NEWS AND NOTES. Macon County October 2013

Transcription

1 NEWS AND NOTES Macon County October 2013 This winter, discussions and plans will be underway to improve the Help Desk image and coverage. The Help Desk has been an original feature of the Master Gardener program since the beginning, and it remains one of the very best ways to connect directly to the community. Even in the days of Google, people still appreciate and rely on getting expert advice and information from people-in this case Master Gardeners. To illustrate this, recently a man came into the Macon County Help Desk all the way from Springfield for help. After taking his information and telling him his problem would need a little research, preparing to leave, he stopped and said, No one was at the Springfield office, that s why I came here. I understand it takes a little time to research something, but I sure appreciate that you re here for me. Inside this Issue: Here are some facts about the Help Desk. Help Desk Stats July 56% coverage 11 Master Gardeners filled 25 time slots 44 available time slots August 50% coverage 13 Master Gardeners filled 22 time slots 44 available time slots September 38% coverage 9 Master Gardeners filled 15 time slots 40 available time slots For something new, each month we will be featuring a stump the Master Gardener question. Here s the challenge for you..someone last month asked this question. Q: When do you divide and separate rhubarb plants? (If you re stumped the answer is on page 3, look for the upside down answer.) Contest!!! Win a 5.00 gift certificate to the plant sale next Spring! Be the closest to guess the combined number of customers served through the Help Desk during the months of July, August and September. Submit your answer to Jody via a phone call or by October 22. The person who comes the closest wins!!! (look for another contest next month) Notes Help Desk Master Gardener Notes Calendar of Events Master Gardener Notes Update from Advisory Board

2 Master Gardener Notes Help Desk: Thank you for those of you who have helped to fill the help desk hours. We know this is a busy time of year for you all, but it s also a busy time of year for the help desk. An was sent out with a link to a Google calendar for you to view from home. If you can t open this please contact Jody, and she can help you. Once again we will need to fill up the hours for October so please check the schedule or call/ Jody to get on the schedule! We have found 7 duplicate books from our extensive help desk library. For every shift you volunteer at the Help Desk in September and October your name will be entered into a raffle to receive one of the spare copies. A total of 7 names will be drawn. If your name is chosen you will receive the book in the order your name was drawn. Also, remember; a shift can be flexible to meet your needs...it s not a requirement that it has to be 4 hours long, or that it starts at 8:30. Book titles and order for which they will be drawn: 1. Diseases of Ornamental Plants, by Junius Forsberg (1975) 2. Rodales s Flower Garden Problem Solver (1990) 3. Eyewitness Garden Handbooks Annuals and Biennials (1997) 4. Prairie Plants of Illinois (State of IL Dept. of Conservation) 5. Ground Covers for the Midwest, by Voight (1983) 6. The Shrub Identification Book, by Symonds (1963) 7. Forest Trees of Illinois Eighth edition (IL Dept. of Natural Resources) October Calendar Happenings Oct 1 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Oct 1 Telenet, 1:00 p.m., Ext. Office Oct 8 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Oct 8 Bus Trip, 6:30 a.m., Lilly Garden Tour, Indianapolis Oct 15 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Oct 17 Advisory Board Mtg, 9:00 a.m., Ext. Office Oct 22 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Oct 26 Stone Soup Celebration, 4:00 p.m., Buttz Home Oct 29 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Gardening Insights Feb 8, 2014 If you are interested in developing fresh ideas for Gardening Insights 2014, please contact Thelma Bonds at [email protected]. She would love to collaborate with you so that we can have yet another successful community education day. November Nov 5 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Nov 12 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Nov 19 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera Nov 21 Advisory Board Mtg, 9:00 a.m., Ext. Office Nov 26 Master Gardener Coffee, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Panera

3 Rhubarb should be divided and planted in very early Spring (March) Master Gardener Notes Please spread the word about Master Gardeners, and getting folks interested in the Spring 2014 classes. Our ability to keep current projects going and start new ones is directly related to the number of active Master Gardeners in our program. So remember my challenge for everyone-- ask just one person! The Story of Stone Soup Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if planned to stay for the night. "There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "Better keep moving on." "Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water. By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism. "Ahh," the soldier said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat." Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Capital!" cried the soldier. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king." The village butcher managed to find some salt beef... and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day. The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved. This is, in essence, how all groups including Master Gardeners function. Join us Saturday, October 26 for our 5th Annual Stone Soup Celebration Starts at 4:00 p.m and will be held at the home of Pam & Mick Buttz. (See directions on page 6) Please bring lawn chairs, a dish to share (A-G Appetizer; H-Q Salad; R-Z Dessert) and a thawed and/or pre-cooked item to add to the soup.

4 Macon County 3351 North President Howard Brown Blvd. Decatur, Illinois We re on the Web! University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences United States Department of Agriculture Local Extension Councils Cooperating University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in a program, please contact us at (217) Notes from the Advisory Board The September Advisory Board meeting was held on Sept 26, at the Extension Office. Four new board members (Paige Hall, Vennetta Joliff, John Niederbrach, and George Virgil) attended this meeting. Members leaving the Board included Marsha Jacoby, Deb McFarling, Cheryl Sappington, and Mary Totel. We thank them for their service as they will be missed. The Recruiting process is in full swing. People who have shown interest in our program over the past year have been contacted and follow up work is planned. Articles are being planned in various publications. However, as we have said before our members are the most potent source of new candidates. Please continue to ask friends and acquaintances if they are interested in joining our organization. We are also recruiting MG s who have become inactive for any number of reasons. Vests that can be worn by Master Gardeners working in the display gardens or at other activities have been ordered. Also t-shirts have been ordered for the 2014 interns which they will receive with their badges upon completion of their hours. More to come on how to get your vest. New bulletin board has been delivered to the Heritage Garden. The Conservation District staff will be installing it this fall. John Niederbrach has been conducting one-on-one Help Desk Training. If you are interested please contact Jody. Committee Chairs will be contacted by Stephany Smith regarding their budget needs for The October Advisory Board meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, October 17 at 9:00 a.m. This meeting is our Retreat Meeting that will include the off going and oncoming Board Members. Doug Antonelli, Advisory Board Chair.

5 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat M. Cook October P. Mueller P. Mueiller C. Holbrook J. Hogan 24 J. Hogan Joanne Rawson 18 F. Stinson F. Stinson 25 C. Holbrook

6