Sandy Hansen

The Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association Member Services Working Group (MSWG) announces its annual photo contest.

✦The 2024 JCMGA Photo Contest is open to all current Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association members.

✦Photos may be submitted from January 1^st  until February 1^st, 2024.  We can accept two (2) photos from each member, although there will be only one winning photo per person.

✦Photographs are limited to those taken in gardens of the Rogue Valley and the focus must be on a plant or flower – no people (for privacy issues), or garden animals or insects.

✦Please submit your photograph in portrait format, rather than landscape format to jcmgaphoto1@gmail.com.

✦All photographs must be at least 1500 x 1575 pixels (5”x5-1/2” at 300 dpi) and all submitted photos become the property of JCMGA.

In addition, since the photograph on the cover of the directory is longer from top-to-bottom than from side-to-side, photos submitted must be in portrait format rather than landscape.

Please submit your picture to jcmgaphoto1@gmail.com and include your name, phone number, email address and a short description of the flora pictured. If you have any questions, please contact Sandy Hansen, sandyhansen08@gmail.com.    All identifying information will be removed and the contest will be judged by members of the Member Services Working Group and the editor of the Garden Beet.

The winning photograph will appear on the cover of the 2024 JCMGA Chapter Directory, and four runners-up will have their photographs featured in the Garden Beet. Winners will be announced in the April Garden Beet. Four runners-up will have their photographs featured in the Garden Beet. Winners will be announced in the April Garden Beet.

Whether your garden consists of several acres or a single plant in a hanging basket, we would love the opportunity to honor the beauty you have created and nurtured.

• All submitted photos become the property of JCMGA.

Linda Holder has been a Master Gardener since 1998. As you can imagine, Linda has seen the ebb  and flow of the Master Gardeners over the years with some good times and not so good times, but I would bet she saw more good years than bad. Recently, she recounted one of the good memories from when the Master Gardeners hosted Fall Festivals. Linda said the festival was held on campus. All of the different SOREC programs had booths and there was not only a 4H petting zoo, but there were hayrides around the campus. Of course, Linda was more likely than not very much involved with that.

Over the years she has held many positions, including being President of the 2005 board. Linda was also one of the Spring Garden Fair Co-Chairs from 2017 to 2019, where she served as the Vendor Coordinator. Linda and her crew wrangled more than 100 vendors, a mix of plant growers, artisans, bakers and candy makers. She laid out the site map across the Expo, with each vendor’s particular preferences in mind. Linda and her other Co-Chairs (Kate Hassen, Jane Moyer and Sandy Hammond) had several years of successful Spring Garden Fairs.

Because of Linda’s knowledge of the Master Gardeners, she is one of the archivists along with Pam Hillers. Linda’s penchant for organization serves her well in this task. Throughout the years, she gathered information about all of the Master Gardener Events and documented them for prosperity.

Linda keeps Board members on task by regulating Dropbox files where we have all of our Board reports. She is very sweet when she makes you promise to follow the guidelines. It is necessary for the reports to be consistent and orderly so anyone who reads them can completely understand what is going on.

Besides being so heavily involved behind the scenes, Linda is one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. She never has harsh words about anyone. Linda is a trusted member of the Master Gardener program. Linda is extremely smart as well.