Cornell Cooperative Extension Community Horticulture

In January 2006 Russ Welser (Ontario County) and I work together to write a grant proposal for a Request for Proposals (RFP) in Organic Farming Research, Teaching and Outreach (Towards Sustainability Foundation in the Department of Horticulture). We received a little more than $2,500 which went to Ontario County to organize a Finger Lakes Regional Organic Gardening Conference for Home Gardeners.

78 home gardeners and Master Gardener Volunteers attended the day-long conference held in Canandaigua, NY and participants’ feedback was very positive.

If you are thinking about a similar conference or program planning in this area check out Russ’ full outcomes and impacts report for the event. It includes who spoke and what the speaker spoke about, specific factsheets they handed out as well as what participants like and what they want more of. Here it is: Outcomes and Impacts

This list of most asked-about plant pathogens was created by CCE Rensselaer County educator David Chinery for the Capital Region Master Gardener Volunteer training.

Here is the list in a word document for you to download:
plant-pathogen-mgv-should-know.doc

Adapted for the Cornell Gardening Resources website by Craig Cramer:

What’s killing my plants? - Links to pictures and information about the 29 most asked-about plant pathogens in New York State. See also Master Gardener presentations and handouts on plant basic plant pathology and disease diagnosis.

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/pests/diseases.html

Do you have any learning tools to share?

Feb. 6, 2007

PULLMAN, Wash. — Gardeners of all skill levels have a new resource in the form of MasterGardener magazine and its companion Web site, www.MasterGardenerOnline.com. The first edition of the magazine has just been published.

The quarterly magazine and the Web site are a collaboration of the Washington State University Extension Master Gardeners Program and GFC Publishing. GFC is a division of the Washington State Fruit Commission, a state agency and publisher of Good Fruit Grower magazine. Good Fruit Grower long has been the bible of commercial tree fruit growers with subscribers in all 50 states and 41 countries.

“We’ve had 60 years of experience as education partners with WSU researchers and specialists in producing Good Fruit Grower,” said Master Gardener managing editor Jim Black. “MasterGardener will take the same responsible, science-based approach to bringing a better understanding of growing methods to the general public.”

The magazine will feature regular articles by WSU Extension faculty, Master Gardeners and others, including a “horticultural myths” column by extension horticulturist Linda Chalker-Scott that compares common gardening lore to scientific reality.

“The partnership of WSU Master Gardeners and Good Fruit Grower is a natural,” said Linda Kirk Fox, dean of WSU Extension. “It fits our mission in horticultural education and promoting a sustainable environment, and it fits with our goal to strengthen public-private partnerships.”

Fox said that she expects the magazine to become a “must keep” publication for subscribers.

“Knowing the quality of GFC publications, every issue will be well written with beautiful photographs to motivate all gardeners,” she said. “It will also be a critical educational tool and a great reference for the public, regardless of whether they’re casual or serious gardeners.”

The WSU Master Gardeners Program was born in 1971 in King and Pierce counties as a way for extension programs to meet growing urban demand for horticultural and landscape information. The Master Gardener concept of developing a trained network of volunteers willing to share their knowledge with the public has spread throughout the nation and to a number of other countries.

An annual subscription to the magazine is $20, and a three-year subscription is $50.

For more information, or to subscribe or advertise, call toll-free 1-800-487-9946, extension 208, or visit www.MasterGardenerOnline.com