The Dirt – November 30, 2018: Poinsettias, Rudi’s Rangers Ride Again

What’s Inside:

Poinsettia sale, Onwards and Upwards with Rudi’s Rangers, Lots of volunteer activities, Love the winter for Continuing Ed possibilities

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Run, Don’t Walk to the 2018 URIMGP Poinsettia Sale

Friday, November 30 I 11:00am-4:00pm
Saturday, December 1 I 9:00am-12:00pm
URI East Farm, Rt 108, Kingston, RI

Each year, the URIMGP participates in the North American poinsettia trials, assisting two breeders (Beekenkamp and Dummen) who send around 25 varieties of poinsettias to be grown in our East Farm greenhouses. URIMGP  growing notes report our results to the breeders and include information about growth stages, leaf structure, bloom, and color. This year, we have over 2,000 individual plants of 25 varieties for sale! Plants are sold on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.

Rangers Complete New Cold-Frame House

Submitted by Rudi Hempe, Class of 1999, URIMGP Operations Planning Coordinator

Rudi’s Rangers recently put the finishing touches on a 92’ x 17’ cold-frame structure at East Farm that will be used to harden off vegetable and ornamental plants next spring. The $5,000 structure, approved by the URI Master Gardener Program Council, replaces the 16 hardening-off modules that were located in the area between the Hempe and Garcia greenhouses at East Farm. While the modules, designed by MG Hall of Famer Gordon Jones, worked well, they were prone to wind damage and had to be repaired periodically. The new cold frame has metal ribs that support a single layer of plastic. The unique feature of the new structure is four roll-up sides. Half of the house will be used for vegetable plants and the other half for ornamentals. Crews who tend the plants will be able to adjust ventilation independently. Special geared cranks roll the sides up and down effortlessly.

The floor of the cold frame is a double layer of weed blocking fabric. There are no benches: flats will be placed on top of the fabric floor. The cold frame has no heat, forced ventilation or electricity. The end walls, built from scratch by the Rangers, consist of Smart Panel walls that are impervious to moisture. Double-width doors on each end are wide enough to allow access by motorized garden vehicles such as the Easy-Go and Gator machines. The old hardening-off modules will be recycled for use at a Providence community garden.

Champlin Foundation Awards Master Gardener Foundation Grant for Veterans’ Home Greenhouse

Submitted by Rudi Hempe, Class of 1999, Vice Chair and Secretary, MG Foundation of RI

The Champlin Foundation awarded a $95,000 grant to the Master Gardener Foundation of RI, Inc. for the construction of a 60’ x 24’ rigid greenhouse at the new Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol. The greenhouse, which will be used as a therapy facility for disabled veterans, will enable the continuation of the URI MGP’s oldest project, one that garnered a national award 20 years ago.

The old veterans’ home was torn down a couple of years ago, along with the aged, wooden greenhouse to make way for the new $250 million facility that now houses more than 100 veterans. Earlier this year, Rudi’s Rangers and other Master Gardeners built several raised beds for the veterans. The raised beds ring the facility on patios where veterans can grow flowers and vegetables. The new greenhouse will expand horticulture possibilities so that residents of the home can work inside, assisted by Master Gardeners.

When the old greenhouse was demolished, John Twomey approached the Master Gardener Foundation of RI, a non-profit support organization, with the idea of seeking a grant to pay for a new greenhouse. The MG Foundation, which has raised more than $200,000 in grants for the Master Gardener Program over the years, sent in the application. Champlin Foundation officials visited the site and awarded the grant.

The greenhouse will have rigid polycarbonate panels supported by a steel structure. It will have several features to accommodate the handicapped. Rudi’s Rangers will erect most of the structure, and professional contractors will be hired to perform licensed aspects of the project. Construction of the greenhouse will begin as soon as weather permits next spring. Once completed, ownership of the greenhouse will be turned over to the RI Veterans’ Home. Heading up the site project work for the Rangers will be John Twomey, Bob Walker, and Brian Pagliaroni with Rudi Hempe and Chuck Dawson as overall coordinators.

The MG Foundation will accept tax-deductible donations for the project. Checks can be sent to the Master Gardener Foundation of RI, Inc., Box 1515 Kingston, RI with RI Veterans’ Home project on the subject line of the check.

NEWS & INFORMATION

Impact of Climate Change in the Northeast

The Providence Journal highlights findings from the recent National Climate Assessment written by scientists from NASA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy.

Yale e360 pulls together news on environmental issues. A recent map posting shows world-side changes in land use over the past two decades. 

Study on Neonicotinoid Insecticides

UMass Amherst extension reports on the impact of neonicotinoids on honeybees, as well as outlining steps gardeners can take to support pollinators.

Library Moment

As we tuck in our URIMGP projects at the end of the outdoor gardening year, prepare our own gardens for a rest, and plan ahead for winter activities, ‘tis the season for reading and thinking about gardens. Tovah Martin, garden guru and author, published a thoughtful book earlier this year, The Garden in Every Sense and Season, that proposes moving away from the eternal to-do list and enjoying our gardens through all periods of the year. Martin illustrates her experiences with inspiring photos from her own garden in western Massachusetts and liberally sprinkles jimmies of advice while urging us to indulge our senses outdoors. She’s on the lecture/book signing circuit, and her website shows where she will speak in the coming months.

 

Aquaculture Information Session

December 6, 2018 | 1:00-4:00 pm
Save the Bay, Save the Bay Drive, Providence, RI 02905

Please RSVP by Saturday, December 1, to join an information session on aquaculture where risk management representatives from USDA, URI’s Risk Management Program, and RI state offices will discuss aquaculture risk management. Farm loan staff will be available for consultations.

Speakers and topics:

  • W. Michael Sullivan, PhD, USDA State Executive Director Farm Services, introduction
  • Dale Leavitt, Professor of Aquaculture, Roger Williams University: new grow techniques and products for the Rhode Island and Northeastern markets
  • David Beutel, RI Coastal Resources Management Council, Chief of Aquaculture Siting: permitting and surviving in Rhode Island waters
  • Thomas Sproul, Professor of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, URI: risk management
  • Growers’ panel to offer Rhode Island aquaculture advice and discuss experiences

Register with Peggy Siligato (401-874-5997) at URI or USDA Farm Service Agency County Office (401-828-3120, opt. 2).

URIMGP SPRING GARDEN SYMPOSIUM
Explore New Paths To Gardening

Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 8:30 am–4:00 pm
URI CBLS (accessible facility)

Winter is barely here and you’re already thinking about spring. Mark your calendar for the 9th annual URI Master Gardener Program Spring Garden Symposium, Explore New Paths to Gardening, on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at the Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences at URI, Kingston, RI. Join other gardeners for a fun and informative day as you learn new ways to look at your gardens and implement different methods.

Speakers and topics include:

  • 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

Continental breakfast, lunch, educational booths, vendors, Q & A, and speakers’ book signing are all parts of the day. Early Bird tickets are available from Dec. 4, 2018, to Feb. 1, 2019, for $65.00. After February 1, 2019, the price will be $75.00. For more information, please check the URIMGP website.

HELP WANTED

Proofread/Edit the URIMGP Garden Tour Guidebook

The Garden Tour Guidebook editing and proofreading session takes place Thursday, December 13, at 10:00 am–12:00 pm in the conference room, Mallon Outreach Center, 3 East Alumni Ave., Kingston, RI. If interested, please contact Mary Ann Buckley.

Public Presentation Manager

Our Educational Services Coordinator is looking for candidates for the Public Presentation Manager position. The person filling this role will be working with an assistant to lead the process of engaging URI Master Gardener volunteers in presenting a variety of horticultural topics to the public. Hosts are typically public libraries, educational institutions, garden clubs, businesses, and similar organizations. Typical tasks include creating and maintaining an Excel master schedule of upcoming presentations, following up with hosts upon receiving requests, engaging speakers for the various requests, and debriefing speakers after the event. Basic computer and Excel skills along with professional communication and organizational skills are beneficial for this position. The position is perfect for a volunteer who has a flexible schedule, and most of the work can be done at home. If you’d like to join the team, please contact Stephanie Serino.

Co-leader for Good Shepherd Community Garden

Jeff Faria, project leader for the Church of the Good Shepherd Community Garden in Pawtucket, is looking for a co-leader to help with organizing activities and education there. The Parish of the Good Shepherd offers community space for neighbors who live in two- and three-family houses with no garden space of their own. This garden group hopes to be a model for other community gardens in Pawtucket and beyond.  Interested Master Gardeners, please contact Jeff Faria (401-556-6804).

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden Co-Leader

Jaime Nash, the project leader for the Edible Forest Garden at Roger Williams Park, just below the Botanical Center greenhouses, is looking for a co-leader to help him with organizing volunteer work sessions and activities, participating in project leader events and meetings, coordinating project reporting and outcomes, and representing the EFG project at MGP events as needed.

The Edible Forest Garden is a habitat-rich, food-producing, urban ecosystem designed around permaculture ethics and principles. It features unconventional plants, such as hardy kiwis, hazelnut, and American Chestnut trees and demonstrates permaculture techniques, including herb spirals, a keyhole garden, and hugelkultur gardening. Master Gardeners interested in this opportunity, please contact jaime_nash@yahoo.com (401-447-8100).

CONTINUING EDUCATION

URI Travel Course to Peru (Spring 2019)
Registration deadline: Saturday, December 1
Course dates: March 10-19, 2019

Join other Master Gardeners, Global Communication activists/specialists, Spanish majors, Peace Corps Prep students, Latin America enthusiasts, policy wonks, and Sustainability minors to:

  • Work directly with award-winning Quechua-speaking change agents to expand bio-intensive farming throughout the Peruvian highlands and the Andes—the world’s heart and lungs–where there is a global focus on resilience and global change
  • Work directly on UN, FAO, WHO, and globally-recognized international development field projects
  • Work with seasoned field practitioners, agronomists, historians, multicultural story tellers, and language specialists to evaluate community-level perspectives on low- water use agriculture
  • Be a part of a breakthrough for food security in the Peruvian highlands
  • Earn three credits during Spring Break (course: COM 310)

Program fee: $3,250 (all expenses included: airfare, ground transport, lodging, world heritage park fees, meals).

Small Engine Basics
Tuesdays, December 4, 11, and 18 | 6:30–8:30 pm
University of Rhode Island, East Farm Building 75

This class, led by Carl Sawyer, is an introduction to single cylinder air-cooled engines common to home landscape equipment and is intended for Master Gardeners with little knowledge or experience with engines. We will discuss the function of various components as we disassemble and reassemble several engines.

In the first session, we will look at the components and operation of four-stroke cycle engines found on mowers and rototillers. In the second session, we will go over two-stroke cycle engines found on chainsaws and most string trimmers. The final class will be a discussion of maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs.

This three-session class is held in three consecutive weeks and is limited to ten participants. Registration in Volgistics includes all three sessions. It is not possible to register for only one session.

Rhode Island Food System Summit
Friday, January 18, 2019
9:00 am–2:00 pm (formal program) & 2:30 pm–5:00 pm (optional tours)
URI’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences

The University of Rhode Island will once again host the third annual Rhode Island Food System Summit in early 2019. Registration opens in November. Join government, business, and community partners as we discuss the implementation of the Rhode Island Food Strategy and how we can support the food sector and our state into the future. The event takes place at URI’s Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences and will include a panel discussion and break-out sessions to discuss key components of the state’s food strategy. The formal program runs from 9:00 am–2:00 pm with lunch provided, followed by optional tours of food-related businesses from 2:30–5:00 pm. For more information and to register, please visit the Rhode Island Food Center at URI webpage.

Ecological Landscape Alliance Webinars

December 2018

Register through the ELA site where you can also find information on the organization’s other educational events.

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.

March 2, 2019
9 am – 3 pm		 URIMGP Garden Symposium
URI Kingston
June 17-21, 2019
TBD		 International Master Gardener Conference
Valley Forge, PA
June 29 & 30, 2019
TBD		 URIMGP’s Gardening with the Masters Tour
Gardens statewide