Jackson County Master Gardeners Catch the Rain!

In September of 2021, the irrigation wells on the OSU Southern Oregon Research and Education Center (SOREC) campus at 569 Hanley Road in Central Point ran dry.

Watering of all campus Demonstration Gardens stopped and plants in the Native Plant Nursery began to die. Through a massive emergency effort, the nursery stock was donated to local restoration projects or taken to member’s homes to be maintained until we could install a watering system.  

Now, JCMGA, in conjunction with Small Farms, Land Stewards and other programs housed at SOREC, is fundraising to be able to install a large Rainwater Catchment System. The 5,000-gallon system will capture water from the roof of Greenhouse #2.  

Master Gardeners will use the water to maintain the native plants in the campus nursery. The system will also be a demonstration teaching tool for Master Gardeners, Small Farms, Land Stewards, 4-H programs, and any community association that would like to bring members on campus to see what a large-capacity capture system looks like. Interpretive signs and brochures will be placed with the system for the public’s information.

The Rainwater Catchment System is a $15,000 project, so we need to raise considerable funds. Please consider donating. No donation is too small. Give through this link, http://gofund.me/23100a1f or on our website: https://jacksoncountymga.org/

Thank you for supporting Master Gardeners in Jackson County in our ongoing efforts to educate and serve the citizens of Jackson County!

Garden for Life!