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Biweekly Update for March 24, 2026

Editor’s Message

Many of you have received your Benton County Master Gardener directory in the mail. A big thanks goes out to our Membership Secretary, Michelle Brown, for all of her hard work in getting this published. In the envelope with your directory is your OMGA membership card, which also offers discounts at many of our favorite local nurseries. 


The recent e-news letter published by OSU Extension included a reminder about the annual volunteer paperwork that is completed using the Volunteer Hub. This is a critical part of volunteering on behalf of OSU. If you are having trouble completing this please reach out to Laurie Gibson laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu or 541-248-1088


Brenda Bye, Newsletter Editor

BCMGA Association News


🌱 Thank you and Bon Voyage to Paula Lupcho! Paula and her husband, Bob are moving to Reno, NV. While we will miss her, Paula’s grandkids will be lucky to have her nearby. 


Paula became a Master Gardener in 2007 and her volunteerism has touched all aspects of the BCMGA community. She has lectured on roses, tabled on firewise landscaping, wrangled cashiers, balanced budgets and led board meetings. Paula was awarded lifetime membership in BCMGA in 2010 and the Benton County Master Gardener of the year in 2011. 


Paula’s voice and experience has been critical in the leadership of our organization. We are grateful for her wisdom and wish her well in all of her coming adventures!


🌱 April BCMGA Board Meeting - Meetings are held monthly and are open to membership. 

Monday, April 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM 

Location: Benton Community Foundation 

340 NW 5th St., Corvallis, OR

Enter through the South door. Which will lock after the meeting begins. 

Format: Hybrid meeting, both in person and on Zoom. If you would like a Zoom link please reach out to pres.bcmga.board@gmail.com


🌱BCMGA Membership Meeting will be April 20th. More details to come in the next newsletter and via email from Vice Presidents Laura Horsey and Christine Welsch. 


🌱Mark Your Calendar for the 2026 Plant Sale - This year’s plant sale will be all hands on deck! Master Gardeners, Associates, and trainees are all essential in making this day a success. 

Setup Day Friday, May 1, 2026

Sale Day Saturday, May 2, 2026


We still have many volunteer spots available. This is the one time each year we ask all BCMGA members to come together to help bring thousands of plants into our community. This event is how many people first get to know us!


Click HERE to view and sign up for a variety of shifts across two days. If you have questions, need help choosing a role, or would like more details about specific tasks, please reach out to Leslie Hauser.


🌱 Deadline Approaching for Special Allocations 2026—Special Allocations are monies awarded by the BCMGA board for specific one-time committee projects, not on-going operational costs, and should be in accordance with the purposes established in the Articles of Association. A special Ad hoc Committee chaired by Jana Tindall will review the applications and make recommendations to the board at the April meeting. 


Applications must be submitted by March 31, 2026 to Jana's email. Please review the Policy and Procedures in 2.8 and submit applications using the form in Appendix B. BCMGA committees receiving funding may spend the funds in the current year or funds may be carried over to the following year in order to complete the project. A final report to the board is due upon project completion. 


🌱Outreach Committee Seeks New Members - The Outreach Committee's focus is on informing the public about various events sponsored by the BCMGA. We use a variety of methods to get the word out. The upcoming Plant Sale will be the next event to promote. If you have an interest or background in marketing or just want to help out, we'd love to have you join us. We don't meet frequently, but we'll be having a meeting soon.  If you're interested, contact Jana Tindall, committee chair.


🌱Plant Desk is Missing Books from the Library: Thanks to Judy Engelking and Louise Theberge for doing an inventory of our Master Gardener help desk. Unfortunately they found that we are missing several books and other reference material. Our library is NOT for loans. We rely on our collection to help give our clients the answers they need. So if you might have borrowed something, PLEASE return it! Just leave it on the desk, and we’ll put it back on the correct shelf.


🌱Hats are On the Way - Many of you have expressed your preference on logo style and color, so I’ve been able to place an order for BCMGA hats with a local vendor. Alan Taylor is leading the charge on this project and he let you know how to get yours when they’re available.

Continuing Education

These are approved by OSU Extension for CE Credit. 

🌱Tree Identification Workshop - OSU Extension has arranged a series of workshops on identifying trees local to the area, led by Dan Blanchard, OSU Department of Horticulture Instructor and Campus Arboretum Curator of Living Plant Collections. Feel free to sign up for a deciduous workshop, an evergreen workshop or both!  Please make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather, as this will be an outdoor workshop series. Please also bring a pen or pencil, and notebook. Contact Kiana Ringuette (kiana.ringuette@oregonstate.edu) if you have any questions.


Linn-Benton Community College:

  • Sat, April 4th, 10 am-12:00 pm (Deciduous)

  • Weds, April 22nd, 10 am-12:00 pm (Evergreen)

OSU Campus:

  • Mon, April 13th, 10 am-12:00 pm (Deciduous)

  • Sat, May 9th, 10 am-12:00 pm (Evergreen)

Volunteer Opportunities 

These activities are approved by OSU Extension for volunteer hours

🌱Certified Master Gardener Volunteers Needed for Plant Problem Scenario - Each year this critical learning opportunity helps our trainees prepare for the Help Desk, Farmers Market, and other clinic tables. For the 2026 training, the PPS sessions have moved to the county-specific cohort classes. The same topics will be discussed in both the Linn and Benton county classes. Certified Linn and Benton volunteers are welcome to volunteer at either class.


This is a great opportunity to earn direct service hours while meeting new trainees. Recent graduates—this is an excellent way to gain experience alongside seasoned facilitators! A practice session will be held to review all scenarios.


Linn County Cohort Classes:


Benton County Cohort Classes:

  • Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm 

  • Dates: 4/2, 4/9, 4/14, 5/5, 5/12, 10/13 

  • Location: The Benton County Extension Office Cohort class will be at the Benton County Extension Office (4077 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333). Please meet at the Benton Extension Office County Small Conference Room. 

  • https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A48AFAF2EA5FDC16-63008119-benton


🌱Join CGET (Community Garden Education Team) in 2026 -  CGET provides handson garden education in our community and is a great place to share your passion about growing edible plants. There are spots for both trainees and certified MGs. Check out the CGET Signup Genius page for all of the opportunities available.  


We need volunteers for our Seed to Supper in the Garden workshops in April. We will have a prep session this weekend so we'd like volunteers to sign up soon. If you have any questions reach out to Lauren at CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com


🌱Public Seed Library Volunteer Opportunities are now posted. In addition to the lectures mentioned above the seed library also hosts vegetable clinic table sessions and seed sharing events. They also need help keeping their inventory stocked. 



🌱2026 Plant Desk Sign Up Has Been Posted - Shifts at the Extension Office help desk are open, morning and afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The slower winter season makes an excellent time to read in our library, practice working with the microscope, or getting refresher training on aspects you’d like to know better. Please sign up when you can! 2026 Signup Genius

OMGA News 

🌱Silent Auction Items Needed - The Joy of Gardening Conference has a silent auction each year to support grants and scholarships. As the Oregon MGA representative, Cathine Whiting is collecting items from now until June 22nd. She can pick up items from members and deliver them to the conference. Items that did well at the 2024 and 2025 Joy of Gardening Conference include: unique handbags/purses; practical books and garden journals; garden art; garden supplies and books; handmade items such as quilts, towels, or planters; food items baskets; and adventure or themed baskets

Please contact Catherine at catherinewhiting@gmail.com or 206-384-7841

Extension News 

🌱2026 Seed Outreach - In 2026, the Linn-Benton Extension Master Gardener program will be renewing the seed outreach, which will distribute seed packets at community outreach throughout the year. The seeds will be distributed to approved Linn-Benton Master Gardener Extension projects for community distribution. For 2026, six types of seeds will be selected for each theme.


For 2026, the seed distribution themes are:


1) Fun and Easy to Grow: Overall goal is to give the average citizens of Linn and Benton County an opportunity to confidently gain proficiency and experience in growing plants in Oregon.


2) 50 Years of Garden Education in Oregon: Overall goal is to provide a line of seeds that celebrates 50 years (since 1976) of the Master Gardener program in Oregon and look forward into the future.


We look back at the 2025 seed outreach distribution and look forward to 2026 seed outreach; the Master Gardener program wants your feedback! Please complete this survey by April 6 to have your voice heard. Contribute your feedback here (https://beav.es/seeds) 


🌱Committee Fairs and Socials Announced - Committee Fairs are a chance for committee chairs to meet the trainees and share information about their projects. Chairs will lead the session; please communicate any plans and material needs to Kiana. 

  • Tues 4/21/26 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Benton County Sunset Room


Socials are an opportunity for trainees and MGs to connect! All are welcome to attend

  • Tues 6/2/2026 from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Benton County Sunset Room

Community Events and News 

These activities are not sponsored by BCMGA but are of possible interest to members

2026 Vancouver Pollinator Festival - Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This is a FREE event and no registration is required. At the Pollinator Festival you will discover the fascinating lives of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and learn how to create habitats that help them thrive. Learn more at the website: https://pollinatorfestival.org/

 
 
 

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© 2025 by the Benton County Master Gardener Association

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