CMGA Officers for 2016

 

The annual election of officers was presided over by Cry Wells at the November 7th meeting. She presented a slate of officers that was developed in committee. There were no new additions to the slate and those elected include:

Jim Mast, President
Ed Skiba, Vice President
Sue Madden, Treasurer
Jackie Clark , Secretary

Committee chairs will be surveyed in December to see who needs to be replaced.

What is Healthy Soil?

Want to test your knowledge about soils? Check out this online site that Joe Harte sent.
http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/en/c/317128/

7th Annual CMGA Christmas Party

The 7th Annual CMGA Christmas Party is being held on Thursday, December 10th, at 630pm. It will be at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church - 1601 N. San Francisco. See LINK for detail for the party which is a pot luck and white elephant gift exchange.

We have much to be thankful for this holiday season with a great gardening year and growth of our association. Come join us to celebrate!

Loni Shapiro
Education Chair, CMGA

November CMGA Lecture

Our November CMGA meeting provided some new learning for many of us lovers of seeds. Linda Guarino presented facts the many of the misconceptions about GMO foods. Below was the list she work from in her first slide. The talk was so well received that we are encouraging her to repeat it possibly for a lecture at the Flagstaff Home and Garden Show in April.

Common misconceptions 

    I try to avoid GMO foods because…..
      • I prefer to eat natural foods
      • I worry they aren’t safe for human consumption
      • I’ve heard they cause food allergies
      • I think they are bad for the environment
      • I’ve heard that they are responsible for declines in bee and butterfly populations
      • I don’t like the fact that seed companies use the terminator gene (sterile seed)  to
        prevent seed saving
Particularly interesting to me were the historical developments of corn and bananas through cross breeding (natural but not GMO). Check out how much they have changed over many hundreds of years.
There was also a handout provided by the Extension office from Penn State titled "The Science of GMOs" (http://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2015/spring-summer/the-science-of-gmos). My only suggestion to all who have questions about this topic is to learn about it - not in magazines or on Twitter but look at science journals or research.

Linda's resume:
Linda got her PhD in Microbiology from the University of Colorado and did postdoctoral research at the U. of Wisconsin. Then she was a Professor at Texas A&M University for 25 years where she specialized in Virology and Biotechnology. She has been a Master Gardener since she retired and moved to Flagstaff in 2006. She helps coordinate the gardens at Olivia White Hospice, is a great cook and jewelry maker.

Loni Shapiro
Education Chair, CMGA

Grow Flagstaff

Check out the new Seed Library at the Coconino County Extension office.

The official opening was on Saturday, Nov. 7th at the extension. Thanks to Jackee Alston who headed up this big project. She has been working on it since last spring with the help of Hattie Braun, Nicole Gregory, and Regan Emmons. A crowd of interested gardeners, enjoyed lectures, food, and festivities. Come in and bring seeds, pick up some seeds, or just see what is available any time the extension is open.  Starting in January you can volunteer to help pack seeds, on the 4th Thursday of each month, from 10am-2pm.

Check out the AZ Daily Sun article on the seed library opening - http://azdailysun.com/news/flagstaff-s-first-seed-library-blossoming/article_b13c9db4-c7e7-5149-afed-e5d923fd6586.html

MG Meeting Agenda 11-12-15

Master Gardener Meeting Agenda 11/12/15

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

1601 N. San Francisco

6:30pm – 6:40pm             Welcome – Jim Mast

                                          

Announcements             Meeting Raffle – $1 each or 6 for $5 - Must be present to win

6:40pm – 6:45pm             Introduction of speaker – Loni Shapiro

6:45pm- 7:45pm               Education – Science of GMO Food – Linda Guarino

15 minute break

7:45pm-8:00pm Raffle Prize Drawing

Refreshments provided by Christine Orr and Susan Thompson

 

8:00pm - 8:25pm              Business Meeting – Jim Mast

Sunshine Rescue Mission MG Project

Dorsey Manor Garden lettuce 2015

The garden at Dorsey Manor was very productive this past year.  We harvested 139 pounds of vegetables.  This was a record harvest!  The harvest went to the S.R.M. kitchen for meals for the community.  I am planning on facilitating the garden next year.  Thanks to all who helped this year; Tim, Morrinda, Ernie, Cameron, Gary, James and others.  And thanks to the cooks who tolerated me interrupting their meal preparations on Friday evenings when I hauled in bags of vegetables.  We received major funding this year with a $175 grant from the Coconino Master Gardener Association.  Thanks to the officers of the Association for awarding the grant.  I also still have some funds left over on a gift card from Warner's Nursery.  I used this once early in the year.

Here is the harvest break down:
Radish - 2 lbs.
Lettuce - 29 lbs.
Onion - 15 lbs.
Collared Greens - 3 lbs.
Beans - 12 lbs.
Carrots - 6 lbs.
Squash - 12 lbs.
Tomato - 58 lbs.       (From 8 plants)
Cucumbers - 2 lbs.

Total - 139 pounds
The good man upstairs was kind to the garden this year.

I entered the Sunshine Rescue Mission garden into the Coconino County Fair this year for horticulture.  The mission received the following ribbons:
Bush Beans  -  Blue Ribbon
Squash  -  Red Ribbon
Green Tomatoes  -  Blue Ribbon
I presented the ribbons to Tim Miller.

I have pulled all vegetables from the 2 gardens.  I turned the soil in the large garden and covered it with straw.  We will start again in March.

I shot a video of the growing season at the Sunshine Rescue Mission.  It is available on YouTube.  Here is the link.

https://youtu.be/rz7K1k-5vP4

Jeff Best

Master Gardener

Coconino Master Gardener Association

2015 Annual Master Gardener Recognition Picnic

On Sunday, October 11, our Annual MG Recognition Picnic was held at the Arboretum at Flagstaff.
It began at 11 am with a walk on the nature path lead by Jan Busco. Jan gave a brief history of her time at the Arboretum and talked about Frances McCallister the founder's mission. On the walk she identified many of the fall grasses and plants that are found with them in the fields that used to be part of the working ranch.

A delicious potluck lunch was follow by presentations of this years new master gardener badges and certificates by Hattie Braun.

Great American Seed-up

The Great American Seed Up!

An incredible Hands On Seed Saving Experience

Saturday, October 31, 20159:00 AM – Noon

Held at Uptown Farmers Market &North Phoenix Baptist Church 5757 N Central, 85012$5 admission (children under 14 are free) to reserve your spot – the education is free!

Get Your Tickets For:9am – Noon SOLD OUT1pm – 3pm Click HERE

Fall Garden Clean-up Winners!

From Debi Stalvey,

Thank you all for buying and selling raffle tickets.  The winners are Margaret Barlow and Jennifer Shafer.  Ms Barlow has elected to give her "clean up" to a family she knows can use it.  I will be in touch with the members of the clean up committee shortly.  

 

We sold approximately 361 tickets and made approximately $1630 before expenses.  This is down a bit from last year of $2090, but will still benefit our philanthropic gardening endeavors.   

 

I appreciate everyone's help.

 

Debi Stalvey 699-3504

Debi is in need of a couple of people to help with clean-up day. This will give you volunteer master gardener hours. the dates are Oct. 17 (or 24th if weather delay). Contact Debi if you can help.

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