Biweekly Update for October 14, 2025
- Brenda Bye
- Oct 14
- 7 min read
President’s Message
From Paula Lupcho
🍁 Yesterday, we had a very productive and interesting board meeting. There is lots going on behind the scenes as we prepare to end the Master Gardener year on October 31 and to end our association year on December 31. Just as we are putting our gardens to bed for the season, we are busy putting the association to bed for 2025.
Here are some of the highlights. The due date for hours reporting is fast approaching (Oct. 31). Be sure to log your hours into the VRS soon. If you experience any problems using the VRS system, contact Otillia Schreuder (otillia.schreuder@oregonstate.edu ).
We are also preparing for the annual awards and graduation celebration on November 15 from 10:00 to 11:30. It will be held at the Electrical Training Center in Tangent. Every 2 years, Benton County hosts this event. This is our host year. We have a small committee working on the program, but we could use some artistic help with decorations. Generally, the decorations have an autumnal look (dried leaves, small gourds, etc.). I hope a few of our artistic members will help with this. We could also use some help with the coffee and tea service. Let me know if you can assist with either of these.
You will also start to see notices from Membership Secretary Michelle Brown. October is the start of membership renewal. Michelle has set up an online payment option, but you can also pay with cash or check at the association membership meeting on Oct. 20. Doors open at 6:30. We would like to complete the process by Nov. 30.
Finally, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our committees for everything that they have done over the past year. This is where the work gets done and this is why Master Gardeners are respected members of our community.
BCMGA Membership News
🍁 BCMGA Membership Meetings Return - Vice President, Laura Horsey, welcomes all BCMGA members to the October Membership Meeting. This meeting will start with the Election of Officers for the BCMGA Board of Directors.
Monday, October 20, 2025 - The Slow Flowers Movement: Growing Local, Sustainable Cut Flowers with Lisa Schuller, owner of Tranquility Blooms in Lebanon and Member of the Slow Flowers Society
Location: Extension Building, Sunset Room (Use East side entrance)
Format: Hybrid meeting (in-person and online via Zoom).
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., program starts at 7:00 p.m.
🍁 Ballot for the BCMGA Board of Directors 2025-26
Nominees for Vacant BCMGA Board Position for 2026
President Elect John Bertani
Co-Vice President Christine Welsch
Member at Large Shelby Schuppe
Member at Large Lauren McQuade
OMGA Representative Catherine Whiting
2025 BCMGA Board Members Who are Continuing to Serve on the Board in 2026
President Jill Lodwig
Past President Paula Lupcho
Co-Vice President Laura Horsey
Co-Secretary Deborah Kern
Co-Secretary Cynthia Roler
Treasurer Janet Magadanz
Membership Secretary Michelle Brown
Alternate OMGA Rep Alan Taylor
Outreach Jana Tindall
Member at Large Lori Fulton
Newsletter Editor Brenda Bye
Webmaster Rich Taylor
🍁Time to Renew Your BCMGA Membership - BCMGA membership renewal for 2026 officially begins at the membership meeting on Monday, October 20, 2025. Our treasurer and membership secretary will be ready to accept dues payments at the meeting.
For trained Master Gardeners (certified and not certified) and Trainees extending their training into a second year, dues are $15. Dues can be paid with check, cash, or credit card. Make checks payable to BCMGA. If you use a credit card, there is a swipe fee of $0.76, making the total renewal amount $15.76. If you are unable to attend the October membership meeting, you can mail your cash or check to: BCMGA, 5060 SW Philomath Blvd., #197, Corvallis, OR 97333. If paying by credit card, use this link: https://square.link/u/vAZplhAF
As a courtesy to both our treasurer and membership secretary, we would like to have membership renewal completed by Thanksgiving so that we can enjoy the holiday season. Renewal must be completed by December 31, 2025.
🍁Seeking Social Butterflies and Party Planners - Put your social skills to good work helping VP Laura Horsey with the fun social events on the Master Gardener calendar. Currently seeking helpers for the Winter Greens Party on Tuesday, December 2nd. Email Laura here.
🍁 CGET Seeking a Second Co-Chair - The Community Garden Education Team (CGET) is one of BCMGA’s most public-facing committees and a cornerstone of our garden education mission. Master Gardeners work best when the load is shared and they are looking for a co-chair to join the amazing Lauren McQuade.
If you love vegetable gardening and want to make a meaningful impact in the community, this is a rewarding opportunity. To learn more, contact CGET.BentonMG@gmail.com.
🍁 Mark Your Calendars: Linn and Benton Counties Master Gardener Graduation - Plan to come and celebrate our Trainee Class of 2025 with a potluck brunch and awards ceremony. More details to come.
Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Location: Central Electric Training Center in Tangent, Oregon
Get Those Plant Desk Hours Done!
Plant Desk continues to get questions and plant samples during fall. The desk is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm. For trainees, these count toward your 20 hours of public outreach. For veteran MGs, these hours count toward your volunteer service hours for recertification. Go to 2025 Signup Genius.
Volunteer Opportunities
These activities are approved by OSU Extension for volunteer hours
🍁Friday Work Parties at PHS - The work for the BCMGA Plant Sale happens all year long. Join other Master Gardeners doing weeding and propagation at Philomath High School. Check out this Signup Genius link to sign up.
🍁Mountain View Elementary School Garden is Seeking Volunteers - We are looking for new members who like doing garden education with elementary age students. After approval by the University and the School District, volunteers work in both the garden and the classroom to bring the students experiences with all elements of the garden. Last year classes used grow lights, grew micro-greens, learned about seed, soil, water, and compost, and studied cover cropping, weeding, and groundskeeping. This fall the entire school ate watermelon planted by the 3rd grade and soon we will soon be baking with wheat planted by our 4th graders. Last year, we culminated in an all school salad day with their vegetables, and got a pollinator garden up and growing. It is about cycles and learning to eat good stuff! It is wild and fun. If you are interested in putting some of your time into this NW Corvallis based garden, contact Susan Hoffman, shoff@peak.org or Nancy Tovar, njtovar@gmail.com
🍁 Kathryn Jones Harrison Elementary School Garden is looking for Master Gardeners to help during Fall Garden Club! Volunteers will help children, ages 5-10, explore the school garden through a variety of activities. Fall Garden Club will run every Thursday from September 18 to October 23, 11:45am-1pm. Please contact Amanda at amanda.tucksen@corvallis.k12.or.us for more information.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Approved for CE by OSU Extension
🍁Benton County Master Gardeners YouTube Channel - If you still need more Continuing Education Credits consider catching up on past lectures from our Membership Meetings. They are available on our very own YouTube Channel at:
🍁Marion Co Master Gardener Association is having their Pollinator Connection Conference on October 19, 2025 in Salem. The admission is free but registration is required. See the event website for details on speakers and location.
🍁10 Minute University: An on demand, online webinar offered by Clackamas County Master Gardeners with a variety of gardening topics.
🍁Outdoor Learning School & Store: An on demand, online webinar that counts towards Growing and Belonging credit.
Extension News
🍁A message from Program Coordinator Otillia:
Thank you for the tremendous time and effort y’all have put into the Master Gardener program in 2025. The collective volunteering efforts of Benton County Master Gardeners have resulted in 3,731 contacts and 6,274 volunteer hours (updated October 9, 2025 from VRS)! While visiting the farmers market, fair, Seed to Supper classes, and other events around Benton County, I have been consistently blown away by the care and effort put into both the Master Gardener program and your local communities. It is a privilege to have each and everyone of you as a volunteer.
🍁Lost your badge, changed your name, or have a pacemaker?
The Linn and Benton County Extension Office will be ordering badges soon. If you have lost your badge or changed your name, please let Nicole Mason-Martin know (nicole.masonmartin@oregonstate.edu). The magnet badges are not supposed to be used with a pacemaker. If you have a pacemaker, please contact Nicole to get a new badge with a pin back.
🍁Recertification:
Thank you to all who recertified last year! If you were recertified in 2024, I have updated VRS and you should have received an envelope in the mail with your 2024 recertification sticker in the mail. Recertification with OSU Extension grants Master Gardeners the privilege to teach the public, mentor trainees, and serve as certified Master Gardeners at the plant clinic/help desk. Recertifying is an important part of participating within the Oregon State Extension Master Gardener. If you have not recertified in recent years, please consider recertifying for 2025.
🍁Recertification Requirements:
The Annual recertification requirements are:
20 hours of volunteering on approved Master Gardener projects.
10 hours of continuing education (1 hour of which should be focused on Growing and Belonging)
Steps to Recertify:
Complete Required OSU Paperwork
Volunteer!
Input your hours into VRS by October 31, 2025. (*Please note: Hours must be submitted into VRS to count towards certification). If you are unable to complete this, please attend VRS (https://vrs.osumg.org/sec_Login/ ) Office Hours or email Otillia Schreuder to ask a question or request a meeting at otillia.schreuder@oregonstate.edu. If you have questions about VRS, please reach out by October 28, 2025. Laurie Gibson and myself will be on vacation from October 30-31.
🍁Otillia is offering VRS Office Hours - Have any questions about anything related to the Master Gardener program? Come ask at office hours. You can also email Otillia Schreuder at otillia.schreuder@oregonstate.edu.
Linn County October Office Hours
Date: October 15, 2025
Time: 4:0 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Linn County Extension Small Conference room
33630 McFarland Rd, Tangent, OR 97389
Community News
🍁Linn County Demo Garden is Looking for Ways to Track Their Demo Garden
We are looking to make a 'journal' or digital journal to keep track of the various beds, trials, successes and failures in our Linn County Demonstration Garden. So many chapters have extensive, fabulous gardens so we figure you must have excellent ways of keeping track of what is going on in them. Could you please send me any suggestions and I'll give them to our Demo Garden committee. Respond to Ann Kinkley (a.kinkley2@gmail.com)
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