Coconino MG Association Minutes 2/18/10

Master Gardener Meeting Minutes 2/18/10

Attending:
Loni Shapiro, Whitney Rooney, Peter & Connie Olsen
Dana Prom Smith, Meredith Hartwell, Michelle Collins
Linda Guarino, Jonathan Netzky, Fred Hauschild
Steve Shields, Scott Smith, Ann Egan
Jim Mast, Linda Moriarty, Hattie Braun
Ed Skiba, Andra & Galen Guerrette

6:30pm-6:40pm Welcome – Agenda
Dana Prom Smith/Loni Shapiro
Announcement of upcoming elections. Handout circulated
on temporary bi-laws that includes job descriptions.

6:40pm-7:25pm Continuing Education
Review and Update on Seed & Cutting Propagation
Whitney Rooney, horticulturist Arboretum at Flagstaff
Handouts available from Loni Shapiro
Whitney covered a variety of propagation methods (seeding, stem (herbaceous/woody), root cuttings and layering. Suggestions were given as to which plants are best seeded directly or do better from cuttings. Resources listed for information about specific varieties include:
Native Plant Protocol Database: http://www.nativeplantnetwork.org/network/
American Penstemon Society: http//apsdev.org/welcome html
E-mail address for questions: Whitney.Rooney@nau.edu

7:25pm-7:40pm Flagstaff Garden Starts CSA
Meredith Hartwell, MA, Sustainable Communities Program NAU
Meredith is running a seedling CSA for Flagstaff. It is in its 3rd year. A variety of vegetable, herb and flower starts are provided beginning in May. A full share is $90 and a half $60. For handouts on specific plants, season schedule, or signing up contact Meredith at: FlagGardenStarts@gmail.com

7:40pm-7:55pm Social/refreshments
Thanks to Linda Guarino & Loni Shapiro

7:55pm-8:25pm Flagstaff Urban Agricultural Project/Flagstaff Foodlink
Jonathan Netzky of Local Alternative, Inc.
Jonathan is on the board of Foodlink and was involved in doing a feasibility study about starting an Urban Agricultural Farm to produce more local foods. The site chosen is off Schultz Pass Road near two city water tanks with about 3 acres of flat land in-between. The base is a cement bowl. The project might be raised beds or may be better suited to hydroponics. It is city land. It was chosen because it is flat and it’s proximity to spring water. Before the project moves on they need to do an environmental study on year round temperatures, find some people interested in investing, and come up with a plan for how it would be used.
Most of the questions from participants were regarding the cement bottom, size, and feasibility due to temps, who are participants, and where does it go from here.
There will be more meetings. Contact Jonathan Netzky for more info at: jnetzky@gmail.com

8:25pm-8:45pm Business Meeting /Committee Meeting Update
5 minutes each updating progress

CE & Social Support/Ed Skiba
Speaker scheduled for next meeting. Ed will try for Terra Crampton for April. Need more committee members and ideas for future speakers. Loni to check with Warners on some possible future speakers and Hattie will also come up with a list.

Community Programs/Steve Shields
Speakers Bureau forms completed sent out by e-mail and put on the blog. Only one person responded. Need to send out again and encourage others to participate.
Steve spent a great deal of time working on master gardener participation at the Home and Garden Show. It turned out to be too expensive (Extension funds not available). We offered speakers but the fees were still too high since we don't have any income being a new organization.

Coordination MG Projects/Loni Shapiro
Document completed and now on blog site. One response from Hope Cottage but they now have a landscaper. This committee needs more members as they will approve initial projects and bring them to the full group.

Volunteers /Crys Wells
Crys has created an on-line method of recording MG hours. Hattie will send out the link and Loni will add to the blog. All MG trainees and certified MGs need to record hours for Education and Volunteering. As of 2010 certified MGs need to have 12 volunteer and educational hours yearly to remain certified. Form: http://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dERqSEQxSS1yQ2dWZWdCWmF2M2sxVHc6MA

8:45pm-8:50pm Nomination of Officers
Nominations were taken, seconded, closed and agreed
on without objection.
President – Jim Mast
Vice President – Steve Shields
Treasurer – Ed Skiba
Secretary – Loni Shapiro

Next meeting: March 18, 2010
Selection and Care of Houseplants
Speakers: Jeanne Baker Foliage Unlimited
Sabrina Kager-Robinson

As promised a sign in was provided for the meeting (see above). The lecture this week was 1.5 hours for Education and the meeting .5 for Volunteering.
All participants are invited to contribute to the blog. In order for you to do that, I need to first enter your e-mail, so let me know if you want to be included (we can have up to 100 writers). If you have a web site you would like to add to the Interesting Blog/Web sites send it to me (maxmaddy@infomagic.net).

Announcements:
-7th Annual Botany Meeting – Native Plant Society/Dessert Sonoran Museum 2/21-23/2010 Tucson, AZ
-15th Annual Water Conservation/Xeriscape Conference 2/25-28, 2010 Albuquerque, NM
-Seed and Soil Symposium at NAU – Coconino County Extension/CCC 2/27/2010
-Raising your Plant Starts Class – CCC Kim Howell-Costian 3/5-7/2010 East Campus
-Extending the Season – CCC Kim Howell-Costian 4/2-4/2010 East Campus
-Container Gardening – CCC Loni Shapiro 5/8/2010 Northland Hospice office/OW Gardens

Loni Shapiro
Secretary Coconino MG Association