link for continuing Master Gardeners only. https://square.link/u/v5DWCvAO
Associate member dues are $10 ($10.60 if paid by credit card). Membership Secretary Marge Alig will contact Associate members directly about membership renewal and will include a credit card link in that email.
Trainee News & Opportunities
🍇 BCMGA is looking forward to welcoming our new graduates of 2023. There are several events coming up this month if you are looking for a few more hours to complete or just want to burnish your halo. I hope to see you on November 18.
The Master Gardener year ends Oct. 31. Please log your hours in the Volunteer Reporting System (VRS) https://mgvrs.extension.oregonstate.edu/ . If you have questions about entering your hours, contact your mentor or Paula Lupcho at pres.bcmga.board@gmail.com .
BCMGA News
🍇 The Plant Sale Team is getting ready to kick off the final season of D&D! (Digging and Dividing plants). After this year, ALL plants will only come from propagation by seed and cuttings, purchases, or donations.
If you think you may have lots of extra plants to donate in October, the Plant Sale Team may be able to come out and dig them for you! We are looking for just a handful of gardens to help fill our D&D schedule. Our shoppers are always interested in the unusual, so we are especially looking for favorite specialty plants. Have several plants that you’d like to donate? Email Leslie Hauser, lesliehauser107@gmail.com, to get your garden on the final illustrious DIG LIST!
🍇 A Message from Lynn Trimpe, Vice President: The scheduled speaker for the October 16 membership meeting (Michael Ahr) has had to cancel. He has been rescheduled for the January meeting. Due to the MLK holiday, the January membership meeting has been moved to Monday, Jan. 29.
Lisa Borgerson has graciously agreed to be the speaker on Oct. 16. Lisa’s presentation will be on native plant propagation methods. Lisa is the lead for the Plant Sale native plant propagation team and is one of our best resourses for propagation and native plants.
Volunteer Opportunities
🍇 Plant Sale: Several plant sale events are happening in October. If you are not already on Leslie Hauser’s extensive electronic rolodex and would like information about these upcoming events, contact Leslie, lesliehauser107@gmail.com, to be added to her email list.
🍇 Insights into Gardening: The committee will be meeting Thursday, Oct. 12, in the Conference Room at the Extension Office. The meeting starts at 1:00.
🍇 Master Gardener Desk (Office Plant Clinic): The office is open and there are questions coming in from the public. Volunteers are encouraged to return to the desk, in particular certified MGs comfortable with the pH meter and the microscope are needed. Sign up for shifts to answer client questions or practice skills. You can either work at the desk or in the Extension conference room if you’d like more space.
Find more opportunities on the Benton Volunteer Opportunities Page.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Each program year current Master Gardener volunteers are asked to recertify by completing 10 hours of approved continuing education and 20 hours of volunteering. This ensures that your horticultural knowledge stays current. All the opportunities in this section count towards that goal. Try to get one hour of CE on a diversity, equity, or inclusion related topic. And please make sure to record these hours in VRS!
🍇 Cocoon Harvesting Classes put on by Linn County Master Gardener Association are now accepting registrations. Please see the flyer at the end of the Update for available times and dates. Classes will be offered throughout October. The last class is Oct. 28.
🍇 Winter Dreams-Summer Gardens: This virtual educational event is put on by Jackson County Master Gardener Association. Presentations will be presented on Friday, Oct. 27, Saturday, Oct. 28, Friday, Nov. 3, and Saturday, Nov. 4. Registration is $30. They are presenting an excellent schedule of classes. The schedule of presentations and registration is available at -https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=jackson+county+master+gardener+association&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
🍇 Webinars. Opportunities from across the state are listed on the OSU Master Gardener Program’s event page. Record each as one hour of continuing education.
🍇 New OSU Publication. Gardens are for Everyone. Read and write a summary paragraph of how you will apply this as a Master Gardener volunteer for one hour of continuing education.
🍇 New OSU Publication. Grow Your Own Peppers. Read and write a summary paragraph of how you will apply this as a Master Gardener volunteer for one hour of continuing education.
🍇 Anytime. Recordings of Zoom Master Gardener training from Curry County with guest lecturers from OSU and beyond, are available for any volunteer to take as continuing education. Trainees are also welcome to watch and supplement their classes. More links are being added weekly, see the current list log on to the attached website.
Community Events
🍇 Mary’s River Watershed Council’s October Pub Talk: Sunday, Oct. 19, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Common Fields (545 SW 3rd St, Corvallis, OR 97333). The topic is Dry Farming: What is it and how does it affect our watershed? with Amy Garrett (Dry Farming Iinstitute) and Nate Johnson (Sunbow Produce).
Extension News
Need help finding information from Extension? Here are some important links to access information.
Have a gardening question? Get help at:.
Interested in gardening classes and events?
Want to join Master Gardeners? Contact Benton County Extension Office, 541-713-5000
Want to partner with Master Gardeners? Please contact Brooke Edmunds to get connected: brooke.edmunds@oregonstate.edu
Current volunteers:
Need information about training, volunteering, or logging hours? First check the Volunteer Sourcebook and website.
Need a sign-up, promotions, or printing for an upcoming event?
First, use the Event Checklist to collect all needed information
In Benton County send to Nicole Mason Martin: nicole.mason@oregonstate.edu
In Linn County send to Laurie Gibson: laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu
Need to update your contact information? Need a badge?
Contact Laurie Gibson: laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu
All other questions:
Please contact Brooke Edmunds: brooke.edmunds@oregonstate.edu
From Linn County Master Gardeners, in association with OSU Extension Service
October is Cocoon Harvesting Time!
Linn Master Gardener Association is offering ten cocoon harvesting classes that include Marion, Linn, Lane and Benton County.
Classes are free, but registration is required!
No-shows were a big issue last year. If you have a conflict after registering for a class, please contact the Linn Extension Office at 541-248-1088. This allows a space to re-open for someone else.
Bring your blocks or tubes with liners, or we will provide tubes to harvest cocoons if you don't have any. This is a great chance to learn more about mason bees. Get the latest best practice recommendations, learn about a very worrisome new pest, and much more.
If you are new to mason bees or want the latest
information, we are ready to help!
Register Here
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