President’s Corner

It seems as though the month has flown by!

The Spring Garden Fair, May 4^th-5^th, was a great success – even with the terrible weather on Saturday, May 4^th! What a downpour!  We broke the record for rainfall in one day – 0.91 inches. A day we probably won’t forget.

A BIG THANK YOU to Marcie Katz and Lucy Pylkki for leading the Spring Garden Fair this year. Also, a MAJOR THANK YOU to our wonderful volunteers who braved the cold, rainy weather and muddy conditions. We could not have done it without your help and steadfastness.  Brian Smith and Joe Alvord were phenomenal in managing the Parking Area – great job!  There was a wide variety of vendors. Even with the adverse weather, we maintained a positive attitude and met the challenges as they came. Great work everyone!

The Class of 2024 Practicum students did a fantastic job this year during their practicum time. We had thousands of plants – all grown from seeds. The practicum mentors and students worked and learned together to build a strong, cohesive team. I sincerely hope that these students will continue to provide support for JCMGA in the coming years. What a great crew!  It was a pleasure working with them!

Next was the After Plant Sale on May 11^th. Plants that didn’t get sold during the Spring Garden Fair were given a second chance. The weather was lovely, and we had a steady flow of customers. Thank you to the volunteers who worked that day!

At the end of the day, it was time to put away of all the practicum supplies and materials; clean the greenhouses; put away other supplies from the sales; and complete miscellaneous other duties. Great job everyone!

On another note –

I encourage you to stop by the JCMGA Demonstration Gardens at the SOREC Extension, 569 Hanley Road.  They look fantastic and are impressive. Marcie Katz and Janine Salvatti led the group of volunteers who maintain the gardens. The Class of 2024 students will spend more time this summer working in the gardens as well.

The JCMGA Annual Member Meeting on June 14^th. This is a special time to meet and talk with the Board members to learn what has been accomplished this past year; understand the issues we are currently working on; and provide your valuable input and insights.

On June 29^th, we will hold our Annual Member Picnic. This is a potluck. Please see the article in this month’s Garden Beet for details.

Thank you everyone for all that you do for JCMGA! YOU ROCK!