President’s Message
💐It was great to see so many familiar faces, as well as the enthusiastic trainees at the Membership Meeting last week. I was able to pick up my copy of the BCMGA Directory at the meeting. Any member who hasn’t picked up their Directory yet, will receive it in the mail along with their OMGA Membership Card. Don’t forget to use your card for discounts at local nurseries.
As the temperatures rise and the days grow longer, it's evident that our Master Gardeners are busy bees, diving into our many projects with gusto. Please look at the many volunteer and educational options below and get involved. There are several new opportunities from Getting Outdoors Day, CGET and Farmers Market.
On another note, we're on the lookout for volunteers who are eager to step up into leadership roles for Gearing Up for Gardening. This is one of our premier public education events that happens at the library every winter. While we have a dedicated committee of helpers in place, we're still in need of a leader to guide the way and ensure the event's ongoing success.
Thank you for your continued dedication and enthusiasm as we navigate the joys and challenges of volunteering. Your contributions are what make our Master Gardener family truly exceptional.
BCMGA Membership Meeting - Monday, April 15, 2024
💐Co-Vice Presidents Lynn Trimpe and Michelle Brown welcome all BCMGA members to the next membership meeting for socialization and Continuing Education credits. Coffee and tea are provided and feel free to bring a treat. Raffle prizes for in-person attendees.
Location: Extension Building, Sunset Room
Use East side entrance (other doors locked at night)
Format: Hybrid meeting (in-person and via Zoom)
Doors open at 6:30 p.m Program starts at 7:00 p.m.
April Program, April 15, 2024 Topic: Strawberries 101 for Home Gardeners with Erica Chernoh, who works out of Lane County Extension and is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the OSU Horticulture Department. Growing strawberries in the home garden can be a fruitful endeavor but comes with a few challenges. This presentation will focus on site conditions, cultivar selection, and planting, growing and harvesting strawberries. Whether grown in the ground or a container, strawberries are an excellent choice for home gardeners.
**If you have ideas about speakers/topics for future membership meetings, please contact Lynn Trimpe trimpelynn@gmail.com or Michelle Brown michellegbrown88@gmail.com with your suggestions. Our prior presentations have been posted on our YouTube channel.
2024 Linn and Benton County Master Gardener Training Program - Continuing Education
💐 The Trainee Class of 2024 are nearing the completion of their classroom training. Current Master Gardeners are invited to attend the fourth and final training lecture, which has been approved by OSU for 1.5 hours of Continuing Education.
Location: Central Electrical Training Center Auditorium
33309 OR-99E
Tangent, OR 97389
Format: 5:30-7:00 PM, In-Person only at this time. Trainees will have additional
activities to complete at the end of the lecture
Dates: Thursday, April 4, 2024 Water with Darren Morgan
BCMGA News
💐 Gearing Up for Gardening is looking for a new committee chair for 2025. GUFG is a beloved community education event held at the library every winter with weekly garden lectures in January and February. Janet Magedanz has been an amazing chair for the last ten years and is ready to pass the baton. There is great support in this role and a good way to build contacts in the community. If you have any interest please email Janet Magedanz.
💐 The April Board of Directors Meeting is on April 8, 2024 at 9AM on Zoom. It is open to all members who are interested in attending. Here is the link. If you have questions reach out to brenda.bye@gmail.com
Volunteer Opportunities
💐 Plant Clinic Table at Corvallis Farmers Market - We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us in giving gardening advice and solving plant problems at the Farmers Market. This is an ideal job for trainees who need weekend volunteer hours. Shifts are available on the 4th Saturday of the month from April to October. Please see Signup Genius for openings.
💐 Get Outdoors Day - The One Day Youth Events Committee is looking for volunteers for a fun day at Peavy Arboretum on June 1, 2024 from 9:30 to 3:30. Volunteers need to have completed the required OSU Background Check to work with minors. Please email Kathi Tucker for more information.
💐 Veggie & Herb Propagation Workshops at the Philomath High School Greenhouse This continues to be a popular volunteer activity. There are still one or two spots open and new days are added if there is extra work to be done. Please sign up and join us. Mentors are welcome to bring your trainee!
💐 Community Gardening Education Team (CGET) - For a good time while promoting gardening skills, volunteer with CGET! We've finalized our 2024 CGET events and put our volunteer needs in Sign Up Genius. Events are also listed on the BentonMG.org website. Please note that we have slots for Trainees to observe and participate in our events. You can review the events and sign up for them here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/cget2024events. If slots are filled and you are interested or if you have questions about CGET or any of our events, please email CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.
💐 BCMGA Annual Plant Sale still has open volunteer spots, especially for set-up day. We also need volunteers to wrangle boxes, bring wagons, and lend us some tables. Check out the Signup Genius for openings or contact Leslie Hauser, Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator with questions.
SET UP Friday, May 3 - 8:00a-12:00p and 12:00p - 4:00p
SALE Saturday, May 4 - 8:30a-12:00p and 12:00p-3:30p
💐 Public Seed Library is a collaborative project of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library with educational support from BCMGA.
Public Seed Library Seed Rack Stocking volunteers needed on Wednesday April 17 from 3 - 5 PM to stock warm season crops. Please sign up here!
Public Seed Library Pop-up "Warm Season Vegetable Plant Clinic" certified MG volunteers needed on Thursday April 18 from 9 - 12:30 PM. Please sign up here!
💐 Master Gardener Desk (Office Plant Clinic): The Plant Clinic will soon be open to trainees. Watch for future Signup Genius invitations. Certified MGs who want to get refresher training on working at the desk contact Alan Taylor to arrange for a trainer. We can always use more desk trainers!
Continuing Education Opportunities
💐 Public Seed Library Lecture Series - Has been approved for Continuing Education by OSU Extension.
Thursday April 4 from 1:00 to 2:30PM at the Corvallis-Benton Public Library
Practical Composting for Home Gardens with Frederick Livingstone. Learn how to work with the space & materials available to you to build and maintain a garden composting system to maximize your garden's productivity.
💐 Growing Oregon Gardens: Level Up Series 2024 Get one hour of CE credit for attending free gardening webinars from OSU. Check out the website for more details. Recordings of past talks are also available for credit.
💐 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.
Extension News
💐 Master Gardener Continuing Education notification from Otillia Schreuder
There will be live continuing education offered this spring in collaboration with OSU Extension, ODA, and Linn County Soil and Water Conservation District. This event will provide information about invasive species, noxious weeds and other relevant topics.
Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm, still being finalized
Format: In Person
Location: Central Electrical Training Center Auditorium
33309 OR-99E
Tangent, OR 97389
💐 Need help finding information from Extension? Here are some important links to access information.
Solve Pest Problems: A new tool from OSU Extension to help manage pests around your home and garden with reduced risk to people, pets, and the environment. New entries are being added regularly.
Have a gardening question? Get help at:
Interested in gardening classes and events?
Current volunteers:
Need information about training, volunteering, or logging hours? First check the Volunteer Sourcebook and website https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/activebentonlinnmg/
Need a sign-up, promotions, or printing for an upcoming event?
First, use the Event Checklist to collect all needed information
Extension News - These events are not currently approved for Continuing Education
National Pesticide Information Center Open House: Join the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) for their open house from noon to 4 p.m., April 17, at 314 Weniger Hall. Learn about the national hotline dedicated to providing science-based pesticide information located right here at OSU. Free, open to the OSU community, snacks and refreshments provided. RSVP: https://beav.es/cGA. Questions/accommodations: Kei Lin Chang, 541-737-2143, npic@oregonstate.edu.