The Dirt – February 1, 2019: Southern Region Impact, Last Chance to Save on Spring Symposium, Help Wanted

What’s Inside:

Southern Region Impact, Help Wanted with Varnum House and Soil, Winter Pastimes

FAQ: Volgistics Tips

How do I enter hours in Volgistics for last year?

If you need to enter hours for 2018, log on to Volgistics, click on timesheet, enter hours making sure to select 2018 from the drop down list.  We will accept 2018 hours and volunteer renewal forms for 2019 until March 1. 

How do I make sure I receive correspondence from the MGP?

Stay connected! Please update your Volgistics profile to include your most recent email, home address, etc. This way we can ensure that you are receiving the newsletter and any pin awards not collected in person by mail!

Eastern Region Report Correction

Prescott Farm was omitted as a contributor in the Food Donations statistics section of the 2018 Eastern Region report, which was reprinted in the January 18 edition of The Dirt. Our apologies to the fine project leader and crew at Prescott Farm! The Project Highlight Summary for Prescott Farm is correct in listing the generous production and donation of 622 pounds of produce to the local Food Banks. Thank you, MG Project at Prescott Farm!

Compiled by Cheryl Smith, Southern Region URIMGP Council Coordinator
Compiled by Cheryl Smith, Southern Region URIMGP Council Coordinator

Public Education Statistics

Demonstration Gardens

  • # of gardens: 
  • # of direct adult contacts:
  • # of direct youth contacts:

School Gardens

  • # of gardens:
  • # of direct adult contacts: 
  • # of direct youth contacts:

Public Presentations

  • # of sessions given: 
  • # of direct adult contacts: 

Kiosk

  • # of kiosks offered: 
  • # of direct adult contacts: 

Soil Testing

  • # of events hosted:
  • # of tests conducted: 
  • # of direct adult contacts:

Total Direct Contacts: 

Food Donations

East Farm Demonstration Garden & East Farm Apple Orchard and Giving Garden

  • Pounds of food donated:
  • Donation recipients:

Demonstration Gardens

  • 15
  • 2,183
  • 1,332

School Gardens

  • 16
  • 55
  • 1,892

Public Presentations

  • 23
  • 494

Kiosk

  • 20
  • 392

Soil Testing

  • 23
  • 768
  • 431

3,163 adults       3,224 children

Food Donations

East Farm Demonstration Garden & East Farm Apple Orchard and Giving Garden

  • 2,503

  • Johnnycake Center, Food Bank of Peace Dale, URI Graduate Village

2018 Highlight

East Farm Demonstration Garden Named 2018 Project of the Year

This project exemplifies our mission of public outreach and education in the areas of land stewardship and food growing.  Through the dedicated involvement of 35 URI Master Gardener volunteers, the garden was able to reach some 700 clients, 100 of whom were children. The garden team continues to actively seek to involve diverse and underserved populations by working with partner agencies such as the Johnny Cake Center of Peacedale, Thundermist Health Center, and the Narragansett Indian Tribe.  Partnering with the Veterans Administration, monthly sessions were held to promote psychological well-being.

The garden experiments with different growing techniques and demonstrates sustainable gardening.  Adding new plants to the pollinator garden drew visual interest and became a focal point for visitors, providing a great teaching opportunity.  Areas of public education included composting and pest management, as well as water conservation through drip irrigation. All garden produce is handled according to GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) guidelines, ensuring that the 1700 pounds of food donated to local food pantries was safe and pathogen free. Because of high visibility and proximity to the busy Saturday farmer’s market, planned educational programs were complemented by numerous informal and impromptu teaching opportunities.

Identified successes included a substantial increase in amount of food donated over last year.  Also, volunteers developed greater knowledge about native pollinator plants through collaboration with Dr. Alm, Professor of Plant Sciences and Entomology from URI.

Read the full 2018 Southern Region Report.

In the next issue: Educational Services Report

NEWS & INFORMATION

New Educational Services Team Member

Submitted by Stephanie Serino, URIMGP Class of 2017

Please welcome our newest addition to the Educational Services team, Jeannette Sparfven. She is the new State Administrator for Public Presentations and will be responsible for directing and developing anything that pertains to our speakers.

Her background as a sales manager for a large international company offers many skills that can be applied to this position now that she is retired.

Jan is a member of the MG class of 2017 and has been very actively involved in Public Presentations, Hotline, and Recognition Committee.  She has delivered numerous presentations herself, including Raised Bed Gardening, Putting Your Garden to Bed, and All About Tomatoes. 

She brings a great amount of enthusiasm and creativity to her presentations. Jan is an avid gardener herself and concentrates on growing vegetables and perennials in raised beds.  Also, small scale composting and dealing with her friend “Bob” the groundhog keeps her busy.   When not gardening, she focuses on her husband and three grown daughters. Activities include travel, yoga, hiking and outdoor activities in general.  

She can be contacted at aalsmeertulips@gmail.com. 

Donations in Memory of Richard Perreault

Richard A. Perreault, 77, a Hall of Fame Master Gardener with well over 1,000 hours of volunteer time, died January 18 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Memorial donations in memory of Richard can be sent to: Master Gardener Foundation of R.I. Inc., P.O. Box 1515, Kingston, R.I. 02881. 

This updates donation information included in the January 25t edition of The Dirt. 

Winter Pastimes

Submitted by Jean Frisbie, URIMGP Class of 2008

When longer daytime hours seem theoretical and temperatures plummet, winter hibernation begins. There are several remedies for this state: indulging in caloric treats, forest-bathing from a prone position with skis attached, traveling to warmer climates, and continuing education for gardeners. If exploring tropical islands and peninsulas isn’t possible this year, diving into escapist television is a worthwhile alternative until the URI Cooperative Extension March symposium arrives.

For two gardeners who lost heat for a week, the BBC program Gardeners’ World brought welcome relief. After forking over a fee to Amazon Prime, a full season of garden tours, practical tips, community garden reports, and small backyard design became ours, hosted by the charmingly disheveled Monty Don. Of course, the seasons and resulting outdoor tasks in the United Kingdom aren’t the same as ours, but the basic ideas behind the vegetable and ornamental plantings hold true, inspiring these gardeners to make better plans for spring, to take care of our tools, and to see gardening as a force for common good. Some of the regional U.K. accents may be challenging, but the takeaways are clear — 1) anyone in any size home can grow things, 2) gardening takes time, and 3) everyone should take a few minutes to enjoy garden accomplishments.

The series brings up a few philosophical questions:

  1. Are we, as a nation, as garden-crazy as BBC viewers?
  2. Why don’t we have more realistic garden shows here?
  3. Does the size and history of the United Kingdom make gardeners there more open to exotic plants?
  4. Where does Monty Don get those charmingly rumpled outfits? Can we get some for our guys?

Do you have blogs, television series or podcasts that guide your gardening year? Send your suggestion to thedirtnewsletteruri@gmail.com.  We will compile and share suggestions in a future newsletter!

URI Garden Symposium: Last Chance to Save $10!

Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 8:00 am–4:00 pm
URI Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (ADA accessible facility)
$65/person until February 1 | $75/person after February 1

Don’t miss out on early bird registration rates – through 2/1/19!

Education sessions:

  • Brie Arthur, The Foodscape Revolution
  • Nancy Lawson, The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife
  • Vincent Simone, How to Grow More With Less: Sustainable Garden Methods

For more information, please check the URIMGP website.

HELP WANTED

NEW! Soil Testing Reporting Manager/Assistant

We’re looking for a MG with good organizational skills to help our Soil Testing Administrator, Carol Nagel.  This person would be responsible for collection of data after Soil Testing events are completed throughout the year and compiling this data for end of year reports. 

Good computer skills along with professional communication are beneficial for this position. This is flexible because most of the work can be done at home! If you’d like more information about joining the Soil Testing team, please contact Stephanie Serino:  stephanielovesplants@gmail.com.

NEW! Project Leader Opening for Varnum House Museum Gardens

We have an opening for the project leader position at the Varnum House Museum Gardens in East Greenwich. Built in 1773, Varnum House is now a museum with gardens open to the public. Over a period of years URI Master Gardeners, in conjunction with the host, have created period gardens using plants appropriate for the eighteenth century. They consist of medicinal, herb, dye, and household plants.

Position responsibilities include planning each year’s gardening activities; organizing public educational events for the year; leading a team of 6-7 Master Gardeners several times a month in cultivating the gardens; preparing annual budgets; and attending two leadership meetings.

Interested volunteers should email Lee Hanks at lee.hanks@cox.net by February 14.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

TickTalk Webinar
Wednesday, February 13 | 12:00–1:00 pm

Ticks and Personal Protection: Reducing Risk of Tick-borne Disease, aims at reducing the frequency and longevity of tick bites. Register through UMass Extension.

Pest Update and Vegetable Gardening with URI Faculty and Extension Staff
Friday, February 15 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
East Farm Building 75

Learn about current insect and disease problems in the landscape from URI Plant Clinic Director, Heather Faubert. Dr. Rebecca Brown will discuss choosing vegetable varieties and other considerations for planning a vegetable garden.  Bring your questions for our URI Faculty and Extension staff! Register in Volgistics.

NEW! Tree Health Update
Friday, February 22 | 9:00am–2:00 pm
Hyannis Golf Course, 1800 Iyannough Rd., Hyannis MA

Cape Cod Cooperative Extension is offering a one day workshop geared towards industry professionals, featuring four guest speakers focused on tree health.  Visit the event website for the complete list of speakers and lecture topics. Preregistration is required by February 18 and space is limited.  

Cost: $60.00 (includes lunch and refreshments)
Credits: 3 Pesticide recertification contact hours in categories: Applicators License (00), 29, 35, and 36
Other CEU’s pending: ISA, MCA, MCLP, AOLCP, SAF & MCH
For more information, call 508-375-6638 or email cstpierre@barnstablecounty.org.

NEW! Soil Testing Kickoff Training
Saturday, March 9 | 1:00–3:00 pm
URI Campus, Pharmacy 170 (Avedesian Hall)

Soil testers – come one, come all!  We are gathering the full team of URIMGP soil testers to kick off the season. We’ll have Ron Dumais, representative from Hanna Instruments, demonstrate proper use of Hanna soil testing meters. We will also review the best practices for holding an event, interpreting results for clients and a hands-on soil exploration with Dr. Dirt. Bring your questions!   

Tech Skills: Google Drive

The Master Gardener Program’s primary mode of sharing internal documents and files is through Google Drive. This method allows us to easily communicate, edit, and share data within the MGP community. If you are unfamiliar with Google Drive, please take some time to review these training videos:

More upcoming URIMGP Continuing Education

Have something you’d like to see in The Dirt?

Please email us at thedirtnewsletteruri@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you! Have a submission related to the URI Master Gardener Program? Send it to us (in email or MS Word ONLY please) by Tuesday at 8:00 pm to include in that week’s newsletter!

Questions?

Do you have questions about the URI Master Gardener Program? Please find our leadership directory in the documents page. This will point you in the direction of the proper council member, MG leader or staff member who can answer your question.  

Stay Connected with the URIMGP!

Follow @URICoopExt on Facebook and Instagram. Not into social media? Visit the MGP website for our event listing.