things to know FIRST AID KITS are available for meetings and events. They can be checked out at the front office when picking up keys.

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1 things to know The buildings and grounds of Lane Agri-Park complex are owned by Rutherford County Government. County appointed Conservation Board and Agricultural Committee oversee the operations of the facility The Agri-Park consists of 45 acres with 3 main buildings: Administration / Office Building Community Center Livestock Barn UDSA and NRCS also have offices in the east wing of the building Rutherford County Extension is part of the land-grant university system and sponsored by University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University. INCLEMENT WEATHER For programs and events: We follow Rutherford County School dismissal policies. If schools are cancelled due to bad weather, classes will NOT be held that day or evening. We do not make phone calls for cancelled classes / event, but will post notices on our FaceBook page. If weather becomes a problem during class, the Extension Coordinator will make a decision regarding dismissal. Always consider your own safety when deciding to drive in bad weather. OFFICE POLICY If Rutherford County Government closes their offices, our office will also be closed. ANIMALS Only service animals are permitted in the main building and community center. PHOTOGRAPHS Staff and volunteers may be taking photos of events and classes. This is posted publicly. Anyone not wishing to be photographed should avoid areas where photos are being taken. BUILDING KEYS Volunteers must come into the main office during working hours (M-F 7:30-4:30) to sign out keys, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Agent. Volunteers MAY NOT keep keys overnight following a program unless permission has been given (as for a multi-day program). Keys must be left in the drop box provided in each building: Auditorium: Janitor s closet off lobby Community Center: table / chair storage room Livestock Barn: janitor s closet between restrooms FIRST AID KITS are available for meetings and events. They can be checked out at the front office when picking up keys. CELL PHONES Please put your cell phone on silent or vibrate during class. If you need to use your phone please leave the classroom. CLASSES WILL START AT THE TIME LISTED We understand being late may be unavoidable from time to time, but we encourage you to arrive 5-10 minutes early to get settled when possible. QUESTIONS DURING CLASS Questions are encouraged, but please be considerate and limit questions and comments to those that will clarify the point in question. If you want to discuss a point further with an instructor, they will usually be available after class. BREAKS & REFRESHEMENTS Breaks are built into our class schedule. Snacks and beverages will be provided for all enrolled in the class. If you wish to bring your own, please feel free to do so. - 1

2 Welcome to Extension! Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) agents support a variety of resources for residents, commercial growers, and horticultural service providers. Agents run various classes, clinics and field days as well as making farm and home visits, assisting with plant disease and pest identification, pesticide applicators certification, forage and grain analysis as well as the Master Gardener Program, Master Beef Producers classes, RC Beekeepers and the Farmer s Market. Rutherford County Farmers Market is open Tuesdays & Fridays from 7am to noon from the 2nd Friday in May through last Friday in October. Since 1975, the Rutherford Co. Farmers' Market has provided an outlet for local farmers to sell fresh, home-grown produce, while maximizing the availability of local agricultural products to the community Master Gardeners of Rutherford County are trained volunteers who assist Extension by providing research-based horticultural information to the community through classes, workshops, demonstrations and special events. 4-H works with youth grades 4 thru 12 in a variety of programs which not only teach specific skills and fun activities, but also promote citizenship, leadership and life skills. Our programs are delivered thru in-school clubs, afterschool clubs, project groups and camps. We currently have over 3,700 youth involved in one or more of our many clubs /activities: archery, shooting sports, cooking, sewing, science, chick chain, digital media, dog class, horse club, livestock group, pottery, poultry, honor club, and homeschool club. Family Consumer Sciences (FCS) offers programs that help strengthen individuals, families and communities. Some of the programs offered include: food preservation (including canning, freezing, pickling and drying); food safety, Living with Chronic Illness, Financial Workshops, First Time Homebuyers classes, Parenting / Child Issues. Family Consumer Education clubs are sponsored throughout the community. Women gather to learn leadership skills, participate in community activities, have fun and make new friends. The Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) is a federally funded program through the UDSA that offers nutrition education to limited resource families and children. Clients gain the knowledge skills, attitudes, and changed behavior necessary to choose nutritionally sound diets and improve well-being. - 2

3 < Best access to Barn / Com. Center - 3

4 Let s Talk Trash Disposal and Management of organic materials on the Lane Agri-Park Grounds Whether it s a large pruning job or some stroll by weeding, everything that gets thrown on the ground at the Agri-Park has to be picked up and taken out of sight, sooner or later. If there s a large amount of refuse remaining after an activity, it is tremendously easier to clean up and relocate to its final resting place if it is in a pile versus being scattered thinly over a wide area. In a perfect world, these materials should be touched only three times: once when they re being pruned/ weeded away; a second time to load them onto a truckbed; and finally when they re deposited into their final resting place to decompose. We are NOT to put organic materials into the dumpsters. That s the general thought I wish to convey, now let s talk specifics. Demonstration Garden: In the demonstration gardens closest to our buildings, we are even more concerned with keeping things tidy. Again, please minimize the number of piles and place them strategically in terms of access and aesthetics. Remind all volunteers NOT to add materials to the area behind the Environmental Ed shed above the drainage culvert (where sumac is planted)! We deposited things there for a few seasons and it quickly became apparent that we simply had too much volume to keep adding to it. Instead, use the lidded plastic container in the MG shed for herbaceous weeds and/or make piles of the drier materials such as branches and dead plant material. If your project is going to get really messy, it may be a good idea to first lay down a tarp so that materials are more easily picked up. Orchard: For the orchard, use common sense and gather pruned twigs and branches into substantial piles so that whoever is picking them up for their last move doesn t have to move a vehicle more than a few times throughout the orchard when picking them up. Mulch & Compost: Mulch and compost must be distributed on the day it is delivered or a trailer must be left onsite to hold it until it can be spread. DO NOT store it on the grass! Our Bermuda grass has a voracious appetite and such materials will be consumed in short order. Additionally, it leaves a mess in the turf and can create maintenance issues if not fully removed. Vineyard: In the vineyard, the area with the largest volume of refuse, please use the following strategy if not personally carrying away all clippings. For the sake of simplicity, we re going to use the term section for every pair of vines located between two posts. Here s the plan: As you re pruning vines, make no more than one pile of prunings for every 4 sections of vine. You can do this however works best when you re on the ground dealing with the tangle. It is much simpler and faster to put them in a designated pile from the start than to let them fall where they may and to have to hand rake them up days down the road. For all areas: Please let Van Cooke, our Grounds Manager, or Janie know that the piles are present so that arrangements can be made to move the materials to our brush pile. If sending an , please copy us both (Van rcooke3@utk.edu; Janie jbecker8@utk.edu ). - 4

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6 The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener Program provides volunteer services for University of Tennessee Extension. Certified Extension Master Gardeners are trained by Tennessee Extension professionals to provide sound, practical, research-based information to the public in the area of residential and consumer horticulture. Master Gardeners have completed 40 hours of basic horticultural classes. Annual volunteer and Continuing Education requirements are also part of maintaining certification. If you are interested in becoming a Tennessee Master Gardener, please the Extension office Master Gardeners of Rutherford County meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Community Center at Lane Agri-Park. Anyone with an interest in horticulture and volunteerism is invited to attend. What Does it Mean to Be a Master Gardener Volunteer Official Slogan: Helping Tennessee Grow Better Communities Please read the Tennessee Master Gardener Volunteer Handbook for complete volunteer information. The Tennessee Extension Master Gardener program provides volunteer services for the University of Tennessee Extension through local Extension offices. MISSION A Tennessee Extension Master Gardener s mission is to promote environmental stewardship through a network of volunteers who provide research-based information and education to Tennessee communities in home gardening and related areas. As part of our mission, the program supports continued education and development for committed volunteers. CODE OF CONDUCT The Tennessee Master Gardener Program is an educational and community service program designed by the University of Tennessee to provide unbiased, research based information to the gardening public. These conduct standards were designed to maintain an high quality program that effectively serves the community and provides a positive volunteer experience. As a Tennessee Master Gardener volunteer I will: Represent the University of Tennessee with dignity and pride Respect all persons with whom I interact as a Tennessee Master Gardener (fellow volunteers, UT Extension or county personnel, and the general public). Conduct myself in a courteous, respectful manner refraining from profanity, harassment, disruptive behavior or abuse of any kind (physical or verbal). Provide a positive role model when working with youth. Respect and follow university, county and program policies and guidelines. Comply with Equal Opportunity and anti-discrimination laws. Avoid illegal and inappropriate use of alcohol and other drugs. Respect and use chemicals, tools, and other equipment according to prescribed and recommended purposes. Participate as a team member within the Tennessee Master Gardener program. Accept responsibility to promote and support other Tennessee Master Gardeners in order to develop an effective county and state program. Source: page 11 Tennessee Master Gardener Volunteer Handbook - 6

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9 Helpful Contacts & Phone Numbers Rutherford County Extension 315 John R. Rice Blvd. Murfreesboro, TN Phone FAX EMERGENCY NUMBERS Fire/Police 911 Non-emergency Murfreesboro Police: For building / maintenance emergency only Primary Contact: Van Cooke, Grounds Manager nd Contact (Maintenance) After hours Maintenance pager County Director/ Anthony Tuggle Social Media Sites All Extension Programs Farmers Market 4-H UT-TSU Extension Rutherford County ** Rutherford County Farmers Market Uses Extension Ruthcoextension Rutherfordcofarmersmkt Uses Extension ** Program / event cancellations will be posted on this Facebook page. - 9