Coconino Master Gardener Association: Great American Seed-up

CMGA General Info

Christmas Amaryllis with Orchid to the right. Below Ruth Benson's holiday bears.
Photo by Loni Shapiro.

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.

Friday, October 23, 2015

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

The Great American Seed-Up Arrives Back in Phoenix Oct. 31, 2015

Local seed saving festival will center on seed diversity and education

After the phenomenal success of the May Great American Seed Up – farmers and gardeners across the Southwest will have another unique opportunity to collect, preserve and learn about local seeds. On Saturday, October 31st, the Great American Seed-Up will take place in Phoenix, Arizona at Uptown Farmer’s Market which is held at North Phoenix Baptist Church.
Imagine walking into a room filled with over 60 varieties of seeds ready to literally be scooped up and taken home for planting or saving. This is exactly what the Great American Seed-Up is all about. “The idea is to give valley residents and opportunity to learn about seed saving, and then to harvest as many pounds or ounces of seed to take home,” says Greg Peterson, Urban Farm Founder and local seed saver. We are partnering with the Uptown Phoenix Farmers Market and holding the event at North Phoenix Baptist Church at 5757 N Central Ave, Phx 85012.
The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and feature a seed bazaar with bulk quantities of popular vegetable seed varieties available for purchase at bulk discounts. Attendees are encouraged to buy and share the seeds with their neighborhood and community groups to spur local gardening and seed saving efforts.
“We’re trying to get seeds in the hands of the people,” says Seed-Up co-organizer Bill McDorman of Seedsave.org. “The more seed diversity we have growing in our neighborhood gardens and backyard plots, the more resilient we’ll be as a community. These seeds are the best varieties we can find in bulk to help you start your seed saving adventure.”
Also featured at the Seed-Up will be presentations and workshops with seed experts to spread knowledge about traditional and modern seed saving practices. Discussion topics will include: how to save and store seeds, planting and starting seeds, how to start a seed library, how to properly store your new seeds and how to grow a garden using your new seeds. Full details and a line-up of speakers will be available as the event approaches.
Tickets are $5.
The Great American Seed-Up is presented by Seedsave.org, The Urban Farm, the Micro Farm Project, and Grow PHX.

Coconino Master Gardener Association

CMGA General Info

Reporting Master Gardener Hours

Change in Contact Information

Event Calendar