November. Steering Committee Meeting Extension Office November 6 6:30 pm. Extension Council Meeting Extension Office November 12 5:00 pm

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1 Vol. 28, No. 11 Editors: Julie Stark/Lisa Slattery November 2018 LINN COUNTY MASTER GARDENER EVENTS Steering Committee Meeting Extension Office November 6 6:30 pm Extension Council Meeting Extension Office November 12 5:00 pm Executive Council Meeting Extension Office November 19 3:00 pm Training Workshops Extension Office November 1 6:00-7:30 pm Fall Celebration Lowe Park November 8 6:00 pm (RSVPs due November 5) November Library Talks Ladd Library 3750 Williams Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids November 7, 14, 21 6:30-7:30 pm Marion Library th Ave., Marion November 1, 8, 15 6:30-7:30 pm Planned WGF Preview Dates Extension Office November 17 9:00 am 5:00 pm November 27 5:00-9:00 pm November 29 5:00-9:00 pm (Titles/Presenters Pending) What s Inside Fall Celebration Invite Page Milkweed for Monarchs Seed Harvest Page 2 Planned WGF Previews Page 2 ISU Grant for Gardens a Success Pages 3-5 Swamp Fox Events Page 6 Upcoming Local MG Events of Interest Pages Garden Calendar Page 8 November Library Talks Page 9 Monarch Zones: Noelridge Park Page 10 Steering Cmte Report Pages November

2 2018 Milkweed for Monarchs Seed Harvest By Becki Lynch Linn County Master Gardeners Planting for Pollinators group partnered with the Monarch Research Project this year to collect Milkweed pods, defloss them, and donate them to the Seed Pantry for the milkweed seed give away next spring. Over a two month period, over 150 folks signed up to help with the harvest. The volunteers included individuals, groups, and Boy and Girl Scout troops (photos right). We were happy to host events which occurred at Fields of Flowers LLC, Noelridge Park Greenhouse, and a fun party at Karla McGrail s. While we worked at collecting and deflossing, we also had a lot of fun and had an opportunity to get to know some of our brand new intern MG s. Overall, the Master Gardeners and Friends of Noelridge deflossed 25 pounds of seeds. That s an estimate of 1,600,000 seeds! WOW!! The total count for the Harvest will not be available for a couple of weeks, but we re expecting a record of over 100 pounds or 6,400,000 seeds. Double WOW!! Look for seeds to be given away at the Winter Garden Fest, Ecofest, and the Easter and Mother s Day Showcases at Noelridge. Thanks to ALL who have contributed to make our first Harvest a success! 2019 Winter Gardening Fair Previews Being Scheduled The November 2019 Winter Gardening Fair Previews are currently being scheduled for Saturday, November 17 (9:00 am 5:00 pm); Tuesday, November 27 (5:00-9:00 pm) & Thursday, November 29 (5:00-9:00 pm). Presentation titles, presenters and exact dates/times are forthcoming via notification. All previews will be at the Linn County Extension Office and please note that attendance at these presentations may be used towards your 2018 continuing education requirement. 2 Germinator

3 ISU Grant for Gardens a Success! By Beula Dvorak Thank you to each and every Master Gardener who contributed any kind of work towards the fulfillment of the ISU Grant for our Donation Community Gardens again this year. To my best calculation from information received at least 24 MGs and at least 47 additional community members participated in the garden work for this grant project. Thirteen community gardens were involved: 1) Marion Uptown; 2) Catherine McAuley; 3) Wellington Heights; 4) Olivet Missions; 5) New Bo; 6) Hiawatha Elementary School; 7) Tanager Place; 8) Horizons; 9) Dept. of Corrections; 10) Old MacDonalds Farm; 11) Prairiewoods; 12) Southeast Linn Community Center; and 13) Lowe Donation Garden. Old MacDonalds Farm, Dept. of Corrections, Horizons, Southeast Linn and Lowe Donation Gardens were new gardens this year. Master Gardeners provided a variety of educational sessions at Old MacDonalds Farm, Catherine McAuley, Wellington Heights, New Bo, Hiawatha School, Tanager, and Dept. of Corrections, reaching over 750 individuals over the growing season. Over 6020 lbs. of produce was donated to food pantries or low-income individuals from these gardens. HACAP is a major partner to dispense produce to their 160 food pantries as well as their mobile food pantry which travels to food deserts throughout Linn County. Several individuals contributed from their private home gardens as well as the community gardens..to each and every one of you a big THANK YOU! Some comments from some of the garden volunteers or leads: Southeast Linn: One food pantry client who is in her 80 s took some fresh kale to try. The next week she was excited to tell us that it was the first time in her life she d eaten kale and she loved it! Another client got on the phone to her husband as she was leaving food pantry just so that she could tell him about all the fresh produce she d received. HACAP: The homeless man who came in dire need of food, the food pantries were closed so HACAP provides emergency food boxes. Usually these boxes contain only non-perishable food, but with our donations, they were able to add some fresh vegetables to his food box. Hiawatha Schools: I am getting more teachers and parents to take ownership of the gardens. One teacher attended School Garden 101 with me and some parents took turns this summer maintaining the gardens and harvesting. Dept. of Corrections: Participants have learned that they don't need a ton of space, equipment, or money to start their own gardens. A main hurdle Continued Page 4 Southeast Linn Community Center November 3

4 Continued From Page 3 for our participants is financial stability. They often can't afford to buy healthy food such as fruits and vegetables because they are more expensive and it is not cost effective when trying to feed an entire family with little income. Our participants saw how the space was maximized to yield the most produce. With Tanager Place Marion Uptown their involvement they saw that to prepare, plant, maintain, and harvest produce, it did not require more than basic affordable equipment. They also learned of free community resources that allow them to create their own access to healthy food by growing their own produce at home. Master Gardener: A success was just seeing the eagerness of the Dept. of Corrections residents to work in the garden, learn about what was growing, and hearing them talk with excitement how their chef had used some of the vegetables from their garden. Tanager Place: A success was getting the youth involved in the selection of what to grow and then the entire growing process, including eating fresh vegetables prepared by the cottage staff in a variety of ways. Catherine McAuley Center: Getting some of the immigrant clients involved in the garden project was exciting as gardening experiences were shared and we all learned about gardening in their home country, some of the produce used there and how different it was for them now gardening here in Iowa. SE Linn Community Center: The "Produce Basics" sheets provided us were great as many of our clients do not know just what to do with produce when they do get it. So even when available, it doesn't get taken for this reason. A Master Gardener Intern from Lowe Park: When dropping off the produce at HACAP, I was always amazed that many of the mornings in the time it took for the receptionist to carry my bags of produce back to be weighed and Continued Page 5 4 Germinator Lowe Garden

5 Continued From Page 4 then back to give me the weight, someone had taken the produce directly from the scale to a truck that was being loaded to deliver to a food bank. The speed at which fresh produce is gotten into the hands of consumers is amazing. Department of Corrections: While the participants of the garden project learned a lot about planting, growing, and harvesting fresh produce, many did not know what to do with it after it was harvested. As our participants have less access to fresh, locally-grown produce, figuring out how to use it to feed their families was another challenge. Participants had an opportunity to get a hands-on experience not only in the garden, but also in the DCS residential kitchen. They worked closely with the kitchen staff, learning how to clean, process, and cooked the produce they grew themselves. They learned many ways to prepare fresh vegetables to create exciting and delicious meals for their own families in the future. They also learned they could access fresh Horizons produce from their local food banks if they did not have space or time to grow their own garden. Food Pantries: We love to get fresh produce for clients to enhance the nutrition and variety of the meals they can enjoy. Many of us just take having fresh fruit or vegetables on our table regularly for granted without often thinking about how many living in our own communities don't have that same easy access. Department of Corrections During October and November we will be meeting with folks from each garden to review the completed year and plan for next year. I anticipate applying for this grant again in January, As the number of gardens increases, COG really is in need of additional Master Gardeners willing to participate in this wonderful project. We continue to make a difference in our community ---- increasing gardening capacity of the community gardens and providing much needed fresh produce for local food pantries and food insecure community individuals. Please contact Beula Dvorak, bdvorak4@aol.com for more information or to get you signed up to assist our Community Outreach Gardens project. November 5

6 Swamp Fox Events By Phil Pfister The rain held off until just before the Linn County Master Gardener Seed Saving workshop was to start at 4:00 p.m. during the Swamp Fox Festival at Lowe Park, September 29, 2018; and then it poured! So, the workshop was moved into the Arts and Environment Center. Bev Whitmore and Jan Knott led the workshop with an excellent display and presentation (photo right). Twelve people participated in the workshop. We don t know how many actually saved seeds that day, but they left the workshop armed with the knowledge and equipment to collect seeds on a drier day. The rain continued into the evening, so the Apple, Pepper and Tomato Tasting was also moved into the Arts and Environment Center (photos right). We were very pleased that 55 people attended the tasting. Most years it s between 80 and 100 attendees who cast ballots, but considering the weather and that most of the other events had been cancelled, we thought this was a very good turnout. We had 11 varieties of apples, 16 varieties of peppers and 20 varieties of tomatoes for the attendees to sample. Our thanks to Allen s Orchard and Pat Beaty for donating the apples, and to the Master Gardeners who donated peppers and tomatoes. The winners in each of the categories are: Apples 1 st Honeycrisp, 2 nd Kickapoo Spice, 3 rd Fuji. Peppers 1 st Majestic Red Bell (sweet), 2 nd California Wonder (sweet), 3 rd a tie between Big Bertha (sweet) and Habanero (hot). Tomatoes 1 st Nebraska Wedding, 2 nd a tie between Aunt Ruby German Green and Snow White, and 3 rd a tie between 7 different varieties. The produce that wasn t used for the tasting was donated to HACAP for distribution to the food pantries. Our thanks to LCMG s Pat Beaty, Diana Christianson, Beula Dvorak, Sandy Fiegen, Mary Mikkola, Jan Knott, Brooke Paulsen, Doug Smith, Bev Whitmore, and Joan West for helping make these events a success. 6 Germinator

7 Upcoming Local MG Events of Interest November 2 (1:00-2:00 pm) Webinar 2018 All Bugs Good and Bad: Lice, Scabies, and Mites Insects pests are definitely a nuisance on our landscapes and lawns. When the pests are associated with humans, the nuisance factor multiplies. Get a plan! Learn about their biology, distribution, and management strategies in this webinar presented by Dr. Nancy Hinkle, University of Georgia. For more information/to register: November 3 (9:00 am) Black Hawk County Fall Garden Symposium (Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1301 Kimball Avenue, Waterloo) November 19 (8:00 am-4:30 pm) Iowa Organic Conference (Iowa Memorial Union, University of Iowa, Iowa City) Topics include: organic weed management, cover crops, growing vegetables and mushrooms, and soil. Keynote Speaker, Dr. David Montgomery, hails from the University of Washington, and is the author of the famous book Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations. Early Registration: $100 and late registration (after November 11): $120 To Register: PublicSignIn.aspx?&SessionID=ej1fbpei5ei4eilfg6fbk&Lang=* Continued Page 8 November 7

8 Continued From Page 7 November 19 (1:00-2:00 pm) Webinar: The Weird and Wonderful World of Plant Galls Join Melodie Putnam (Chief Diagnostician at the Oregon State University Plant Clinic) for a visual tour of common plant galls found in the PNW. Learn how these unusual plant growths are formed, who the common culprits are (fungi, bacteria, insects or mites?) and if the gall is of concern or just an interesting oddity. For more information/to register: November 28 (1:00-2:00 pm) Webinar: The Emerald Ash Borer: Strategies for Conserving Ash in the Urban Forest In cooperation with the TREE Fund, USU Forestry Extension presents the November Learn at Lunch Webinar. This presentation will review research that provides scientific basis for EAB management and conservation of ash in urban environments. For more information/to register: Garden Calendar Gardens Through the Seasons Gardens are integral parts of home landscapes. Gardens provide beauty in the form of colorful flowers, fruit, foliage, and bark. The beauty of gardens is enhanced by snow, blue skies, birds, and butterflies. Gardens also provide fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables. Nothing beats the taste of freshly harvested strawberries, cherries, sweet corn, tomatoes, apples, and other produce. While most garden activities are centered around the growing season, gardens are enjoyable throughout the year. The large calendar grid offers space to create a gardening journal to record the progress of your own garden. Refer to the monthly tips that provide timely cultural information for fruits and vegetables, lawn care recommendations, tree and shrub guidance, and other information. Whether it be flowers, fruits, vegetables, trees, or turfgrass, this annual calendar provides tips on a variety of topics so that you can easily know what task should be completed next in your own garden. The calendar will be the perfect Christmas gift for that special gardener. Cost of the 2019 calendar is $7.00 and may be purchased at the Linn County Extension Office. 8 Germinator

9 November Library Talks Ladd Library 3750 Williams Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids Wednesdays (6:30-7:30) November 7: Cheap Tricks (Lisa Hinzman Howard) Using flea market finds & found items in unique, beautiful, funky and whimsical ways in the garden. November 14: Raised Beds/Square Foot Gardening (Wil Carew) Get off the ground, save your back and start gardening closer to your hands and eyes. Wil covers the principles of raised beds, shows many pictorial examples, and discusses construction techniques, trellis/cloche use and protecting crops from critters. The benefits of square foot gardening in a raised bed include increasing the growing season, decreasing weeding and saving time. November 21: Bees, Birds, Bats & Butterflies...oh my! (Lisa Hinzman Howard) Discover how you can attract pollinators to your garden and help them thrive. We'll touch on why supporting pollinators matters, plant selection, hardscapes to help our flying friends in addition to habitat dos and don ts for creating your own pollinator friendly paradise. Marion Library th Ave., Marion Thursdays (6:30-7:30) November 1: Good Bugs, Bad Bugs in the Garden (Karla McGrail) There's bugs in my garden...how do I know if that's a problem, and what should I do about it? Including an introduction to IPM -Integrated Pest management. November 8: Gardening Folklore (Judy Stevens) Ancient Civilizations up to modern times have planted and propagated seeds and plants. With this life sustaining practice there were many superstitions and myths that were passed from generation to generation. This fun class will explore folklore and myths associated with gardening. Join us for learning about these non-iowa State approved gardening methods. November 15: Decorating Winter Pots (Deb Walser) Gardening doesn t stop with the fall. Decorate that pot in your front yard that had geraniums or other annuals in it using spruce tops, twigs, pine cones, and other organic materials you already have in your own landscapes. Deb will demonstrate how to put the pot together to last all winter well into the spring. November 9

10 Monarch Zones- Noelridge Park 2018 By Karla McGrail This year we released 280 healthy adult Monarch butterflies in 2 different generations. Differently from past years, we started our 2 nd generation with wild stock to promote genetic diversity. We were able to tag 200 from this later migratory generation, and look forward to checking next spring if any of our babies were found in their migratory winter home of the mountains of central Mexico. Once again, as in previous years, we are learning a lot about monarchs, and the milkweed that feeds both the monarch and other insects. I was trained at the Monarch Research Station in screening of adult monarchs for the OE parasite so that we could insure our second generation from wild stock were free from the spores which transfer from adults to eggs. This year we had quite a battle with the milkweed leaf beetle (Labiodomera clivicollis) which is a milkweed specialist also- meaning it feeds only on milkweed. It looks a lot like a ladybug on steroids with splotches instead of spots, or a small orange and black insect-tortoise. These beetles overwinter in the soil as adults, the larvae and adults both feed on milkweed, but the mature Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labiodomera clivicollis) can vary considerably in color and shell spot pattern. larvae drop to the soil to pupate underground. This knowledge has shaped a plan to help control their numbers next year by hand-picking adults early in the season before they reproduce, and to consider using a soil barrier such as landscaping cloth. (Yes, I know, we hate that stuff, but it may have a legitimate use here!) This is a very interesting and rewarding but not difficult or time-consuming volunteer position, and we are always happy to have new helpers. The volunteers sharing in this project are not all Master Gardeners, which makes it extra special. We have a lot of opportunities to educate the public about what we are doing, and what is happening in the tents, because Noelridge Park Gardens are a very popular place to visit in the summer. Next summer there will also be a LCMG-led Monarch Zone Biotent in Lowe Park in Marion, and LCMG Julie Clemens has been training this summer to lead that project. Please feel free to contact one of us if you are interested in participating (Karla McGrail; karlamakesart@gmail.com) 10 Germinator

11 September 25, 2018 Steering Committee Minutes DRAFT The meeting was called to order, roll called, quorum established, and minutes from last meeting approved after some corrections were made. Present: Glenn Babinett, Steve Bartlett, Randy Dusil, Cindy Fagan, RaeAnn Gordon, Linda Hinzman, Sam Krumbholz, Jackie MacLaren, Linda Shepard, Kay McWhinney, Bev Whitmore Diane Wiesenfeld and Jean Wilson Absent: Kathy Carew and Sylvia Kelley Financial Report: Linda Hinzman presented the Financial Report for the new fiscal year and indicated that 25% of the profit for the previous year was transferred to Extension in August. MG Coordinator Report Announcements Budget request forms will be sent to project chairs in September and the Budget Committee will meet and review the requests in October. The Budget Committee will meet in early November and the requests will be reviewed at the Steering Committee meeting in December. Shelby has resigned from her position at the Lowe Park Greenhouse citing not enough recognition and indicating that this has been going on for years. Kristen and Raeann met with her to discuss succession planning. Shelby has assembled a binder describing duties and requirements. Phil has been asked to locate the binder and bring it to the Extension Office. Greenhouse MOU discussion: We do have the most current MOU. Phil said that things are going well in general. He plans to have a brainstorming session with the core greenhouse team (10-15) in the next week or two on the future focus. He will report the results back to the SC after the meeting. Rather than having a head grower, which is a huge amount of work, Phil suggests the different events/projects be managed by a committee to make the workload more manageable. Phil believes that the value of the partnership is equitable. He has shown several people how the technology works in the greenhouse and said it is intuitively easy in general and there is a user s manual available. Additionally, Phil says finding volunteers to work has never been a problem. In addition to the greenhouse growing plants for the various events, there are several other growing projects that need to be done. Phil has typically left all the growing activities to Shelby. Kristen has received several applications for the open Steering Committee positions. The deadline is October 5 and Kristen will compile all the applications and forward to the nominating committee (Linda S., Sam K. November 11

12 and Bev W.) who will present their suggestions at the November SC meeting. One of the applicants indicated an interest in the open treasurer s position. Project checklist form was reviewed, a few changes made and will be forwarded to all project chairs on a periodic basis. Since we believe we are one of the only counties that interviews potential interns, a new process was presented and discussed. The process replaces the interviews with two informational sessions (one in the evening and one on a Saturday) and a first come-first served application process. However, ISU handbook states that interviews are required and we will ask for definition of the kind of interview required (i.e., 1 on 1, group, informational session). Raeann will ask the MG coordinators group how they manage the process. The Project Chair/Monthly & Year-End Reporting formats were reviewed and changes suggested. Next Steering Committee Meeting: November 6, :30 PM Next Executive Committee Meeting: October 22, :00 PM Respectfully submitted, Linda Shepard, Secretary Linn County Extension Master Gardeners 383 Collins Road NE, Suite 201 Cedar Rapids, IA ph (319) Hortline (319) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call Germinator