President’s Corner

I hope that you are enjoying our “false spring” weather.  I’ve been busy in my own yard implementing garden plans which I made this past winter.

While working in my garden one day, I realized how much is involved in making my garden work.

I realized how many things I do to “work in my garden.” These include pre-planning, researching, drafting, editing, putting everything together – modifying as needed – and finally enjoying the fruits of my labor.  The same is true for the Jackson County Master Gardeners Association.  Our Board of Directors meets monthly to review the working groups’ accomplishments and their future plans.

Over the past three months, our board has been working on the 2024 Jackson County Master Gardener Association Strategic Plan.  This plan shows how all the working groups function together to accomplish the board goals.  The 2024 Strategic Plan is a working document and is a guide for us to follow.  I am including our Strategic Plan in this Garden Beet.  Please look it over and let me know if you have any questions.

We are very fortunate to have dedicated board members who are willing to think outside the box and work together to solve the inevitable challenges that arise.  Thanks to the creativity and dedication of these many talented individuals, we have some wonderful events planned for this year.  These include:

• Starting a new volunteer program – The Friends of the Gardens.
• Participating in the Earth Day Fair at Blue Heron Park, Phoenix, on April 20^th. We will have an informational table. This event is from 12-4 p.m
• Holding the Spring Garden Fair on May 4 and 5 at the SOREC Extension grounds, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point. Practicum students from the Class of 2024 Master Gardeners have been working tirelessly planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, monitoring the greenhouses to make sure that the plants have optimum growth opportunities, etc.
• Participating in Medford Open Streets on May 17 from 4-8 p.m. We will have an information table at this event and a tomato transplanting activity.
• Holding the JCMGA Membership Annual Meeting on June 14^th at 9:30 a.m. in the Auditorium in the SOREC Extension building.
• Hosting the JCMGA Annual Picnic on Saturday, June 29^th, starting at 5:30 p.m. We moved the picnic from August to June, hoping it would be less hot and the skies would be smoke-free. This year we are planning on having a guest speaker. Stay tuned for details.
• Coordinating the Plant A Row project. As we did last year, we will collect extra produce from your gardens to distribute to Medford Access to help feed those in our community who need the extra help.

These are the activities for just the first half of the year.  More activities are being planned as we speak.  We love to celebrate all that we have accomplished!

Many thanks to everyone for all that you do in our community to make it a better place. We are a great organization with many wonderful people all working to share our love and knowledge of gardening.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, ideas, or concerns.  You can contact me either at barbaralow@msn.com or 541.840.1615

Take care and happy gardening, Barbara

Garden for Life