🌸 President’s Message
Congratulation to the new Public Seed Library! The driving force behind this effort is Master Gardener Jill Farrow. It is a community collaboration with OSU Extension, Corvallis Public Library, and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. Several Benton Master Gardeners have participated as speakers and as volunteers at the Saturday plant clinics. Our BCMGA volunteers have reported back that it has been a great experience and very worthwhile for the community. Thank you to all MGs who have helped to make this a huge success. The seeds are virtually gone, however, individuals can still make donations of new or partially used seek packets, especially for those crops whose seeds do not save well.
Master Gardener training is moving forward. Many trainees have completed the course-work phase, and we are now welcoming them into the Extension Office to train on the desk (aka Plant Clinic in the Office). Mentors have signed up for shifts, and trainees began this phase last week. This is the core of MG work. I hope that the Class of 2023 will find it as enjoyable and satisfying as I do.
If you haven’t yet done so, there is still time to contact your legislators regarding SB 458 in support of fully funding OSU’s “Statewides”. The next budget hearing is April 21. Information about how to contact them can be found below in BCMGA News.
Trainee News & Opportunities
🌸 New! PLANT CLINIC at Farmers Market (Corvallis): Trainees can sign up for these plant clinics and work with the certified Master Gardener working that day. Time of clinic table is 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Available dates are:
· Sat., April 29
· May 6 at Plant Sale (contact Leslie Hauser for shifts (lesliehauser107@gmail.com)
· Sat., May 27
· Sat., Jun 24
· Wed., Jun 28
· Wed., Aug. 23
· Sat., Aug 26
· Sat., Sep.,23
· Wed., Sep 27
· Sat., Oct. 28
🌸 Calling all Volunteers!! 🌿 Sign up to help at BCMGA’s Plant Sale, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Click HERE to choose your job and shift times. Volunteers needed for BOTH DAYS and ALL SHIFTS: Friday, May 5 - SET UP, and Saturday, May 6 - SALE DAY!! Contact Leslie Hauser, Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator, with questions or if you need help signing up. lesliehauser107@gmail.com, 702-340-6513.
🌸 Plant Propagation is continuing! Please help the Plant Sale Team by volunteering at one or more of our upcoming dates where we will be potting up perennial starts plus grooming, labeling, and preparing thousands of plants for our upcoming sale. Go to www.signupgenius.com/go/PSTeam to sign up.
🌸 BCMGA Veggie enthusiasts!
We are ready to start planting veggies at the Philomath High School Greenhouse for the Plant Sale (Saturday, May 6). Sessions are planned (mostly) on Tuesdays (one Thursday) 1:00 - 3:00 pm.
Please sign up for ONE session. This is a pretty popular activity, so we want to share the time.
We'll send out another reminder if needed to fill slots. Questions? Contact Jennifer Klammer, 541-602-0431
Special Announcement
🌸 NEW! Plant Sale Yard Signs! We'd like to get a lot of yard signs around town for the Plant Sale. If you still have one from the last Plant Sale (check your garage/storage area), please put it out or return it to the Extension Office. Either way, let Bob Smythe know so he can add it to his inventory. We're also looking for new locations for yard signs - if you're willing to host one and live in a high traffic area, please contact Bob Smythe (smytherobert1@gmail.com). We promise to store them until next year so you don't have to.
BCMGA News
🌸 Membership Meeting: Monday, April 17. The speaker is Darren Morgan and the topic will be Daphne. Daphne is a well-known genus of landscape shrubs, but most gardeners are only familiar with one or two types. Become more familiar with these interesting evergreen and deciduous shrubs - the traditional, the unusual, and the new Daphne for your home landscape.
This is a hybrid meeting. For the in-person meeting, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7:00. Use the East door of the Sunset Bldg. to enter. The Zoom link is:
🌸 Wanted!! Trays for BCMGA Greenhouse Growing
· The trays should be rectangular (not the square ones)
· Drop off sites: Benton County Demo Garden—by yellow shed, 110 SW 53rd St., Corvallis
Giving Garden—by blue dumpster in NW corner of parking lot, 2560 NW Highland Dr., Corvallis
Philomath High School—produce stand on west side of parking lot
2054 Applegate St., Philomath
· For a pick up: Contact Jennifer.Klammer@comcast.net, 541-602-0431
🌸 MGs Advocate for Funding:
WHAT?
· Ask your Oregon State Senator & State Representative to support OSU Statewide Public Service Programs at $206M.
· MG Program funding is part of this package.
WHY?
· Dollars in the state budget to OSU provide for horticulture faculty and staff, support for MG activities such as Farmers Markets, and MG training.
· Last year 5 counties did not have faculty/staff. In addition, today the single faculty position for Metro’s three counties is vacant.
WHEN?
· Now! — While the legislature is writing the 2023-2025 budget.
HOW? — 3 easy steps
#1 Find your state legislator here:
#2 Write the email
· Identify who you are
· Tell them what you want them to do
· 1-2 sentences about how MGs make an impact/ your love for gardening and educating the public. Share stories about how your service makes your community a better place!
· Restate your request and thank them.
#3. Click <Send>
#4. Notify our OMGA Advocacy Ambassador: Copy Judith with you message. judithkenner@gmail.com
For more information and sample letters, go to https://omga.org/advocacy/
Corvallis
House Speaker Dan Rayfield, House District 16
Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, Senate District 8
sen.saragelser@oregonlegislature.gov
Philomath
Representative David Gomberg, House District 10
rep.davidgomberg@oregonlegislature.gov
Senator Dick Anderson, Senate District 5
sen.dickanderson@oregonlegislature.gov
Albany
Representative Shelly Boshart Davis, House District 15
rep.shellyboshartdavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, Senate District 8
sen.saragelser@oregonlegislature.gov
Volunteer Opportunities
🌸 New! PLANT CLINIC at Farmers Market (Corvallis): Certified Master Gardeners are needed to work during the shifts listed below. Time of clinic table is 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Contact Debbie Lauer directly at Dsl2017-2@outlook.com . Please note that this a new email address.
Available dates are:
· Sat., April 29
· May 6 at Plant Sale (contact Leslie Hauser for shifts (lesliehauser107@gmail.com)
· Sat., May 27
· Sat., Jun 24
· Wed., Jun 28
· Wed., Aug. 23
· Sat., Aug 26
· Sat., Sep.,23
· Wed., Sep 27
· Sat., Oct. 28
Mentors, if you would like to work at the plant clinic with your trainee, contact Debbie so that she can accommodate you.
🌸 Calling all Volunteers!! 🌿 Sign up to help at BCMGA’s Plant Sale, our biggest fundraiser of the year! Click HERE to choose your job and shift times. Volunteers needed for BOTH DAYS and ALL SHIFTS: Friday, May 5 - SET UP, and Saturday, May 6 - SALE DAY!! Contact Leslie Hauser, Plant Sale Volunteer Coordinator, with questions or if you need help signing up. lesliehauser107@gmail.com, 702-340-6513.
🌸 Plant Propagation is continuing! Please help the Plant Sale Team by volunteering at one or more of our upcoming dates where we will be potting up perennial starts plus grooming, labeling, and preparing thousands of plants for our upcoming sale. Go to www.signupgenius.com/go/PSTeam to sign up.
🌸 BCMGA Veggie enthusiasts! We are ready to start planting veggies at the Philomath High School Greenhouse for the Plant Sale (Saturday, May 6). Sessions are planned (mostly) on Tuesdays (one Thursday) 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Please sign up for ONE session. This is a pretty popular activity, so we want to share the time. We'll send out another reminder if needed to fill slots. Questions? Contact Jennifer Klammer, 541-602-0431
🌸 Community science: Contribute data to research on gardens, plants, and wildlife. Many projects are remote and on your own schedule. Report the time as “citizen science: indirect”.
🌸 Various dates – Peaceful Valley Seed in North Albany is seeking volunteer presenters for various topics including composting, spring perennials, sustainable landscaping, summer garden maintenance, summer pruning and more. Certified volunteers who are interested may contact the organizer directly: Kimberly Montgomery 541.981.2248 kimberly@groworganic.com Report service as Instructor: Direct.
🌸 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. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a45a9ac29a7f85-benton36#/
Find more opportunities on the Benton Volunteer Opportunities Page.
Continuing Education Opportunities
🌸 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 HERE.
🌸 Growing Oregon Gardeners –
April 11--Global Gardening: Asian Vegetables for Pacific Northwest Gardens, 12:00 p.m. -1:00 p.m., Zoom. Learn more & RSVP at beav.es/SJk
Watch the recorded 2022 sessions.
🌸 Public Seed Library Lecture Series: This series of lectures will occur in March through July (Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 7:00pm) at the Corvallis Library, 645 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis. Upcoming Lectures.
· April 12—“Row covers, soil & fertilizer, compost/mulch, and irrigation” Emily Herb
· May 4—“Thinning, weeding, and succession planting”
These lectures count toward continuing education hours and trainee Garden Labs.
Extension News
🌸 New! One day, everyone together. On April 26, 2023, Master Gardeners and supporters will come together to show our belief in the Master Gardener program and Oregon State University’s Dam Proud Day. This 24-hour period is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of the Oregon State community, including supporting Master Gardeners, and stretching ourselves toward our aspirations.
On one day, can you imagine what we could do together?
Here’s how you can help NOW.
Help us tell the Master Gardener story. Share YOUR story by participating in our storytelling campaign. Reach out to LeAnn at leann.locher@oregonstate.edu to receive 3 simple questions for you to answer, and then send in a photo. We’ll be sharing these over the coming weeks to highlight all that Master Gardeners do. Your stories tell the story of the Master Gardener program!
Follow OSU Extension Master Gardener on social media. www.facebook.com/OSUMG on Facebook and @mastergardenersOSU on Instagram. Share our stories and posts about Dam Proud Day with your friends and followers.
SHOW UP on April 26th and make a donation online signaling your support for the Master Gardener program. It’s all online, all on one day.
On one day, we can show up for gardening and Master Gardeners in Oregon!
LeAnn Locher (she/her)
Statewide Master Gardener Outreach Coordinator
Food Hero Gardening Coordinator
Oregon State University | Extension
Cell 503-701-1044
🌸 Coffee chats are back for 2023! If you are a board member, committee chair, or engaged volunteer, this is a chance to visit informally with program staff (Elza). Learn more and sign-up.
🌸 Volunteer Reporting System updates. The statewide Master Gardener volunteer reporting system is now more secure. It also has a new look and feel. Please bookmark the new site: : https://vrs.osumg.org/ When you log in, follow the steps to update your password. Tech Support is at https://vrs.osumg.org/help/ (Trainees – please wait on making accounts until prompted – thanks!)
🌸 The Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge, Oregon State University Extension’s statewide seed giveaway, returns for a fourth year in 2023 featuring a continued partnership with the Oregon Potato Commission.
Starting Feb. 6, individuals and households, schools, and groups can sign up to receive an individual/household seed kit, group kit or seed-starting teacher classroom kit through the mail. https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4VO6D4sAW7Wk9qC
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