President’s Message
🍅 It was good to see all the MGs and trainees that attended the picnic. Thanks for coming and for the great food.
It is hard to believe that it is almost October and this is an important month in the Master Gardener calendar. Our October membership meeting on Oct. 16 is our official annual meeting for the association. At this meeting, we will elect the 2024 Board. It is also the official kick-off of membership renewal.
At the end of this Update, there is a flyer from Linn County Master Gardener Association about their Mason Bee cocoon harvesting classes. This is continuing education hours.
Biweekly Nag: Everyone needs to figure out their hours and enter them into the VRS system. https://mgvrs.extension.oregonstate.edu/ It really is important, and please do it well before the end of the year (Oct. 31).
Awards & Graduation Celebration
🍅 Save the Date! Our awards and graduation will be on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Central Electrician Training Center in Tangent. We invite all continuing Master Gardeners and trainees to come for a pot-luck brunch before the awards and graduation. The training center is at 33309 OR-99E (just south of Hwy. 20-34). We decided on a morning event to avoid any conflicts with the OSU home football game. So, bring something “brunchy” and enjoy the company of your fellow MGs from Benton and Linn Counties. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Membership Renewal
🍅 Membership renewal begins at the annual membership meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. As a courtesy to both our treasurer and membership secretary, we like to have membership renewal completed by Thanksgiving so that these ladies can enjoy the holiday season.
Every year there is some confusion about the criteria for membership renewal. We have 2 categories of membership, continuing and associate. Continuing members are trained Master Gardeners or trainees who are extending their graduation to a second year. Continuing members do not have to be certified. Associate members are members of the community who have not completed Master Gardener training but want to support BCMGA.
Dues are $15 for continuing members and second year trainees. Associate dues are $10. Dues can be paid with check, cash, or credit card. If using a credit card, there is a swipe fee charge. The charge for continuing Master Gardeners is $15.75 and for Associates it is $10.60.
Trainee News & Opportunities
🍅 Congratulations! Of the 29 Benton and dual county trainees, 17 have completed their hours and 3 of you are just a few hours away from that goal. If you haven’t heard from Brooke, that means you have met your required hours.
The Master Gardener year ends Oct. 31. Please log your hours in the Volunteer Reporting System (VRS) https://mgvrs.extension.oregonstate.edu/ . If you have questions about entering your hours, contact your mentor or Paula Lupcho at pres.bcmga.board@gmail.com .
BCMGA News
🍅 The Plant Sale Team is getting ready to kick off the final season of D&D! (Digging and Dividing plants). After this year, ALL plants will only come from propagation by seed and cuttings, purchases, or donations.
If you think you may have lots of extra plants to donate in October, the Plant Sale Team may be able to come out and dig them for you! We are looking for just a handful of gardens to help fill our D&D schedule. Our shoppers are always interested in the unusual, so we are especially looking for favorite specialty plants. Have several plants that you’d like to donate? Email Leslie Hauser, lesliehauser107@gmail.com, to get your garden on the final illustrious DIG LIST!
🍅 A Message from Lynn Trimpe, Vice President: The speaker for the October 16 membership meeting will be Michael Ahr. He will speak on common yard invaders (weeds) that can have a negative ecological impact as they move into natural areas. He will emphasize the importance of tracking oblong spurge (Euphorbia oblongata), but will cover several other species as well. He will highlight some seasonal actions that gardeners can take in October to reduce the spread of noxious weeds. Attendees are welcome to bring samples of noxious weeds that they have found, along with any question that members may have.
🍅 BCMGA Board 2024: Interested in participating in BCMGA as a board member? Contact President Elect Brenda Bye for more information (brenda.bye@gmail.com ).
Volunteer Opportunities
🍅 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.
Find more opportunities on the Benton Volunteer Opportunities Page.
Continuing Education Opportunities
Each program year current Master Gardener volunteers are asked to recertify by completing 10 hours of approved continuing education and 20 hours of volunteering. This ensures that your horticultural knowledge stays current. All the opportunities in this section count towards that goal. Try to get one hour of CE on a diversity, equity, or inclusion related topic. And please make sure to record these hours in VRS!
🍅 Cocoon Harvesting Classes put on by Linn County Master Gardener Association are now accepting registrations. Please see the flyer at the end of the Update for available times and dates.
🍅 Winter Dreams-Summer Gardens: This virtual educational event is put on by Jackson County Master Gardener Association. Presentations will be presented on Friday, Oct. 27, Saturday, Oct. 28, Friday, Nov. 3, and Saturday, Nov. 4. Registration is $30. They are presenting an excellent schedule of classes. The schedule of presentations and registration is available at -https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=jackson+county+master+gardener+association&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
🍅 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.
🍅 New OSU Publication. Gardens are for Everyone. Read and write a summary paragraph of how you will apply this as a Master Gardener volunteer for one hour of continuing education.
🍅 New OSU Publication. Grow Your Own Peppers. Read and write a summary paragraph of how you will apply this as a Master Gardener volunteer for one hour of continuing education.
🍅 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 log on to the attached website.
Extension News
Need help finding information from Extension? Here are some important links to access information.
Have a gardening question? Get help at:.
Interested in gardening classes and events?
Want to join Master Gardeners? Contact Benton County Extension Office, 541-713-5000
Want to partner with Master Gardeners? Please contact Brooke Edmunds to get connected: brooke.edmunds@oregonstate.edu
Current volunteers:
Need information about training, volunteering, or logging hours? First check the Volunteer Sourcebook and website.
Need a sign-up, promotions, or printing for an upcoming event?
First, use the Event Checklist to collect all needed information
In Benton County send to Nicole Mason Martin: nicole.mason@oregonstate.edu
In Linn County send to Laurie Gibson: laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu
Need to update your contact information? Need a badge?
Contact Laurie Gibson: laurie.gibson@oregonstate.edu
All other questions:
Please contact Brooke Edmunds: brooke.edmunds@oregonstate.edu
From Linn County Master Gardeners, in association with OSU Extension Service
October is Cocoon Harvesting Time!
Linn Master Gardener Association is offering ten cocoon harvesting classes that include Marion, Linn, Lane and Benton County.
Classes are free, but registration is required!
No-shows were a big issue last year. If you have a conflict after registering for a class, please contact the Linn Extension Office at 541-248-1088. This allows a space to re-open for someone else.
Bring your blocks or tubes with liners, or we will provide tubes to harvest cocoons if you don't have any. This is a great chance to learn more about mason bees. Get the latest best practice recommendations, learn about a very worrisome new pest, and much more.
If you are new to mason bees or want the latest
information, we are ready to help!
Register Here
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