Beet 2024 01 January

I had never grown Italian Sweet Peppers before and a friend at JCMGA recommended them. So being adventurous, I picked up a few plants at our Spring Garden Fair. I dutifully took care of them and watched them thrive. They produced many red peppers that were delicious! I used them in green salads, stir fry dishes, and omelets. All were wonderful.

The peppers have an amazing taste and I have been told they are good for making pickles. This summer I am going to try making pickles.

Needless to say, I will be growing these again in 2024!

 

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association is moving towards zero waste. Zero waste simply means creating no garbage. Recycling guidelines change from time to time depending on available buyers for the materials; however, as a group, we try to consistently keep waste to a minimum.

Currently, Rogue Disposal will accept mixed paper (including envelopes) and clean cardboard for recycling.  There is a recycling can for paper in the Extension office, another in the lobby, and a third one in the auditorium.  When Practicum starts in February, a fourth container will be in Greenhouse #1.  Additionally, empty soda cans and plastic bottles can be placed in the marked container in the lobby.

We ask students and perennial (veteran) Master Gardeners to bring their own reusable coffee cups for classes. For social events, we encourage attendees to bring their own table service – preferably reusable plates, silverware, glasses, cups, and even napkins.

The initial social event every year is the annual welcoming lunch for students on the first day of class.  We don’t expect them to know our practices yet, so we borrow the table service from the Master Food Preservers and use the dishwasher in the Extension kitchen.  Convenient?  Not really!  But in the long run, think of the waste we didn’t create.

As individuals, there is more that can be done.  If your garbage company accepts materials other than what can be accepted in the SOREC containers, take items that are not accepted home with you and put them in your recycling can.  Use reusable containers and cloth napkins if you bring food.  If you have leftover food, take that home for leftovers, disposal or composting.

Together, we can move our association closer to realizing its goal of zero waste.  Waste not, want not!

Friends of the Gardens Program Description

This program will consist of:

1. JCMGA Volunteer Coordinator(s)
   1. Act as the contact person between the GEMS and the Friends of the Gardens participants
   2. Vital to have communication between the JCMGA Volunteer Coordinator, the GEMS, and the Friends of the Gardens participants.
   3. The JCMGA Coordinator will check in with the participants to see how everything is going. This will be done after the first month of volunteering, the 3^rd month of volunteering and at the end of November.
   4. Will develop a basic checklist for new volunteers including what needs to be completed.
   5. Establish a schedule with the GEMs to the group of volunteers through the Demonstration Gardens each week. The week before a GEM is leading volunteers, check with that GEM to be sure they are still available to lead volunteers.
   6. For incoming volunteers, the coordinator will give them an overview of what volunteering will look like including the day of the week and hours volunteering occurs. Let them know they will need to attend an orientation before they begin volunteering. Orientations will most likely just be 1-2 new volunteers at a time and can be held whenever convenient, they don’t have to be on the main workday.
   7. Will make sure that all required OSU forms – including the Code of Conduct Form – is signed before working in the gardens.
   8. For existing volunteers, email them a weekly reminder of the upcoming volunteer day. Include any specific notes about the day like the weather or a cancellation of the day.
   9. Will record each participant’s volunteer hours
   10. TBD — Grace Florjancic will be acting Volunteer Coordinator until we have one.

 

2. MG Program Coordinators Role: the OSU side of paperwork.
3. The MG Program Coordinator would be responsible for ensuring all Friends of the Gardens have their waivers signed before they begin working in the gardens.
4. The coordinator will have contact information and emergency contact information for these volunteers.
5. While establishing the Friends of the Gardens program, Grace is willing to help with coordinating orientation days for the new volunteers, promotion of the program, and working with MGs interested in becoming the Friends of the Gardens coordinator to show ways of keeping organized and scheduling.

 

 

3. GEMs
   1. GEMS would email their volunteers to update them on the Demonstration Garden work that is planned to be done and work reminders.
   2. GEMS would let us know specifically what they would want Friends of the Gardens participants to do.

 

 

4. Friends of the Gardens
   1. Participants will be non-member volunteers who work with GEMS in the Demonstration Gardens.
   2. Friends of the Gardens participants would work on Wednesday’s from 9:00 – 12:00 p.m. with GEMs as they are already working in the gardens that day. Participants could start the first week of April and end the last week of November. An average of 5 Friends of the Gardens volunteers in the garden for 3 hours each week in this time period would equate to an additional 480 hours of volunteering in the gardens.
   3. We feel that participants may want to work in a specific garden – because of individual interests. They would also have the opportunity to move around to other gardens at a later date as long as GEMS involved agree.
   4. Volunteers will check-in and sign out in the office. This way we can keep track of their hours.
   5. To ensure the safety of our volunteers, there should be limits on the tools they have access to. Anything powered like a blower or mower should be handled by a MG.
   6. Anything that needs to be sprayed should be handled by a MG, even if that spray is safe for human contact.
   7. Required to attend an Orientation before working in our Demonstration Gardens.

• Structure of the day
• Tool safety
• Proper gardening attire
• Importance of being up to date on tetanus shots
• Check practicum orientation lesson for other items which should be included

Benefits of Program

We see these individuals as ambassadors for JCMGA and SOREC.  They are a way to make us more visible in the community.

In keeping to one segment of volunteering, Demonstration Garden maintenance, would simplify the work in coordinating volunteers, keeping the volunteer group together as a unit to build comradery, and it is what most non-MGs are interested in doing.

One main benefit of having non-MG volunteers in the gardens is that they can start working in the gardens earlier than students can. There are many big-ticket items like leaf removal and pruning that occur in mid spring while the students are still in class. Another benefit is that currently GEMs often have trouble keeping up with the work involved with garden maintenance but with more volunteers it will lighten their workload.

 

Targeted Audience

Our targeted audience are those individuals who are interested in gardening but not a Master Gardener.

The minimum age will be 10 years old and accompanied by an adult.  All waiver forms would have to be signed by the guardian.

The minimum age for someone to volunteer without a parent/guardian is 16 years old.  Guardian would have to sign the waivers.

No maximum age limit.  Volunteers will supervise their needs – such as drinking water, taking breaks, sitting in the shade

 

More information in the February Garden Beet.

Hello Plant Clinic People,

The Medford Water Commission has decided to make a small change in the water treatment process for their water supply. They will be raising the pH of the water from about 7.1 to 7.8 by adding sodium hydroxide (NaOH). While this change is unlikely to impact garden plants, there is a chance that over time some plants could show signs of nutrient deficiency due to the higher alkalinity in the water. Plants that are acid-loving, like blueberries, may be impacted. It’s something to keep in the back of your mind when you think you have a case of nutrient deficiency on your hands in the upcoming years.

 

Medford Water Commission: https://www.medfordwater.org/Page.asp?NavID=642

Michigan State University: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/water_alkalinity_and_ph_what_they_mean_in_regards_to_water_quality

 

 

This article originally appeared in the Garden Beet, March, 1998. Knowing that major changes are now in the works for the beautiful Claire Hanley Arboretum, we thought you might enjoy learning some of the history of that area. Today, when you see the pink ribbons in the Arboretum, think about the meaningful beginning of those beautiful trees.

In the mid-1950’s, a group of farmers* approached the Jackson County Court with a request for a new site for the Southern Oregon Research Center. Prior to this, research grounds were at two locations; 47 acres on Colver Road, and a smaller site on Highway 99 where the Jackson County Animal Shelter now stands. These sites were eventually relinquished, to be used by other county services. This request came in happy synchronism with the Hanley sisters’ (Martha, Claire, and Mary) decision to sell a portion of their land, with the intention that it be used for agricultural research. The County Court said “Yes” to the farmers, the Hanley sisters said “Yes” to the Court, and the sale of 81.2 acres, for a cost of $50,000, was finalized in the fall of 1957.

Leveling the terrain in preparation for horticultural trial grounds began in the spring of 1958, and a full slate of research orchards, vegetable and field crops were planted in the wake of the bulldozer wheels. The official move to the new site occurred in the fall of 1958. The original structures were the Research Station, the student residence, and one greenhouse, all still standing.

Claire Hanley was the most avid of the gardening Hanley sisters, and, although she was the first of the sisters to die, she did live long enough to see her dream of an Arboretum become reality. In 1958 she was President of the Southwestern Oregon Organization of Garden Clubs, and it was at her urging that the Arboretum was created. Funding for the project was provided by the Garden Club Organization, and many of the trees donated were planted as memorials, of family or friends, by members of that organization.

The actual labor of planning the landscaping and planting the trees however was done by John McLoughlin. John was then the Ornamental Horticultural Agent for the Extension Service. The trees were acquired and planted in 1961 and 1962.

Some shrubs and trees have been added to the original Arboretum landscape. Many of these are living memorials of loved ones. Some were planted because of their rarity or singular beauty, a few in hands-on learning experiences for Master Gardeners.

*   Special thanks to John Yungen, Professor Emeritus of the OSU Research Center, and Maureen Smith, from the Jackson County Historical Society, for providing this information.

Claudia Law MG96

Editor’s note: In 2023 dollars, $50,000 in 1957 is now worth about $520,000.

 

 

 

Community Outreach Working Group

Chair, Ronnie Budge

School Grants:

We awarded the following School Grants: Abraham Lincoln Elementary $250 (for potting soil, pots); Madrone Trail Charter School $600 (for hand tools, wagons); South Medford High School $500 (for soil, bulbs, containers, worms for composting); and Jefferson Elementary School $2,170. This last amount is more money than JCMGA usually awards. However, it is to be used for significant refurbishing, including improvements to the irrigation system, of a large garden that is maintained by students during the school year and as a community garden during the summer.

Community Gardens:

We still do not have a JCMGA chair for the Community Gardens Committee. Without a chair who is a JCMGA member, we cannot administer the grants program. The chair could also attend the Network meetings to see if there are other ways JCMGA can provide support and be a contact person for individuals in the community who are looking for a location where they can garden. Ronnie and Grace will each try to find willing volunteers to chair or co-chair the committee.

Speakers Bureau:

It was noted that although attendance has been sparse at gardening presentations given in person or via Zoom for the public library, the recordings have each been viewed 30-100 times on the library’s YouTube page. We are working on more ways to publicize the library presentations. There will be a spring series with a “natives” theme and Colet Allen is seeking presenters for fall and winter programs with themes yet to be decided.

 

Fundraising Working Group

Chair, Sandy Hammond

The JCMGA Fundraising Working Group has fun while working on ways to make money for JCMGA.  Without its efforts, JCMGA would struggle to implement many of its programs.

There are several ways we raise funds. Selling JCMGA’s two volumes of Garden Guides to many vendors in Jackson and Josephine Counties has been a strong success.

The Fundraising Group is involved in searching for grants. This year we received a grant to help pay for beautiful new paved paths in the Lavender Garden.

We also have an ongoing bottle and can return project. Anyone who wishes to donate their own returnable items will find the bags to use in the entrance of the Extension.

This year we had a Fall Festival in October at the Extension grounds. We learned a great deal, as this was our first attempt at holding a Fall Festival.

We are always looking for additional ways to raise funds.  The group meets once a month at the Extension. We would love to have more volunteers join this jovial group.

The new 2024 chair is Jane Moyer, who would like to hear from you if you want to participate. Please contact her at janemoyer@mtashland.net.

 

Garden Enhancement Working Group 

Chair, Janine Salvatti

In 2023, the Garden Enhancement Working Group accomplished the following:

• Installed beautiful large-scale interpretive signs for the Native Plant Garden and Water Catchment project.
• Our two biggest and most labor-intensive projects were:
  • Pathways: hauled and spread DG on several pathways in the gardens and tried to keep all communal pathways weed-free.
  • Fig Grove: pruned trees, weeded, card-boarded area, completely covered with wood chips.
• Contracted to have trees on the south side of the gardens pruned, including the iconic white oak in the Gathering Place.
• Signs and information boxes
  • Installed the “Gardens open” feather flag
  • Reinstalled info boxes and information sheets for each garden.
• Maintained the Gathering Place and planted a colorful flower garden in the raised beds.
• Maintained the planting area near the entry sign.
• Created and hosted a new event/workshop – Glass Art Mosaics for the Garden.
• Assisted in giving Garden Tours to 6 local Garden Clubs over a 2-month period in the summer.

 

Marketing and Technology Working Group

Chair – temporary – Barbara Low

We were busy this year keeping the technology part of JCMGA helping to promote our organization and all that we do.

We are planning to continue to work on using technology and marketing to promote JCMGA this year.

Our new co-chairs for 2024 will be Randa Linthwaite and Barbara Low.

 

Member Services Working Group

Chair, Barbara Low

We had a very bury year!

We organized successful events –

• 1^st lunch for 2023 Student Master Gardener class
• Plant A Row (food for Access)
• JCMGA Member Annual and Awards Picnic
• 2023 Student Master Gardener class Graduation Celebration

We worked jointly with the Community Outreach Working Group to create and present a proposal concerning the Friends of the Gardens program to the JCMGA Board.  This proposal was approved.  We are continuing to work together to complete the details and plan to have the Friends of the Gardens program start in April.

The Member Services WG sent out a member survey and are now looking at the data to help to make plans for 2024.

 

Program Support Working Group

Chair is Grace Florjancic

We had a 2023 OSU Student Master Gardener Class.  It was a great class including enthusiastic students and wonderful presenters.  We had 45 students graduate.

In 2024 we are bringing back our Seed to Supper classes! Seed to Supper is a 6 weeklong basic vegetable gardening class for folks in our county with lower incomes to help increase food security in our communities. This program was put on hold during the past few years but is coming back. We have a few locations in the county to pick out to hold these classes, but we need instructors! The more instructors we have, the more classes we can hold next year. If you are a certified Master Gardener looking to help with this program, contact Grace Florjancic at grace.florjancic@oregonstate.edu

 

Winter Dreams Summer Gardens Working Group

chairs are Colet Allen, Susan Koenig, and Barbara Low

We had a very successful event this Fall!

The Winter Dreams Summer Gardens 2023 included a wide variety of gardening topics presented by 14 knowledgeable and experienced presenters.  This was a four-day event, and we had 105 people register for the event.  Recordings of the presentations were made available until the end of December to those who registered.

We have already started planning for the WDSG 2024 event which will be October 18, 19, 25, and 26.  This will again be a virtual event.

 

Jackson County Master Gardener Association

Board of Directors Meeting  Minutes

November 9, 2023

The Board of Directors meeting was called to order by Zoom at 9:40 a.m. with President

Marcie Katz presiding.

Present: Marcie Katz, Regula Pepi, Barbara Low, Janine Salvatti, Kathy Apple, Sean Cawley,

Pam Hillers, Ronnie Budge, Keltie Nelson, Lucy Pylkki, Cassandra Toews, Grace Florjancic, Jane

Moyer

Absent: Rob MacWhorter, Marcia Harris, Colet Allen, Sandy Hammond, Trina Stout, Dee

Copley

Guests: Lynn Kunstman

Consent Agenda: The Consent Agenda was accepted with unanimous approval.

 

Additions to the Agenda:

1. Barbara Low asked that 2024 working group chairs be announced.
2. Sean Cawley asked that purchase of a dump trailer be added to the agenda.

Approval of Agenda: Janine Salvatti moved to have the agenda approved as amended. 

Barbara Low seconded.  Motion passed.

Approval of Minutes: Barbara Low noted the following information was missing in the October minutes: ballots for 2024 board positions will be sent out October 23 and returned by November 4.  Pam Hillers was named as the third person tallying the votes.  Ronnie Budge moved and Keltie Nelson seconded the October board meeting minutes be approved as

amended. The motion passed.

Announcements:

1. Barbara Low announced 75 people attended graduation.  The program was planned

by Grace Florjancic and Jane Moyer.  The dinner was delicious.  Set up and take down

went well.

2. Barbara Low reported 135 people attended the Winter Dreams Summer Gardens

Symposium.  A survey was sent to attendees on November 5.  Recordings of the

classes will be sent to attendees soon.

3. Barbara Low announced the Member Services Working Group has set the date for the

2024 picnic on June 29 due to the amount of smoke in August.

4. Barbara Low reported the Member Services Working Group has sent out a survey to

all JCMGA members to find out what they like about the association and asking for

suggestions they would like to see implemented.  The date for completion is

November 20 with a report planned for the December board meeting.

5. Jane Moyer reported work on the Lavender Garden ADA-compliant paths was delayed

because the contractor contracted COVID.  He started work on them this week.

Tellers Election Report: President Marcie Katz read the list of officers who were elected to the 2024 Board. (See Attachment #1.). There were no candidates for President-elect or Assistant Treasurer.  Article III Section 7 of the JCMGA Bylaws states “Unfilled Positions. If there is no nominee for a position at the time the ballots are sent, and votes are received for write-in candidates, and if these candidates have not received a majority of the votes cast, they are not automatically elected. The President shall recommend an individual to fill the position and present the name to the Board. A majority vote of the Board shall be required to fill the position.”

Orientation for the 2024 board is scheduled for December 1.  They will also be invited to

attend the December board meeting.  The 2024 officers assume their positions on January 1.

Coordinator’s Report:

1. MG Coordinator Grace Florjancic will be in Josephine Co. on Thursday afternoons until

their new coordinator arrrives.

2. Grace will be out of town the last part of December. She’ll have her computer if

anyone needs to contact her.

3. SOREC Director Alec Levin is moving ahead with plans for building student housing

where the Vegetable Garden and Orchard are now located and a farm office at the

south end of the open barn. The Creepy Old House will be torn down in 2024.  (See

Attachment #2 and #3.)

4. Grace will contact Alec about Practicum mentors going into the old MGP classroom to

retrieve what is still in there and to take pictures of the wall murals.

Discussion items: 

1. Finding new ways to offset SOREC fees: postponed until the December meeting.
2. Purchase of dump trailer: referred to 2024 Budget Committee.

 

Motion Items:

1. Janine Salvatti moved and Kathy Apple seconded approving up to $100 for a plaque

                to be given to Irving Johnson at the December board meeting for all his work in the

                Lavender Garden.

2. Purchase of laptop and laser printer for JCMGA use: Keltie Nelson moved $2500 of

                donated funds be dedicated towards the purchase of a laptop and laser printer to

                be kept at Lynn Kunstman’s home and used for Native Plants Nursery and other

                presentations.  A process for other committees or Working Groups to check the

                laptop out will be developed.  Janine Salvatti seconded.  Unanimous approval.

 

 

 

 

3. Barbara Low moved the following Working Group chairs be approved for 2024:

Marketing and Technology–vacant

                        Community Outreach–Ronnie Budge

                        Fundraising–Jane Moyer

                        Gardens–Janine Salvatti

                        Member Services–Barbara Low

                        Spring Garden Fair–Marcie Katz and Lucy Pylkki

                        Winter Dreams Summer Gardens–Colet Allen, Susan Koenig, Barbara Low 

                Kathy Apple seconded.  Unanimous approval.                                                                                           

 

 

MEETING ADJOURNED: President Marcie Katz adjourned the meeting at 10:57.

 

NEXT MEETING: Board Meeting Friday December 8, 2023 (hybrid), 9:00 chit-chat, 9:30 meeting

                       

Submitted by Jane Moyer, Recording Secretary