CMGA General Info

The San Francisco Peaks as seen from Timberline 5 miles northeast of Flagstaff.
Photo by Cindy Murray.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners Association blog. The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to create a corps of well-informed volunteers, and to deliver quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The purpose of the association is to provide support for those volunteers and Master Gardener graduates, continuing education, and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.
The Coconino Master Gardener Association (2009) began in 2009. This blog contains information on:
-How to become a member
-Volunteer and Education hours reporting
-Calendar of Events
-General gardening information articles
-Master Gardener Association Documents and forms
-References and Resources
-Interesting Websites and Blogs
-Old Gardening Etcetera columns
-Recipes
-Book Reviews
-How to contact Board or Committee Members
Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Thursday from 600pm - 8;30pm. We meet at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 1601 N. San Francisco. This includes continuing education and a business meeting.

Reporting Master Gardener Hours

All master gardener trainees and certified master gardeners need to report their hours.
Beginning in 2010 certified master gardeners need to have 6 Education hours and 12 Volunteer hours in order to maintain certification.The on line reporting system allows you to report Education or Volunteer hours. You can sign in to record hours in the right hand column under Recording Volunteer and Education Hours. Just click on the U. of A.
If you have any questions or concerns about the new reporting system, please contact Brenda Smith (A - M) or Sue Madden (N - Z). Their contacts are listed at the bottom of the blog under
Contacts.



Ideas for hours------
--Attend monthly meetings
--Work on an association committee
--Work at an informational booth for the Master Gardeners
--Be a speaker about gardening topics at a variety of venues

--Host a garden tour
--Work at a fundraising event (Plant Sale - Garden Tour).
--Work at a MG site (Olivia White Hospice, the Arboretum, Riordan Mansion, or school gardens (many others)). Check out the Assoc. Doc. & Forms under Volunteer Sites.
--Work in the Extension office
--Write an article for the newspaper column -Gardening Etcetera
-Volunteer with the Seed Library
Be creative! There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Just remember for volunteering it needs to be a non-profit endeavor or an approved for profit site.

Change in Contact Information

Have you moved or changed your e-mail address, but would still like to be contacted about high elevation gardening information from the Extension? The Coconino County Extension Master Gardener Program has a site that will let you change your information on-line.

Click here to change your contact information!

Event Calendar

Monday, April 17, 2017

Beekeeping Class

Master Gardeners – Are you interested in beekeeping? There are only 5 slots left for this introduction to beekeeping class being held Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hattie

Thinking about starting your own beehive, but don’t know where to begin? This two-day workshop will show you how to get started as a successful beekeeper, here in Flagstaff, and beyond.

Topics covered include:
• Essential tools and equipment
• Where to get the bees
• Biology and ecology of honeybees and flowering plants
• Best beekeeping practices

Cost: $150.00 (partial scholarships available)

This event is co-sponsored by Honeybeeteacher LLC and City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

Agriculture to Appetites: Sustaining working Landscapes in a Changing Arizona

Master Gardeners: You are invited to the next Agriculture to Appetites to be held on April 18 at 6:30pm at NAU’s Ashurst Auditorium. Please see the attached flier for more information.

Agriculture to Appetites: Sustaining Working Landscapes in a Changing Arizona
Spring Presentation/Community Roundtable Series to focus on preserving agriculture

Agriculture is important to Northern Arizona, where long--‐standing traditions of farming and ranching provide good food, good jobs, and valuable open space. Yet these traditions are under fire due to a growing population, rising land prices, changing markets, threatened water supplies, and a warming climate.

Agriculture to Appetites: Sustaining Working Landscapes in a Changing Arizona is an interactive series of three evening events that will take a close look at how agriculture is dealing with these threats, and what might be done in the future. The sessions, to be held on three separate evenings in Clarkdale, Tuba City, and Flagstaff, will feature short presentations by regional experts and roundtable discussions among interested community members. Anyone interested in food is invited to attend—growers, marketers, chefs, hunters, elected officials, eaters. Participants will hear details about the challenges growers face, and about opportunities for helping regional agriculture grow and thrive—and they will be given the opportunity to share experiences and insights of their own. The topics addressed will include preserving agricultural open space, the safeguarding of water supplies and ecological integrity, and the development of local markets for locally produced foods. The discussions will particularly focus on establishing and nourishing mutually beneficial relationships between rural food producers and urban food consumers.
Contact: Peter Friederici, Director, 928-523-6378; Peter.Friederici@nau.edu

Hattie Braun
County Director/Horticulture, Coconino County
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
2304 N. 3rd St.
Flagstaff, AZ  86004
FAX: 928-774-1860

Compost Source at NAU

Here is the message I received  from a friend at NAU regarding compost. Please contact Cat if you are interested.

Howard is looking forward to distribute some more blue ribbon compost! We have a few interested folks this Friday from 8am-10am. If anyone is available and interested in compost please let me know! Hoping to see you all and please let friends know too! We can also plan other dates too. Howard’s schedule for pick-ups is Monday-Friday 6am-10am.
Thank you and happy composting!
Cat
 Catherine Sullivan
Sustainability Specialist NAU Campus Dining
928-523-5620 Office
Campus Dining Sustainability
NAU Compost Program

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Nolo Bait Available

Master Gardeners: The Garden Club places a large order of NoLo Bait, a biological insecticide to suppress grasshoppers each year and shares the bait among its friends and members. The cost should be approximately $6.00/pound. Your order must be placed by Friday April 28 .  No orders will be accepted after April 28
To participate in this group order,  email Jean Hockman  hockman.jean@gmail.com with the number of pounds you want  to purchase. Once it arrives, she will divide the shares,  and notify you by email that it's time to pick up your share and tell you the cost/pound. You can pay when you pick up your share.  Expect the order to arrive no later than May 12.
For more information about Nolo and how much to use, visit  http://www.goodbug.com/nolobait.html
Jean Hockman


Hattie Braun
County Director/Horticulture, Coconino County
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
2304 N. 3rd St.
Flagstaff, AZ  86004