Biweekly UpdateBenton County Master Gardener Association, October 27, 2026
Editor’s Message from Brenda Bye
Thanks to all who attended the Membership meeting last Monday. I appreciated hearing from the
different committee leaders and hope that our members feel inspired to try some of the
interesting and engaging volunteer opportunities in our organization that were presented.
Congratulations also to our new members of our Board of Directors. While board membership
can be intimidating from the outside, our organization is a great way to learn about the operation
of non-profit organizations as well as many details about how BCMGA functions. We are all
thankful for the members who are willing to lend their talents and time to our board. If you have
any interest in serving on the board in the future, I would encourage any members to attend
board meetings which are open.
Finally this is your final reminder from me to finish your VRS hours online by October 31st. I
was surprised to see my own number finally crest over the 1000 hour mark this year, which puts
me in the ranks of some of the MGs that I admire most. If you are short on Continuing Education
hours, I included several links to online courses that have been approved for credit and can be
watched at home.
2026 Master Gardener Graduation
To celebrate accomplishments of the program, our county award winners and graduating
trainees, you are invited to the 2026 Master Gardener Awards and Graduation on Saturday,
November 14! The event will take place at the Central Electric Training Center (33309 OR-99E,
Tangent, OR 97389) from 10:30 am – 12:00 pm (doors open at 10:00 am). Light refreshments
will be provided.
With the recently announced pause to next year’s formal training, we will also be collecting
feedback on potential Continuing Education areas during the event. We hope you will be able to
join!Volunteer Opportunities
These activities are approved by OSU Extension for volunteer hours
Consider Working at the Plant Desk - Thanks to all the dedicated plant desk trainers and
regular volunteers who have been working to answer questions for our neighbors here in Benton
County. We are always looking for more volunteers for this important work. It is a great fit for
curious people, who enjoy solving a good mystery. Don’t worry if you are rusty or need more
practice, this is a good time of year to partner with a plant desk trainer and brush up on your
skills. Check out the 2026 Plant Desk Signup Genius
Cottage Garden Help Needed - Have you seen the beautiful cottage garden demonstration bed
at the Benton County Fairgrounds? Jamie Brown has been the lead MG of this bed and could use
some additional volunteers for a late fall work party to put the bed to rest for the winter. No long
term commitment is needed. Please email her at tnj_brown@msn.com
Insights Into Gardening - Our annual IIG Educational Event is on Saturday February 13, 2027.
Catherine Whiting is the new volunteer coordinator. She will be counting on returning
volunteers and new faces to help with speaker introductions, raffles, cookie baking, etc. Keep an
eye out for a volunteer email and links to Sign-up Genius in the coming weeks.
Continuing Education Opportunities
These activities are approved for CE by OSU Extension
The Wonderful World of Woody Plant Breeding - The Willamette Valley Hardy Plant Group
is hosting an interesting and science-based talk with OSU Horticulture professor Ryan Contreras.
The lecture is being held on Tuesday, November 10th at 7:00 PM in the Unitarian Universalist
Church, 1685 W 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR. The cost is $5 for non-members. See their website
for more details. www.thehardyplantgroup.org/events
Growing Oregon Gardeners OSU Level Up Series - These webinars were held throughout the
summer on a variety of interesting topics. If you are looking to complete more continuing
education for your certification, there are recordings available on this Extension website.
OSU Master Gardener Trivia Night - Extension is hosting online trivia night one Monday per
month from October through February. On October 12, 2026 the topic will be Interesting Insects.
These events are approved for 1 hour of continuing education. For more information and to
access the Zoom link, please see the Statewide Extension Blog.
BCMGA Youtube Channel - Previous lectures from membership meetings have been recorded
and uploaded with the presenters permission. If you missed a meeting but are looking to get
more continuing education credits, check out our page.
Nominations for Statewide Master Gardener Volunteer Awards - These awards honor
certified volunteers whose contributions demonstrate leadership, education, community
engagement, and inclusive practices. Nomination can come from anyone in the Master Gardener
community. Awards are administered by the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program and are
open to all certified volunteers. For more information, please see the Extension website:
Nominations are due October 31.
OSU Master Gardener Extension has Merchandise! Every purchase helps support the OSU
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program. It’s a simple way to celebrate gardening, wear
your connection with pride and help grow the program’s impact across the state.
Shop Master Gardener merchandise | OSU Extension Service
Coffee and Connect
Oct Recap: We had a lovely group meet up for our first Coffee and Connect! I really appreciate
the folks that came out to share their great ideas and wonderful company. We discussed ways to
build confidence at the plant desk, reasons for joining the MG program, and even took a look at a
Ninebark sample—thanks for bringing the show and tell piece, Laura! We hope you’ll join us
for some warm drinks and pastries at the next Coffee and Connect:
Nov 5: 9:30-11:00 am
Coffee Culture on Kings
1195 NW Kings Blvd #2507, Corvallis, OR 97330
Please join us for an informal chat about your garden, ideas for social events, or other questions
you’ve had on your mind! Time spent at the event is approved as Other Approved
Projects-Indirect volunteer hours. Contact Kiana (kiana.ringuette@oregonstate.edu) with any
questions.Do you need a new MG badge? We understand that sometimes things wear out or get lost. If
you need a new MG badge, we are getting ready to do a large order at the end of October, and
now is the time to add your name to the list.
Please e-mail laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu with your name as you’d like it to appear on the
badge, your county, and what year you became an MG. Badges are magnet-backed by default.
Please let us know if you prefer the pin-style. We will happily replace a magnet-backed badge for
a pin-style if you have health concerns with wearing a magnet.
Badges are approximately $10 each payable to your county Extension office upon pickup.
VRS and Hour Requirements - Please ensure your volunteer hours are logged into VRS by Oct
31; the link to enter hours is here: https://vrs.osumg.org/sec_Login/ . Please also note that the
Master Gardener team is not requiring the Growing and Belonging hour component of
Continuing Education (CE) this year. Otillia is available to help with any VRS questions
before Oct 28. Please sign up here: Master Gardeners: VRS Help or reach out to her to set up an
appointment at otillia.schreuder@oregonstate.edu. We appreciate all your hard work in the
community!
OMGA News from Representative Catherine Whiting
Your yearly BCMGA dues includes $5.00 membership dues toward OMGA; you are an OMGA
member! Visit the website for the quarterly OMGA newsletter, gardening resources, and county
chapter information. https://omga.org/
The Fall Edition of OMGA Gardener’s Pen is available now. https://omga.org/newsletter/
OMGA Advocacy group will sponsor a webinar in mid-November on the legislative process
and key points to bring up with your local legislators to keep Master Gardeners funded. I will let
you know the exact date when I hear.
New Seed to Supper books are currently being updated with new artwork, layout, and
information. There will be a Spanish and English version. Digital versions will be ready by
mid-November.
Any questions? Catherinewhiting@gmail.com
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