Review And Approval of January 13, 2025, Minutes

Update on the Spring Symposium

Soil School Update

Rodney

Maryann

Nancy

Approved

Being held at the Library Rogow Room on Sat. 3/15/2025 from 9:3-12:30. Sean Boehrig of Bartlett Tree and Bart Renner will present on Tree and Shrub Health and Care.

No report given, Nancy not in attendance.

Volunteer Coordinator Update

Field Trip Coordinator:

Plant Sale Coordinator

Social Media/Calendar Coordinator

Joan VanOrman has agreed to take on the role of Field Trip Coordinator.

Joan gave a report on her planning thus far. Wing Haven in Charlotte was suggested, but Joan feels this is too far to travel.

Other suggestions include:

Southern Highland Reserve: Joan spoke with Kelly Holdbrook She is willing to do a tour for even more than 25 people if needed. They did not discuss cost, but price online is $50 each with a minimum of $500.

Bullington Gardens, visit during Dahlia Season later in the season.

NC Arboretum.

Historic Johnson Farm.

Jeter Mountain Farm, perhaps later in the year.

Lani suggested the orchid nursery in Penrose which could be visited at any time.

Beverly Hughey has volunteered to work with Maryann as the Plant Sale coordinator. Maryann mentioned that Willow Walker and Dori Miller are also interested in being involved with organizing the plant sale.

Holly Votaw agrees to continue with Facebook and Calendar of Events Coordinator.

Steve Matadobra has agreed to continue to be the videographer.

Lynn stated that Jane Cabrera and Joan VanOrman               have offered to be the Pollinator Census Coordinators

Rodney wants to thank the members of the class of 2024 for their exceptional participation. Thank you to Joan and Beverly for taking on the plant sale and tours programs.

2025 MG Class Update/New class buddy selection – action required

Addition to Agenda:

Bart to discuss new class maintaining garden in front of Extension office.

Bart has been in touch with all the applicants, and we have 15 class members. Class starts tomorrow. Quizzes and presentations are ready to go. Maryellen Farley, Joy Evans, and Mary Miller will be attending the first class in their roles as mentors. As an aside, veteran EMGs are welcome to attend any classes for a refresher. Check with Bart to make sure where the class will take place.

Seven students still need a Buddy for the soup luncheon. Joy is going to reach out to EMGs leaders who are attending the luncheon to make sure all students have a buddy to welcome and sit with them at lunch.

Bart recommended that we require the new EMG class to volunteer in the gardens in front of the Community Services Building. The goal will be to grow food and flowers in preparation for our “Kids and Chefs” 4-H program in June, in addition to any other educational programs that come up. The trainees will put in 2 hours (of their 40 required hours) maintaining this garden. FCS Agent Erin Massey, 4-H Agent Sarah Holden, and Bart will all lead workdays on Wednesdays (afternoons when it’s cold, mornings when it’s hot).

Phyllis made a motion:

The members of the Training Class will all be required to put in at least two hours of volunteer time working in the demonstration garden in front of the Community Services building under the direction of Bart Renner. Lynn Bartosh seconded the motion – the motion passed.

Finance Report

Budget Review

CD investment options

Handed out a copy of the 2024 garden budgets (attached)

The financial report this month: Account balance at the end of January $5526.02. The expenditures in January were $72.

It was decided by the board that a quarterly financial report rather than a monthly report will be adequate. Reporting months will be January, April, August, (no July meeting) and October.

Monies fluctuate so much throughout the year, we had $5000 in Jan and $8000 in June of 2024, that it is probably not worthwhile putting any funds in an interest-earning account.

Phyllis spoke with Kane Farmer at First Citizens Bank.

Money Market requires $25000 so not an option.

CD investment options would yield about $32 per year based on the current interest rates. The board does not think it is worth the aggravation of investing for such a small return.

Farmer’s Market reminder: May and August have 5 Saturdays

Please submit lesser-known events for our calendar

Reminders for upcoming events:

Indoor Seed Planting Workshop at the Library. Feb. 11^th, 10-11 a.m.

Soup Luncheon Tuesday, Feb. 11th at Rogow Room, Library

Spring Symposium, Trees and Shrubs, March 15^th, Rogow Room

Basics of Gardening, 2/22 & 3/1

Plant Sale Update, Saturday, May 10^th

Addition to Agenda: Pollinator Day with the Pisgah Collective at Allison Deavor Gardens

Bart

Maryann

Phyllis

Bart has submitted the EMG participation dates to JJ at the Farmers Market. He is reviewing the list Lani created of the questions asked by market visitors for the last two years and will use that to decide on the topics to present at the market this year.

Bart will send out the Google Sheets Farmers Market signup during the soup luncheon.

We will ask the new class members to sign up for at least one shift where they will be with veteran EMGs.

We will ask the veteran EMGS to sign up for only two slots when the signup sheet is published so everyone gets a chance to participate. Once all have been given a chance to sign up the rest of the spots will be opened up.

Saturday June 21st, we will be at the Farmers Market and Riverfest, and Bart will be with his family in Nebraska. EMG volunteers will need to be in charge of the Farmers Market booth and Riverfest booth.

Both events are on the online sign up and Bart can work with volunteers to make the arrangements for who will be in charge of the events.

Additionally, 4-H District Day is on the 21^st and is a great opportunity to do volunteer work with kids, but this is not an EMG program so speak to Sarah Holden the 4-H Agent if interested.

None were mentioned

Steve Matadobra will be presenting the Indoor Seed Starting 101 at the library on Tuesday February 11^th as the monthly educational program.

The Soup Luncheon will follow the educational program beginning at noon. People have signed up for most of the food requested already.

Maryann was planning on having all the program and garden leads have a table for signup for email lists where they have an interest. It was decided that the new class members will be told they are getting emails for all the garden work days so they can experience all of the gardens.

Veteran EMGs will be told if they aren’t on a list for a garden but want to be, they should contact the garden lead or Maryann. Leaders from programs other than gardens will have sign-up sheets for all EMGs.

We have 18 students signed up for this class as of this morning.

Due to problems acquiring native plants from Carolina Native Nursery or other vendors, Maryann and Karen Szafran have decided to forgo the Native Plants sale booth for 2025.

The Pisgah Collective School at the AD House is having a Pollinator Festival for Children on Friday, May 16th and they would like the EMGs to participate. The public will be invited to this event.

We would need to do something such as a contest, craft, tour, etc… This does meet our goal of education.

Phyllis will submit a write up for the TransPlanter to ask for volunteers and tell the Pisgah Collective people we will participate. Ask Cindy Decker to look at this as a newspaper article opportunity.

EMGV- activities for team building retention

Holiday crafts

·        Bulb planting in containers demo

·        Visits to home gardens

·        Tea party

·        Garden party

·        Picnic

·        Plant swap

·        2nd EMG only meeting later in the year. Something along the lines of the soup luncheon, but just for a social event

Phyllis and Maryann

To Do Items from 2024

In honor of Gail Comer’s love of lavender, the Board will use a $100 donation to buy new lavender plants for the Silvermont Herb Garden. Lani’s husband Rick has kindly agreed to handcraft an appropriate garden sign.

Streamlining the Farmer’s Market Booth. Create a substitute list, volunteers to find a sub if they need to cancel their shift

Create a file folder for handouts and use more

QR codes

Repair and/or replace the tents

Demo Gardens Update

What stays what goes?

Do we continue garden maintenance at Allison      Deaver House?

Develop a multi-year program strategy for gardens and succession plan for leads to ensure sustainability of MG program.

Adding an evaluation cycle to help identify the most effective approaches and demonstrate the impact of all EMG programs.

Incentivize participation at the demo gardens.

Increase communication on garden plan so MG        outside of the Board feel informed and       engaged.

Breakdown Silvermont hours by garden (Shade,     Perennial, Vegetable, Herb, Composting, etc.)

Try a “passport system” to get folks to work at a      variety of gardens

Try pairing up gardens (e.g., Library &       Silvermont) and create garden buddies.

Host special workdays at a garden to bring in a      larger group (increase interaction)

Hold a fall general membership meeting to raise awareness of board activities and generate interest in serving on the board. Canceled due to Tropical Storm Helene. Do we want to try again?

Move the Soup Luncheon to the third class so it doesn’t take place the same day as the monthly educational program. Is this a good idea?

Increase the focus and energy on the educational value of the library garden.

Board development feedback tool completed in 2024 to build Board competencies.

Agenda Addition: T Times Articles

Cindy Decker

Cindy Decker

Lani will get the lavender for the Gail Comer Lavendar Garden in April or May when the weather is appropriate for planting. Her husband Rick has completed the sign for the garden. We need to send Rick a thank you for creating the sign.

Tabled until March Meeting

Betsy thinks we should continue at the Allison Deaver House, so since she is the lead and wants to do it, we are going to continue.

via email report

Area of Expertise Questionnaire

Mindy and I met in January and got started on the questionnaire that will collect information from existing Master Gardeners on their skill areas. We plan to send out a Google Form for electronic responses and will call to follow-up for those who do not fill in the form, hoping to get a 100% response rate. We will be making our questions similar to the questions that candidates for the EMG Class fill in as part of their application process.

The next step is to send the draft form to MaryAnn and Bart for their feedback and then test it out on a couple of willing Master Gardeners before sending it to everyone.

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Maryann will update website

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Tabled until March Meeting

Emailed report from Cindy Decker

I have had good content so far this year! We had 2 articles in January and 1 so far for February. I plan to submit a second one in February as well.

I have a draft calendar for 2025 with planned articles and authors for several of the articles, and will try for at least 2 articles a month.

I would like to separate the monthly “Things to Do in the Garden” content, which has already been written and we re-use it each year, and rather than submit it with the first article of the month, just send it as an article all on its own, with a graphic to make it more noticeable. I find the combined content too long, and I’d like to emphasize the monthly to-do’s, so they get more attention. Any objections to this approach?

Adjourned 12:15 p.m.