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Master Gardeners of Saint Charles County

General Meeting Minutes

January 22, 2015

Meeting was called to order at 6:405 p.m. by President Mary Carey with 50 Master Gardeners in attendance.

 Mary Carey introduced Steering Committee Officers for 2015:

  • Mary Carey, President

    • Sharon Hedges, Vice President

    • Mary Medina,At Large (Demo Garden Lead)

    • Joe Walker, Treasurer

    • Sandy Meyer, Secretary

Awards were presented by Mary Carey and Waneta Parmenter (Membership). There were 11 recipients of the Cumulative Hours Award which is presented upon completion of each increment of 1,000 hours.  Forty-nine Master Gardeners were recipients of Annual Awards, presented to Master Gardeners completing 50 or more hours in one year. Five Master Gardeners were presented with Master Gardener Emeritus:  Scott Killpack, David Barylski, Linda Bickel, Kevin Minard and Judy Wiegand.  Total volunteer hours in 2014 were 9,450 and continuing education hours were 1,057.

 

Joe Walker presented current finance report outlining ending balance, outstanding expense items, and 2014 income and expenditures.

 

Mary Carey presented information on the Master Gardener “Dig In” scheduled for February 28, 2015, 9 am-12 noon.  Flyers have been printed (thanks to Ken Waterman), and will be sent to all Master Gardeners for forwarding.  One last instructor opening has been filled by Donna Lindsey who will speak on “Continuous Color in the Garden”.  However Donna is already signed up to handle the raffle the day of the Dig In so she will need assistance with that.  Meeting is scheduled on Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 9-10 am to finalize planning and volunteer assignments.  Volunteers are still needed. People currently signed up are: 

 

Advertising and Publicity:  Ken Waterman, Charlotte Mielzener

Registration and Scheduling:  Sharon Hedges and Sue Garnett

Copies:  Sandy Meyer, Marla Stewart

AV Equipment:  Chuck Baur

Food:  Virginia Beckley

Raffle: Donna Lindsey

Set up and Housekeeping:  Cindy Platzer and Terry Scheer

 

Plant Sale – Mary Medina gave an update on the upcoming plant sale scheduled for April 25, 2015.  We have a new hoop house, currently housing perennials and natives being readied for the sale.  Most of our plants, however, will be started from seed. A group met last November (everyone was invited), and decided on the plants to be sold and growers most well suited to grow them.  We will have a propagation chamber in the greenhouse for this first time this year for seed starting.  We have 4-5 different methods, and  everyone is invited to assist.   Pam Yankey and Paul Hendricks have already started seeds and we will plan on 6000-7000 plants for sale: annuals, vegetables, perennials, natives, bulbs.   We need experts on the sales force the day of the plant sale.  Organizational planning will begin after the Dig In.  

 

Ordering Spring Vegetables:  we have an order form for the cool season vegetables (also sent via Constant Contact) which we would like the Master Gardeners to complete for ordering the cool season vegetables just to make sure we have enough to go around. Dates for these sales are March 14 and 21.

 

Greenhouse – Evelyn Franks discussed upcoming plans in the greenhouse.  We need a lot of help this year.  We will have day leads:    

 

Sunday, Cindy Platzer,

Monday, Mary Carey,

Tuesday, Mary Medina,

Wednesday, Evelyn Franks,

Thursdays, Pam Yankey

Friday, Dave Wilson

Saturdays, alternating leads

 

Starting out we will have one person helping the day lead.  By the end of March we will start an afternoon crew.  Mornings usually start around 9 am.  We will be doing continuous feeding this year (2nd experiment after propagation chamber).  For your calendars (starting at 9 am each day noted):  

 

Greenhouse orientation -  February 21, 2015

Seed class  - March 7

Transplant class – April 4

 

Evelyn sent a signup sheet around the room for greenhouse volunteers.

 

Demo Garden – Mary Medina - thank you to Judy Klemme for taking the lead for the bulb garden (the only garden left without a lead).   Dave Barylski is the new Maintenance Lead Twelve beds are involved in the pantry garden.  Dave Wilson (Pantry Garden Lead) will have pantry garden meeting following the Dig In planning meeting scheduled for 1/24/15.  The next meeting for Garden Leads will be held on Saturday, February 21 following Evelyn Frank’s greenhouse meeting.   Budget input for 2015 gardens are due 2/21/15.   If major work is required (hard scape, drainage issues etc.) David Barylski is the person to contact.

100th Anniversary – Mary Medina announced that we will have our celebration this year at the Extension Center grounds on October 17.  4-H, FCE group, Master Naturalists will be helping.  One day even from ~9 am - ~2-3 pm.  Perfect time to sell bushes, bulbs, perennials.   Stay tuned.

Public Classes: Public classes will be held this year. Specific classes have not yet been identified.

 

Speakers:  We need a coordinator for outside speaking requests. Val Mertz also sent a sign-up sheet around the room for hosts/hostesses for the regular Master Gardener meetings held on the third Thursday of the month.  Suggestions for speakers and/or field trips are welcome.

 

Marketing Master Gardeners/Extension – Charlotte Mielziner gave update on the cookbook. She will put note on Monday constant contact requesting additional recipes – she needs around double the recipes she currently has.  They are currently looking for recipes with primary ingredients of herbs, vegetables, etc. The hope is to have it ready for plant sale.  Her daughter is doing the layout.  She is currently accepting quotes from publishers, and needs an idea of how many to order. Deadline for recipe submission is  2/28/15.

 

Public Relations – talked with a couple of local magazines, and they would like articles from us.  Public classes could possibly focus on some “under-served” groups of people – such as teachers, veterans.  Steering Committee would have to make that decision.

Please “Like” on Facebook… 87 likes already. 

 

Quizzes – Patti Kolek handling; submitted request for volunteers as well.

 

President’s Traveling Truck:  handmade truck showing presidential history which will migrate from year to year.

 

Other:  welcomed new Master Gardener, Maureen Walmsley from Purdue, IN.

 

Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Submitted by Sandy Meyer, Secretary, Steering Committee

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