NORTHEAST
Chesterfield
This fall 6 lawn care
seminars were presented at the public libraries with 89 participants. Winter
seminars are again being offered in our public libraries, after last year’s
great response to the presentations. The advertizing for all events is through
the county’s public relations department.
The Chesterfield MG’s are also attempting to reach the part of the
population that would benefit from more gentle gardening methods. “Raking without
Aching” – a seminar to help us prevent injury during our garden
maintenance activities. Come see examples of ergonomic tools and hear
tips and techniques from an expert. Also learn about alternatives methods
to combat leaves and other gardening maintenance activities.
Susan Edwards, the MG coordinator
also writes a gardening newsletter that is available on-line several times a
year. A link is provided for everyone to see:
http://offices.ext.vt.edu/chesterfield/programs/anr/Newsletter/newsletter_garden.html
The website for the
Chesterfield MGs is now: http://offices.ext.vt.edu/chesterfield/
Lynn
Foote
Gloucester
Bonnie Bernard
Gloucester Master Gardener
Unit Representative
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Hanover
Hanover wrapped up the Homeowners
Gardening Series with presentations on Landscape design and water wise
gardening practices, the series received very
positive reviews.
Hanover Landcare Stewards
presented a Composting workshop to the public at the New Demonstration
Garden. The garden has yielded over 290 pounds of food for needy families
in Hanover.
The Fall Plant sale was a
very successful event and county residents enjoyed the various demonstrations
and educational displays.
Hanover Master Gardeners are
resting after a very successful first Va State Fair at The Meadow Event Park,
we hope to see you there next year.
Christy Brennen
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Henrico
We held our second annual
Henrico Harvest Fair in September. The weather was beautiful and
everyone attending had a great time. We had record numbers visit our
children's area at the Virginia State Fair in October. Also in October our
unit heard Norie Burnet, a nationally known moss expert speak and we toured her
moss garden.
Beverly Cochrane
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James City Co./Williamsburg
http://jccwmg.org/
Jim and Nelda Pressly
Newport News
The Go Green-$ave Green Event that took
place on September 26, 2009 at the Brittingham Mid-Town Community Center in
Newport News was a huge success. Over twenty Master Gardeners and 75 registered
guests and eleven exhibitors participated in the event. Many of the attendees commented that
they “learned so much”. Our fall plant sale held October 3rd and 4th
at the Newport News Fall Festival raised $1,700. Regular lessons continue at the Newport News Juvenile
Detention Center while raised beds have been constructed to give the students
more hands-on gardening experience.
The October unit association meeting included the usual seed exchange
and lunch following a memorial service for Yvonne Tung at the Grin and Grow
Garden. Yvonne was very active in
designing and developing the garden that the Master Gardeners have maintained
and use as an educational tool for children.
Anita Smith
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Northern Neck
This fall wrapped up
the first year of a vegetable garden at the Northern Neck Farmers Museum.
Our MGs teamed with the Farm Bureau's 4H children volunteers and produced
hundreds of pounds of vegetables which were donated to the local food
bank. The children learned the importance of planting, weeding, watering,
IPM control, harvesting, and feeding the poor thus contributing to their SOL
knowledge. Our rain barrel workshops and lawn seminar were successful
events last quarter; planning is now underway for next spring's "Gardening
in the Northern Neck" Seminar.
Ted Munns
www.nnmg.org
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York County
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NORTHERN
Albemarle/Charlottesville
Piedmont
www.PiedmontMasterGardeners.org
Joyce Grunewald
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Arlington/Alexandria
MGNV(Arlington/Alexandria)--
Joe Kelly
- Still
having activities in our demonstration gardens; but getting ready to
shut down for cold weather
- Most clinics have stopped
for the season; but still running a weeknight clinic at Arlington Library
- had a number of MGs
volunteering at the Arlington Co. Fair, manning information tables at a VCE
booth and also helping with the management and judging of vegetable and flower
shows
-MGs helped with the
establishment of two small vegetable gardens on the grounds of Fairlington
Community Center (where the VCE office is located). The gardens were tended by
members of the Arlington Mills multicultural seniors program and provided about
30 pounds of fresh produce for cooking classes conducted at Fairlington's
kitchen by the DC Central Kitchens.
- in collaboration with the
National Museum of the American Indian, had a joint continuing education/public
education program entitled " Beyond the Three Sisters: Native American
Horticultural Lore and Lessons for Urban Gardeners"
- conducted two public
education classes on fall lawn care and one on composting
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Name: George Graine
Unit: Fairfax
Local Association: Fairfax County Master Gardeners Association
Project:
The outcome of a recent NoVaMGCaucus led to the commencement
of a MG retention project. This
longitudinal study, currently in a preliminary stage, is led by George Graine,
Fairfax Rep to VMGA in conjunction with Dr. Nancy Franz, Extension Specialist
Program Development and David Close, State MG Coordinator. It is anticipated that the study will
be helpful to those Extension Agents with a MG program. The end result will be an anonymous
exit survey to help determine why MGs left the program. The survey should be tailored by
Extension Agents in order to show where specific program improvements can be
initiated.
Unit Contacts:
Extension
Agent: Adria Bordas, abordas@vt.edu,
12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1050, Fairfax, VA 22034.
President: Janet Barbee, janet_barbee@msn.com,
3234 Fox Mill Rd., Oakton, VA 22124.
Website/Master: www.fairfaxmastergardeners.org, AmolKaikini/amolkaikini@gmail.com.
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Fluvanna
The
Fluvanna Master Gardeners 2009 gardens are slowing down at the end of the
season. The Community Garden members and Master Gardener leaders had summer
festival in August. Gardeners brought samples of their vegetables and a covered
dish that featured a vegetable grown in their garden. To no one’s surprise
tomatoes were very popular.
The
Demonstration Garden at Pleasant Grove has been moved to make room for
renovation of the historic house. Work for winter and early next year is to
create a new garden closer to the outside kitchen building. The focus of this
garden is historical accuracy for a mid 1850s kitchen garden.
Fluvanna
Master Gardener, Irene Burke continues to write her weekly column for the Rural
Virginian. Her columns have been
well received and give publicity to our Master Gardener unit.
JoAnne Henry
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Green Spring Unit
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/PARKS/gsgp/
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Loudoun
Ingrid Fovargue
VMGA Rep
Loudoun County
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Louisa
On July 11th,
several of us did a vermin-composting demonstration for the seniors at the
Senior Center in Louisa, and we gave the ones who wanted them, worms with
instructions on making a worm bin. July 31st and August 1st
found us at the Louisa Agricultural Fair. Several of us were judges for
Horticulture and Canned goods entries. We had an information table, a Rain
Barrel set up complete with running water. From that, we got people to sign up
for a Rain Barrel workshop that we had on September 19th. We also
had a demonstration on vermi-composting in the kids activity section using our
worm bin. There was a great deal of interest in it and we gave out a fair
number of worms. September 12th found us at Monticello for the 3rd
annual Heritage Harvest Festival. We had an information table, a kids activity
section, our Rain Barrel set up, and worm bin. Some our members also
volunteered in other areas. We continue to be at the new Mineral Farmers Market
on Saturdays. Our Speakers Bureau
is being used more frequently.
Central Virginia Master
Gardeners
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SOUTHEAST
Norfolk
Don Snipes
www.nmgv.org
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Prince George
-We had our Fall Plant
Sale/Clinic on October 17th. In spite of the cold and drizzle it was our most successful
fall sale ever!!
-Fall Garden Basics, every other Saturday in September and
October, had a good turnout. Some topics covered: Water gardens; What’s eating
my plants?; Planting to create a backyard habitat; Does it come back?
-the test garden was a
success--the 4-H Agent used the vegetables to teach students how to cook a
nutritious meal. Other vegetables went to the Food Bank.
-the lawn test plot has been
an effective teaching tool for our Extension Agent.
www.pgmga.org
Cheryl Sebera
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Virginia Beach
The Virginia Beach Master
Gardener Assoc. has just completed its 10th annual Community Gardening Festival
and reached approx. 500 members of the community.
Virginia Beach looks forward
to hosting the next VMGA meeting in Virginia Beach on December 12. We
look forward to all VMGA members planning to attend.
Fran Shelton
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chesapeake
October heralds the end of
summer and our PAR productive season. Chesapeake is
proud of its PAR dedicated
team and its attention to striving to surpass each preceding
year in assisting to feeding
the hungry. This year we again topped the previous year
with a donation of 9,486
pounds of fruits and vegetables to the House of Blessings
Church which helped feed 235
families and 723 individuals. This total of needy people
has increased from 2008 and
we are elated to have played a significant part in this
important event. Many
kudos to our super PAR committee for a job well done.
Pinky Derieux
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SOUTHWEST
The Blue Ridge (Carroll,
Grayson, city of Galax)
Name:
Charlie Whittle
Unit:
Master Gardeners of the Blue Ridge
Local
Association: Master Gardeners of the
Blue Ridge (Carroll, Grayson, city of Galax), Southwest District, 54 active
members, 4025 service hours in 2008.
Programs/Projects
“Twilight Orchard Walk” and “Fall Harvest Festival” @Matthews State Forest Orchard/
Living History Farm Museum in September.
Unit
Contacts:
Extension Agent: Wythe Morris, wmorris@vt.edu,
Carroll County VCE Office, 605 Pine Street, Hillsville, VA 24343.
Coordinator: Dave Byrne, erlbyrne@aol.com,
2502 Coal Creek Road, Galax, Va 24333
Unit
rep: Charlie Whittle, cwhitjr@embarqmail.com,
78 Creekside Drive, Dugspur, VA 24325.
Website/Manager: Site under development.
CENTRAL