The Dirt – November 9, 2018: 2018 Honorary Master Gardener

What’s Inside:

2018 Honorary Master Gardener, Answering Questions about Marijuana, URI Travel Course to Peru, Help Wanted, Continuing Education

2018 Honorary Master Gardener: Kathie Kelleher

Submission and photograph by Rosemary Smith, URIMPG Class of 2008

When Kathie Kelleher moved to Narragansett, she loved walking the trails of her neighboring 170-acre Canonchet Farm. When a group tried to develop a polo field in the farm by tearing down trees and stonewalls, Kathie went into action and helped establish the not-for-profit Friends of Canonchet Farm which is dedicated to protecting and improving the area. Purchased by the Town of Narragansett, with Federal Open Space Funds, Canonchet Farm’s potential was yet to be realized.

Kathie works with the Narragansett Parks and Recreation Department and the RI Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), securing applications and permits to remove invasive species from the coastal ponds and the walking trails. The CRMC approved the Friends of Canonchet Farm plan six years ago and the URI Master Gardeners were welcomed to the project to help train the volunteers in the best practices of removing invasive plants and planting native species. There are more than 100 volunteers who have worked this project and 40% of them are Master Gardeners.

The Canonchet Farm Habitat Restoration Project became a model and Canonchet Farm is used by many URI classes. Members of the URI CELS/CRMC Invasive Plant Management Program use the site as a field trip for its yearly class. Other URI faculty and their students use the coastal ponds and trails for the study of invasive plants, restoring habitat, vernal pools and geology.

Every organization needs a lead person and Kathie Kelleher is that. She communicates to all the needs of Canonchet Farm and keeps volunteers informed of work project goals, tours of trails, and Sunday afternoon themed walks. Kathie Kelleher deserves recognition for her service to Canonchet Farm, the statewide invasive plant initiative, the MG Land Stewardship focus, and her personal dedication to educating the public and Master Gardener volunteers about restoring the native environment.

Answering Questions About Marijuana

Under the Controlled Substances Act, production and possession of all forms of marijuana—medical or recreational—is illegal and considered a federal crime. State laws in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are inconsistent with federal law. Please note that conflicting state and federal laws do not nullify the federal law, placing the university at risk of losing all federal funding if URI Master Gardeners advise members of the public on cultivation of marijuana. Therefore, please be advised that URI Master Gardeners will not provide advice or guidance of any kind related to marijuana in their capacity as volunteer educators. If you have any questions about this policy, please email Kate Venturini at kate@uri.edu.

NEWS & INFORMATION

URI Travel Course to Peru (Spring 2019)

This course is for you if you are: a Master Gardener, an aspiring Global Communication activist/specialist, a Spanish major, a Peace Corps Prep student, a Latin America enthusiast, a policy wonk or a Sustainability minor.

As a participant of this program, you will:

  • Work directly with award-winning Quechua-speaking change agents, recognized for advances 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)

Dates: March 10-17, 2019
Program fee: $3,250 (all expenses included: airfare, ground transport, lodging, world heritage park fees, meals)
Application deadline: December 1

URI Visitor Parking Online Registration

URI’s Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center officially opened at the end of September and with the new building come changes to campus visitor parking locations and procedures. Visitor parking is available behind the Higgins Welcome Center. Visitor parking spots are designated but visitors are permitted to park in any spot in the lot.

Prior to arrival on campus, guests must register their car in the University’s online parking system. According to the URI website:

All visitors parking a vehicle on the Kingston Campus between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday must register their car in the University’s parking system before arrival. Visitor passes are not required on weekends, holidays or from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays.

Consult the updated campus map for designated parking lots and keep the new visitor parking process in mind when attending URIMGP meetings and events!

Mishnock 4-H Alumni and Friends Barn Blast

Every year, the RI 4-H Club Foundation sponsors a 4-H Friends and Alumni Event called the Mishnock Barn Blast.  It’s a great afternoon of country line dancing, a fabulous buffet,and a raffle of all the prizes in our annual “40 for 4-H” raffle. This year the Barn Blast will be held Sunday, November 18 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm.  Tickets are only $23 per person. You can also register online through the Foundation website.

2018 URIMGP Annual 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.

 

Save the Date: Rhode Island Food System Summit

Friday, January 18, 2019  
9:00 am–2:00 pm (Formal program) & 2:30 pm–5 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 and 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 the key areas of the state’s food strategy. The formal program runs 9:00 am–2:00 pm with lunch provided, followed by optional tours of food-related businesses from 2:30 pm–5 pm. Stay tuned for the full schedule and agenda!

For more information or to sign up for future event announcements, please contact Gus Cantwell at 401-874-2596 or at angus_cantwell@uri.edu.

MG Quick Tip: White-tailed Deer

Photo by Mike’s Birds, Flickr

  • Native herbivore that can damage plantings
  • Barriers and repellents work best
  • Some plants are never touched and others are regular fare
  • They are carriers of deer ticks

For more info, check the URI Department of Environmental Management factsheet.

HELP WANTED

Poinsettia Sale Crew Member

Come support the Poinsettia Project and its crew members with their Poinsettia sale. Start the Holiday season by volunteering a couple of hours, pick up a poinsettia or two and spread some holiday cheer. What better way to start the holiday season than spending time with friends and other Master Gardeners. Sale hours Friday, November 30, 11:00 am–4:00 pm, and Saturday, December 1, 9:00 am–12:00 pm. Contact Kathy Larson at klarsonrn@cox.net if interested.

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

NEW! Starting a RI Native Plant Garden
Tuesday, November 27 I 7:00–8:30 pm
US Fish and Wildlife Kettle Pond Visitors Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown, RI

This presentation, given by David Vissoe, the Project Leader of the Kettle Pond Native Plant Demonstration Garden, will discuss the rationale and practical steps for planting a home garden to serve native pollinators — from site assessment, design, plant selection, site preparation, planting and maintenance. Three of the 20 garden plots will demonstrate the process using visuals of those plots through a six-month period.  Participants will receive information on pollinator plant and bee nesting habitats, as well as Kettle Pond garden plot maps showing the position of each plant and common and Latin names. Kettle Pond’s seed collection program will also be discussed.

NEW! 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 chain saws and most string trimmers. The final class will be a discussion of maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs.

The class consists of three sessions held in three consecutive weeks and is limited to 10 participants. Registration includes all three sessions (it is not possible to register for only one session). Please register in Volgistics.

Rare Plants of New England and their Conservation
Saturday, November 10 | 2:00–4:30 pm
University of Rhode Island, 7 Greenhouse Rd., Pharmacy Building 170

Bill Brumback, Conservation Director, New England Wild Flower Society, will talk about  rare species of the region, reasons for their rarity, and the actions we can take to conserve them. Among other topics, he will discuss efforts to manage rare plant populations, bank seeds of rare species, and augment wild populations.

Bill Brumback began his work with native plants as the Propagator for the New England Wild Flower Society and has been the Conservation Director since 1990, focusing on conservation of the endangered plants of the region, including seed banking and invasive species management. His work has included propagation and transplanting of Robbins’ cinquefoil (Potentilla robbinsiana) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as part of the successful effort to remove this species from the U.S. Endangered Species List; development of the regional list of plants in need of conservation (Flora Conservanda 1996 and 2012); production of the recent field manual for plants of the region (Flora Novae Angliae); and Go Botany, a Society website for the identification of the region’s plants. He has been studying the rare native orchid, small whorled pogonia (Isotria medeoloides), for 30 years and still doesn’t understand it.

Please RSVP for this event at www.RIWPS.org.

Drip Irrigation
Wednesday, November 14 | Time TBD
Beechwood Center for Life Enrichment, 44 Beach St., North Kingstown, RI

URI Master Gardener Rudi Hempe will discuss how to water plants efficiently through drip irrigation and the environmental benefits of this system. If interested in attending, please contact Rayna Wilcox, Volunteer/Program Coordinator, at The Beechwood Center for Life Enrichment at 401-268-1594; or email her at RWilcox@northkingstown.org.  These programs are offered to members and the public at no charge.  Master Gardeners receive education credits for attending.

UMASS Extension Fall Wrap-Up
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 | 8:30 am–4:00 pm
Hadley Farms Meeting House, Hadley, MA

Join UMass Extension Specialists for a look at the challenges and problems of the 2018 season. Attendees can choose to attend either the morning or afternoon sessions or go for the entire day. Please see http://ag.umass.edu/landscape/events/fall-wrap-up.

MORNING SESSION – Woody Ornamentals. Topics include Invasive Insects in Massachusetts; 2018 Updates; What We Saw in the Plant Diagnostic Lab in 2018; and Managing Tough Landscape Weeds.

AFTERNOON SESSION – Turf. Topics include Best Management Practices for Managing Grassy Weeds in Turf; Strategies for Managing Turf Damaging Pests in an IPM System; and BMPs that Maximize Turfgrass Tolerance to Stress and Pests.

Go to http://ag.umass.edu/landscape/upcoming-events or contact UMass Extension at (413) 545-0895 for registration.

Ecological Landscape Alliance Webinars

November 2018

All webinars have a small fee, so be sure to read the description and register through the ELA site.

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