WHAT AN AWESOME GROUP!

Sometimes things can happen so fast, it’s enough to make your head spin!

On July 12, the Jackson County Master Gardener Board was informed the Josephine County commissioners had voted to end all funding to the OSU Extension in their county.  According to regulations for Oregon non-profits and bylaws of the Oregon Master Gardener Association, when this happens the affected association must liquidate all their equipment, supplies and materials by first offering them to other Oregon Master Gardener associations, and then selling and/or disposing of what is left.

JCMGA President Barbara Low was leaving on vacation, so she wisely asked outgoing Practicum co-chair Jane Moyer to find out what could be used by JCMGA. So on Thursday July 18, Rob MacWhorter and Kathy Rogers accompanied Jane to Josephine County.

The deadline for completing the process had been set for Friday, July 26.  Working backwards from that date, the schedule looked like this:

July 26: Return the property to the county.

July 25: Have paid help take anything left to the landfill.

July 24: Make anything left available for sale to the public.

July 23: Make anything left available for sale to JoCoMGA members.

July 22: Deadline for other Master Gardener Associations to take equipment, supplies, and materials.  Their three greenhouses and anything attached to them were considered part of the property and could not be taken.

On the drive back to Jackson County, it was quickly decided that Saturday, July 20 would be the best moving day, but YIKES!, that was only two days away!  Kathy Rogers immediately got on her phone and arranged for a 26′ rental truck.  An emergency Mail Chimp was composed and sent out first thing Friday morning, less than 24 hours before moving time.  Would enough Master Gardeners volunteer to make it work?

The answer is YES!  Bright and early (7:30) Saturday morning, the 26′ moving truck, pickup trucks and a car with trailer pulled into the Josephine County Extension parking lot along with 20 volunteers.  Less than three hours later, we pulled out again, loaded with everything from large tables to reference books; shelves to black pots of all sizes; easels and sandwich boards to watering wands and shovels; heating mats to canopies, LOTS of plants to sell and more.  Some of these items will be used now in the Practicum including the Native Plants Nursery, some will be saved to be used in the still-to-be-built Practicum and tool shed building.

Unbelievably, it only took about an hour to unload and store everything back at SOREC, so it was slightly before noon when the moving crew headed home.  WHAT AN AWESOME GROUP!

Although it is a sad day when a county MGA must close, we are thankful to the Josephine County Master Gardening Association. Due to its generosity, we will be able to use some of their equipment and supplies to expand resources and enhance gardening skills among Jackson Co. Master Gardeners. All Josephine Master Gardeners have been invited to join JCMGA.

A huge thanks to those who helped: Bob Reynolds, Barbara and Vic Low, Rob MacWhorter, Kathy and Michael Rogers, Marcie Katz, Lynn Kunstman, Lindsay Trumball, Mary Schrouder, Keltie and Keith Nelson, Deidre Krupp and her mom who feels no acknowledgement is needed, Erin Amato, Tami Cisneros, Susan Hoehn, Virginia Clark and Kaleen Reilly.  Let me say it again— WHAT AN AWESOME GROUP!

 

[Editor’s Note:  Jane Moyer did an AWESOME job; responding quickly to the call, selecting which items to accept, creating an inventory list, and expertly directing the whole process.  And then she wrote this article of thanks!]