Minutes MGV Meeting August 13 2020

• The August Master Gardener Volunteer virtual meeting took place via Zoom hosted by Kristen Eisenhouer and presided by Carol Smith and Pam Baytos.  Carol started the meeting off by leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Eric said to watch the next newsletter for information about the new MGV and OCVN volunteers.  Pam asked about counting volunteer hours for this year. Eric replied that you can do some volunteer work now or wait till after the pandemic is over.  Just make sure you are following social distancing guidelines if doing something in person. There are many, many things you can do without going out of the house or being around people. Articles can be written and classes can be given or taken along with some local observation and community service. There is great flexibility with hours. Contact Eric if you have specific quesetions.
• If you are interested in teaching a class, call or send Kristen an email.  She will show you how to give a Zoom presentation. We would like to keep everyone engaged, and have ways to connect when fall and winter come so we can be supportive of each other (and talk about something other than the pandemic!)
• Eric commented about Valley Grows articles in the newspaper.  If you do not want to write an article, you may want to write a plug for the page.  (e.g.  Roses looking bad?  Find out what diseases you might have by checking out this fact sheet).  Send the plug and the fact sheet to Eric.
• Dave commented that the Pest and Plant Clinic has been doing good and they have answered well over 100 questions so far this season.
• Pam reported that Garden Art has been currently doing online classes.  The next class will be doing a leaf casting demonstration.  If anyone wants to do any type of garden or floral type of class let us know.
• Theresa commented on Local Flavor. We will be having the Garden Party on August 24th for the youth in the Good Nature Garden Partners program . We will have social distancing along with face mask protocol.  We will be doing a trunk load competition by putting garden items in the trunk of the car or on a table for display. Gardeners are still working with the children.
• Kary reported the Junior Master Gardeners garden at St Pats is doing well. The sun flowers are looking great and (5) dandelion detective kits have been given out.
• Theresa said instead of decorating a tree at Fellows we could decorate a tree at the OSU extension office this year if possible.
• Kristen said the Wreath for Veterans Program has been approved for December 12th at 10:00 am.  It will be held at the cemetery near Lake Milton off of Grandview. We have an exemption from OSU to do this in-person program. Mike is planning the details with Chester and will get the wreaths ordered.
• Eric commented on the Recognition Banquet. It will be held Dec 3rd at 6:00pm. This years banquet will be a surprise!!   “ More to Come!!! ”
• Kristen commented on the OSU Extension Office Grounds Committee.  The 2nd meeting of the committee had a clean up of the landscaping on August 3rd.  Mike wanted to thank Bob. Pat, Henrietta, Chester, Natalie, Diana, Rhonda, and Rick for a nice job.  Next clean up session is Tuesday August 25th at 4:00 pm till 7:00pm.  By this fall Eric, Margaret and Sheila are going to mark and display the names of plants in the pollinator garden ( south west corner of the property ) and the landscape around the extension office.
• Marge reported on the Smucker House Gardens in Salem. There is plan for planting the garden area and the project is moving forward with great enthusiasm.
• Pinky reported on the pollinator garden in Waterworth Memorial Park in Salem. She welcomes all to come and see the garden. It has come a long way in a short time.
• Eric displayed a paniculata hydrangea.( great star hydrangea). This is one of the few fertile flowers that give a lot of pollen and nectar which is good nutrition for the pollinators into the fall.  The paniculata gets about 7’ tall.  The limelight by the office gets about 10’ tall. The vanilla strawberry 8’ tall and bobo will say under 30” .
• Danita received mystery seeds from China in the mail. (Unsolicited seed packets sent out from China to mailboxes all over the country.) She called the USDA and reported it.  She dropped the seeds off at the Trumbull County Extension Office.  Eric answered question about the seeds during a radio broadcast on WKBN radio.
• Carol will be doing a Zoom presentation on September 15th at 11:00 am on her trip to Ecuador also Carol and Johanne will be doing a Zoom presentation on herbal teas.

Meeting Adjourned. Next meeting Thursday, September 10th.

– Rick Patterson  Secretary  MGV

Minutes MGV Meeting July 9th 2020

• The July Master Gardener Volunteer virtual meeting took place via Zoom hosted by Lori Moff and Kristen Eisenhower and presided by Carol Smith and Pam Baytos. Carol started the meeting by leading us off with the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Eric commented about getting the Coffee with the Master Gardeners program back to operational via zoom .  If you are on the schedule for presenting a program Haley or Kristen will contact you and train you on using a Zoom presentation.
• Eric also commented on the newspaper’s Valley Grows section. We not only appear in the Youngstown Vindicator but we also are in the Warren Tribune.  We are getting help from writers in Trumbull and Portage county groups as well.  They are getting training through Haley and Kristen’s zoom workshops. The Valley Grows articles appear in the two newspapers every Monday and is two pages at this time. Eric asked Danita Davis if the Trumbull group voiced any interest at their last meeting regarding writing articles for the Valley Grows section of the newspapers. She thinks there is a lot of interest in doing so.
• Kristen reported on the Pest and Plant Clinic commenting that the committee has served 100 people so far this season with answers to gardening questions.
• Pam commented we are doing a few Zoom presentations for the Art in the Garden committee.
• Eric said the recognition banquet ‘could’ take place at the Extension Office, but perhaps we will have to switch it up to something outside. This will depend on any rules regarding OSU events and health department regulations. Any ideas on the subject would be appreciated. Lori asked anyone wanting to serve on the committee send her an email.
• Carol said that the Publicity Committee needs a chair person. If anyone is interested, contact Carol
• Kristen commented about Good Nature Garden Partners. They have been meeting every month via zoom after the seed/plant distribution earlier this summer. They have had presenters keeping up with the education for the group on gardening.
• Carol reported the Field Trip Committee needs a chairperson and members.
• Theresa commented on the Fellows Christmas Tree Committee. The Davis Center is not open yet and they usually do not get the tree until August.
• Marilyn reported there will be a virtual presentation of state awards at the State Conference this September. The state conference is virtual via zoom.
• Eric reported we have the exemptions for the Grounds Committee work. An email was sent to all MGVs. We can only have 10 members at a time work on the grounds with social distancing and no health check required. Check your email Eric sent for basic question about covid 19  that you must answered about yourself before you attend. Sheila Cubick might need some help with the pollinator garden. Contact her if you are interested. There are three gardens in Salem that can use some help if you are interested. One garden is in  Waterworth Memorial Park by the duck pond. The other 2 gardens are at the Ruth Smucker House and Burchfield Museum. They want to use these gardens for food pantries.  Contact Marilyn or Angie Keshock in Columbiana County office if you are interested.
• Eric reported that Wreathes for Veterans is still a go and should not be a problem. If interested in helping contact Mike Beaudis or Chester Kaschak. UPDATE – We have official approval to do this and will be in contact with details. Please work with the chairs if you are already a committee member. There may be some restrictions based on the event site. Details to come.
• Kary says the Junior Master Gardener Program is going well.  Dandelion detective kits have been ordered for each child. The kits deal with weeds in the yard that attract pollinators.  The group meets on Wednesdays at 5:30pm.  It is a 4-H after school program.
• Kristen reported that she and Haley will be offering another writing class on July 22nd in the evening.
• If any MGV is interested in doing a presentation for the Coffee Series, email her and she will put you on the list to be trained on Zoom. It is pretty simple to do. We will help you and provide support. Eric commented there are many opportunities to present programs using the internet that can be mentioned in the Valley Grow section.
• Nancy Brundage thanked the group for the beautiful cards and messages she received in sympathy for the loss of her husband George.
• The new class of master gardeners introduced themselves to the group. Several were on the call.
• Marilyn gave a reminder for mentors of master gardeners to keep in contact with their interns.
• Patty Basic asked about why white pine trees are dying. Eric responded saying we have had a lot of stress for shallow rooted evergreens the last few years, water stress by sitting in clay soil, not drying out till late September, high temperatures in May, and then no rain.  Eric will send out a message addressing the problem of watering during a drought.  The climatologist Aaron Wilson suggests that drought conditions will last around this area until late September. Look also for fungal pathogens by pulling off needles and bring them to the clinic.
• Theresa asked about a Japanese Beetle problem, Eric suggested picking them off because they are really lazy and put them in a bucket of soapy water.  However, the larvae will not survive these drought conditions to problems next year.
• Bill Snyder address the group by saying he should be back fairly soon.
• Carolyn asked if anyone would be interested in a field trip to a lavender farm near Wooster. If you are interested in going text her at 330 519 8323
• Lil told the group about going to Clara Miller’s at Perennial Post in Middlefield, It’s open Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays.

Meeting Adjourned at 7:30pm, next meeting Thursday August 13th

Rick Patterson  Secretary  MGV