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Barbara Low

Jackson County Agricultural Master Gardener & Home Horticulture Outreach Program Coordinator at SOREC

By Beet 2023 01 January
Good afternoon,

I welcome Grace Florjancic as the newest member of the Southern Region Team with great enthusiasm. Grace will serve as the Jackson County Agricultural Master Gardener & Home Horticulture Outreach Program Coordinator at SOREC. Grace will begin her role on Tuesday, January 17.

Please look out for an opportunity to welcome Grace to our organization!

A special thank you to the search committee for this position!

  • Committee Chair, Didgette McCracken
  • Committee Member, Danielle Knueppel
  • Committee Member, Gordon Jones
  • Committee Member, Jane Moyer
  • Search Advocate, Kayla Sheets

Grace’s Bio
Grace Florjancic (she/they) graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in microbiology and horticulture. During undergraduate studies, Grace was a member of the Virginia Tech soil judging team, competing against schools along the East Coast. Also, she researched both beneficial and harmful microbial interactions with plants. These interactions have become a point of interest for her. Post-graduation, she was employed by George Washington University as the greenhouse manager. Grace worked with professors and students to support research experiments, learning in and out of the classroom, and to foster an interest in plants. Later, they worked at Meadowlark Botanic Garden, maintaining and designing garden beds. Caring for the pollinator garden sparked their interest in the roles native plants have in the environment and the importance of native biodiversity. Now, she is excited to learn about Southern Oregon’s ecosystems and how homeowners can positively impact them. She is also delighted for the opportunity to work with the community to build strong connections with nature, food, and each other.

Request for Assistance
I will develop a framework schedule to support Grace’s onboarding with prearranged meetings and connection opportunities for Grace’s first 60 days. If you have meetings that you would like Grace to attend, which are scheduled for January and February – please share this information with me by Tuesday, January 10. I will safeguard this time on Grace’s schedule.

In partnership,
Jamie
Jamie Davis, Regional Director
Oregon State University | University Outreach and Engagement | OSU Extension Service
C: 541-815-0963 | 103 South E St., Lakeview, OR 97630

Southern Region: Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake Counties

Oregon State University Extension Service prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, genetic information, veteran’s status, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

El Servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University prohíbe la discriminación en todos sus programas, servicios, actividades y materiales en base a la raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, identidad de género (incluyendo la expresión de género), orientación sexual, discapacidad, edad, estado civil, estatus de la familia/padres, ingresos derivados de un programa de asistencia pública, creencias políticas, información genética, estado de veterano, represalia o represalia por actividad previa de los derechos civiles. (No todos los términos prohibidos se aplican a todos los programas.)

 

(Message from Jamie Davis, Regional Director, which was sent in December.)

 

 

 

Unsung Hero of the Jackson County Master Gardener Program — Ronnie Budge

By Beet 2023 01 January

This month we want to recognize Ronnie Budge as Jackson County Master Gardeners Association’s Unsung Hero.  Over the years, Ronnie has been very involved with Jackson County Master Gardeners Association.

Ronnie retired from the Jackson County Library System in 2007.  She spent 20 years as director of the 15 library branch organization.  Ronnie was named the 2004 Oregon Librarian of the Year by the Oregon Library Association. When Ronnie retired, she traded in her business attire for her now recognizable flannel shirts. Whenever I see her, she has a smile on her face and encouraging words.

Ronnie is a member of the 2011 OSU Master Gardener class and became a very active Jackson County Master Gardeners Association member.  She has done many different jobs for our organization, including being a Practicum mentor; presenter for our Speakers Bureau; working on Spring Garden Fair; being President-Elect and President.  She chaired the Awards Committee, the Nominations Committee, and the Community Outreach Working Group and has  been involved in many more activities.

I have personally known Ronnie for only two years but during that time I have found her to be a very positive person who can take on a challenging situation and help find the solution.  She is a very hard worker with a great wealth of knowledge.  As the chair of the Community Outreach Working Group, she is a member of the Board of Directors.  We rely on her Jackson County Master Gardeners Association historical knowledge and her knowledge of the Roberts Rules of Order.

This past year, Ronnie moved out of state, but she is still very involved with the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association.  This is now possible by business conducted with Zoom and hybrid meetings.

Ronnie, thank you for your service and friendship.

January in the Garden

By Beet 2023 01 January

The air is brisk and temperatures are just plain cold. Plants are dormant – sleeping for the winter and awaiting the warmer temperatures that spring will bring. Hopefully, we will get lots of precipitation during the coming months for our plants to thrive and survive the summer.

With that said, our gardens still need to be cared for so that they will do well in the spring and summer.

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association has a great resource for gardeners to use. It is the Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month book.  This great reference book for gardeners is mainly about the growing of vegetables, berries, and melons.

In this article, I will briefly refer to what we should be working on during the month of January based on the information in this book and articles on the OSU website.

January is the time to

  • Plan what you want to plant in spring – if you haven’t done it already. What seeds do you want to order? Do you want to try some new or different vegetables and/or berries?
  • Take the time to browse seed catalogues or websites – but don’t take too long or you might not be able to receive the seeds you want to try. Find plants that are good for growing in our area during both cool and warm weather. Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year Round & Month by Month (Revised 2017).  Pages 52-58 (Crops to Grow in Cool Seasons) (Crops to Grow in Warm Seasons) (Berries); pages 58-69 (Planting Tips for Specific Crops); and page 87 (Month of January).
  • Plants which you plant as seeds to transplant later are
    • Cabbage
    • Lettuce
    • Parsley
  • Plants which you can plant as seed outside
    • Peas (if there are the right soil conditions)
  • Time to prune your grapes

 

 

 

 

The Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month book contains a wealth of gardening information. You can purchase it at our local Grange Co-op or at the OSU Extension office for $21.00.

 

Happy Gardening and Stay Warm

Garden For Life

Report for 2023 JCMGA Board of Directors Election

By Beet 2023 01 January

Teresina Christy – 2022 Membership Secretary

The 2023 JCMGA Board election ended at midnight on Friday, November 4. Thirty-seven people voted online. Four people voted using a paper ballot. The three election tellers—Membership Secretary Teresina Christy, Recording Secretary Jane Moyer, and Archivist Pam Hillers—met on the following Tuesday to count the ballots.

Results were announced at the November 11th Board Meeting:

President—Marcie Katz (elected in 2022)

President-Elect—Barbara Low

Recording Secretary—Jane Moyer

Membership Secretary—Margaret Saydah

Treasurer—Sean Cawley

Assistant Treasurer—Keltie Nelson

OMGA Representative—Kathy Apple

Archivist—Pam Hiller

Members-at-Large—Dee Copley

Lucy Pylkki

Cassandra Toews

Colet Allen

Trina Stout

 

 

Thank you to all who voted.

 

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements – December 2022

By Beet 2022 12 December

 

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements

December 2022

 

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022

For those of you who attended our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022, you have access to the 15 presentation videos until the end of December

 

 

Class of 2023 Master Gardener Volunteers

If you know anyone who would be interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, registration for 2023 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training in Jackson County will be open later this Fall!    Please call the OSU Extension office at 541.776.7371 and leave your name, phone number, and email.  We will contact you when registration is open.

January 25th  —  Class of 2023 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training starts.

       

Berries Videos Available

By Beet 2022 12 December

 

We had many wonderful speakers at our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022!

Two of our presenters, Sherry Sheng and Jane Collier, are also presenters at the Clackamas 10-Minute University™ concerning gardening issues. They have many wonderful practical gardening videos.

Jane Collier’s presentation at our Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 was about growing blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, along with other berries. During her talk, she mentioned several videos.  https://clackamascountymastergardeners.org/10-minute-university/

Sherry and Jane have graciously allowed us to post these videos on the JCMGA website.

You can locate them on the JCMGA website. Click on the “In the Community” tab at the top of the screen.  Click on “In the Garden Videos.” Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

https://jacksoncountymga.org/in-the-garden-video/

How to Record My JCMGA Recertification Hours for OSU

By Beet 2022 12 December

Recording your recertification hours is a very important part of being a Master Gardener.  Our organization is based on gardening education and volunteers’ hours.  In addition to providing documentation for your recertification, these hours are needed to provide funding for Oregon Master Gardeners.

This task may seem daunting at the beginning, but the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Currently we are required to have

  • 20 hours of approved volunteer service. Half of these hours must be in the category of direct or indirect education efforts – which are detailed on the OSU Extension website.
  • 10 hours of approved continuing education.
  • These 30 hours (minimum) are to be earned from November 1st to October 31st.

 

The steps are easy to follow as long as you take your time –

  • Login into the JCMGA website
  • Login into the JCMGA Member Portal
  • On the right-hand side you will find a side bar with Member Links – click on Report Your Hours

This takes you to the OSU Master Gardener Volunteer Reporting System (VRS)

  • This page has lots of good information on it. Take time to check out the following –
    • New Categories List – located on the right
    • Videos on “How to Report Hours” – located at the bottom
    • VRS Information Fact Sheet – located at the bottom
    • FYI – JCMGA does use VRS for reporting our hours
  • If this is your first time reporting your recertification hours, you will need to click on the link Enrollment in VRS – located at the top left – and follow the directions.
  • If you have recorded your recertification hours before, you should put in your email address and password. You have the option to have the program remember your password.
    • At the beginning of each reporting period, there is an additional step that needs to be completed before logging in. Below your password box, there will be a document to read concerning the conduct expected of all Master Gardeners. Once you have read the document, check the box and continue to log in.
  • Click on the Report My Hours link – located in the left-hand side bar – about midway down.
  • After entering your data, click on “Insert record” to finalize your submission. You can edit your hours at a later date if you need to do so.

 

People keep track of their hours in a variety of ways before they input them into the OSU Volunteer Reporting System.

  • Many people use a calendar or log to keep track of them.
  • Some people officially report their hours weekly, monthly, etc.
  • You can enter your hours for each individual event, or you can “bundle” them. By bundle, we mean you can take the number of volunteer hours – as long as they are the same coding – for a month or longer.  You would need to explain it in the description box.

 

If at any time you have questions about this process, please feel free to contact Barbara Low, Sandy Hansen or Jane Moyer.

                                                     Have a wonderful year gardening!

 

               

Jackson County Master Gardeners Announcements – November 2022

By Beet 2022 11 November

 

Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association 

Holiday Plant Sale

 

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022        

Time: 9:00 am—3:00 pm

Where: SOREC (OSU Extension) Parking Lot, 569 Hanley Rd in Central Point.

Find holiday season plant gifts and landscape plants from a selection of Master Gardener-grown native and ornamental plants. Shop for floral treasures, then explore items for sale during the Holiday Gala in the SOREC Auditorium. Garden for Life!

Pay with: Cash, check, or credit card.

For more information: Email Lynn Kunstman kunlynn52@gmail.com or call (541) 227-1358.

 

 

 

 

Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association 

Holiday Gala 

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022

Time: 9:00 am—3:00 pm

Where: SOREC (OSU Extension) Auditorium, 569 Hanley Rd in Central Point.

Jackson County Master Gardeners host a merry holiday season celebration for the whole family. Shop for decorations, wreaths, ornaments, and snowmen and women. Find the perfect gift for each friend and family member. Come share the cheer of the season, then step into the Native Nursery area off the parking lot for live Master Gardener-grown native and ornamental plants.

Free Admission.

Pay with: Cash, check, or credit card.

For more information: Email jcmgaevents022@gmail.com or call (541) 227-1358.

 

 

If you know anyone who would be interested in becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, registration for 2023 OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training in Jackson County will be open later this Fall!    Please call the OSU Extension office at 541.776.7371 and leave your name, phone number, and email.  We will contact you when registration is open.

                           

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2022 Off to a Great Start!

By Beet 2022 11 November

 

Thank you to all who attended our first two days of this exciting event on October 28 and 29.

Our committee has worked diligently to provide quality presentations/presenters on a wide range of gardening topics.

During the first two days, we have had presentations dealing with the Rogue Valley climate and the expected changes which will affect the way we garden; working with fruit trees; growing herbs; taking care of our soil; having biodiversity in our garden; and regenerative agriculture.

There is still time to register for this event and attend the last two days of presentations on November 4 and 5.

  • Register by November 2 to attend the Zoom classes.
  • Register by November 5 to only be able to view the recordings.
  • A Mailchimp will be emailed to you with a Zoom link to the classes for the following day.
  • A list of the 15 presentation recordings’ URL links will be emailed to you the week of November 7th.

All but one of the entire 16 presentations will be recorded and available to view up to the end of December.

Participants will receive an Evaluation Survey through email on November 7th. We are asking you to take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your responses will help us to improve this event and get your input on what you would like to have included for next year’s Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023. Your responses to our survey are very important to us.

 

Questions? Email: jcmgawdsg20@gmail.com

 

 

Plant Clinic Update

By Beet 2022 11 November

The Plant Clinic
Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC)
569 Hanley Rd
Central Point, OR 97502

 

Our Plant Clinic will only be open two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday, from November 1 – March 31.  (The Extension is closed for all the Holidays.) Start time is 10am (not 9am) – 2:15pm.

 

Our new telephone number is 541- 930-8420.

 

Our email address is sorec.plantclinic@oregonstate.edu