Annual MASTER GARDENER RECOGNITION
& PLANT SWAP
Pot Luck Lunch 11am-1pm
September 11, Ag Hall
Suffolk County Farm, Yaphank
It’s time to honor Master Gardeners!
You’re invited to our Annual Master Gardener celebration on Wednesday, September 11. Whether you completed MG Training in 1994 or 2024, please join us. Maybe you haven’t been to a meeting or volunteering for a couple of years. No matter. Come and join the conversation and swap plants.
On the food front. Bring whatever you enjoy making including an ingredient list for those with allergies. Too, as we want to be better environmental stewards, bring your own plates, beverages, cups, napkins and utensils. Preferably NOT disposable plastic or paper as this ends up in the landfill. There’s a sink in the room so you can rinse your dishes.
A feature of this gathering. It's always a pleasure to recognize Master Gardeners for their many hours with the NY State volunteer service pins. These pins are awarded based on the following:
GREEN Pin awarded for the initial 125 hours
RED Pin awarded for 350 cumulative hours
BLUE Pin awarded for 700 cumulative hours
WHITE Pin awarded for over 1000 cumulative hours
PURPLE Pin awarded for over 1000 cumulative hours plus 20 years since MG Training
What I need from you.
Tell me WHICH pins you deserve. Thanks to those who already sent me a note.
Other pin hopefuls. As soon as you can, send me an email with a subject line: last name pins. Then identify the colors to be awarded. Are there any PURPLE PIN Master Gardeners? Come forward from the Class of 2004 and earlier. rz378@cornell.edu
The pins will be awarded at the MG Potluck. If you can’t attend, another Master Gardener may deliver. Or you can pick up your pins at the Cornell 423 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead office at a mutually convenient future date.
We’ve also had a successful Plant Swap at this event. What perennials or houseplants might thrive in a new home? Bring plants in containers, bare-rooted, or wrapped in some kind of bag. The most important piece is a label so the Master Gardener considering the plant knows what's coming to a new home. Identify plants as best you can with a piece of tape or paper. MGs should bring containers or a shopping bag to bring the goodies to your garden.
Need I remind you to wear something red and put your MG name tag on your outfit the night before? Whether or not the weather behaves, we’ll take our annual MG photo.
Looking forward to seeing you in Ag Hall for our annual celebration.
GREEN THUMBS SUMMER CAMP
I had the pleasure of attending the first and the last Green Thumbs Camp sessions at Suffolk County Farm. What was so obvious to me was that, over the seven weeks of the summer, these children had formed bonds among each other as well as developed a genuine interest in what was growing in or flying around the Children’s Garden. Our Master Gardeners enabled each of them an opportunity to explore and flourish. The campers wanted to check out how their beans, corn and cucumbers were growing before the program ended. They wanted to hold their binders with their drawings and observations. They were proud of the bird feeders they were taking home on the last day. Thanks to MG Lynn Maher’s volunteer efforts at an area community garden , the campers had access to tasty seeds, leaves, flowers and stems with which to ‘decorate’ the bird houses.
Kudos to MGs Pat Garry and Bill Weresnick who collaborated with a posse of our Master Gardeners to make the program such a success. Members of that MG posse included MGs Anne Margolis, Lynn Maher, Joan Jacobs, Don Dodge (aka the bug guy), Jean Branna, Carol Dodorico, Donna Cange, Kathy Dhundale, Bonnie Yellin, Louann Rothe, Jennifer Ferraro, Chris DeSantis, Versha Gupta and Kevin Shea. Every one of you contributed in making this program enjoyable. We’re very grateful that, thanks to your efforts, Green Thumbs Camp returned to the Children’s Garden at Suffolk County Farm. See the photos below.
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