Donate Fresh Produce This Season 

Cultivate Iowa is a program sponsored by the Iowa Food Systems Council's Food Access and Health Work Group (of which Denny is a part) promoting fresh produce donation and food gardening. The group's goal is to create a sustainable future and healthier communities in Iowa.

1. Four Master Gardener projects were selected as Search for Excellence Award winners. Projects receiving the awards will be officially presented during the Master Gardener Summer Session in July. We'll also be featuring them in upcoming newsletters.
2. Master Gardener training for the coming year was discussed. Fall training Adobe Connect classes will start on September 24 with a registration deadline of September 13. Class on Campus dates for fall will be Saturday October 12 and 19. We will explore the possibility of offering the winter training classes on Thursday evenings rather than Tuesdays. A final decision will be made by June.
3. Related to the new Memorandum of Understanding between county extension councils and Iowa State University, which indicates that all new extension volunteers must undergo background checks, the basic cost of Master Gardener training will increase to $195. The increase will assist counties in covering the cost of background checks. This agreement is effective July 1, 2013.
4. Minimum standards were established for Lifetime Master Gardener status. Effective January 1, 2014, the state minimum standard to achieve Lifetime Master Gardener status is 10 years of service AND 1,500 hours of volunteer service.
5. The State Master Gardener Advisory Committee recommends that all local Master Gardener groups or associations run all their finances through the county extension council in order to be in compliance with state statutes. Because county extension accounting systems are changing this year, this is a perfect opportunity to make the change for groups who are not already doing so.
6. Discussion was also held about use of the Master Gardener logo. Because the logo includes the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach logo, it is trademarked. All uses of the logo on apparel or other promotional items require prior approval from the ISU trademark office. Items for sale in the Extension Distribution Online Store have already been approved. (See the following article on items for purchase.) If you have ideas for other Master Gardener items not currently for sale, send them to Cindy or Denny, and we'll explore options available.

University of Illinois Extension currently has 8 free IPM modules online for Master Gardener continuing education. The topics are: bacterial leaf scorch, brown marmorated stink bug, sudden oak death, thousand canker disease, spruce problems, downy mildew on basil and impatiens, emerald ash borer, and bur oak blight. The modules include information and pictures of the pathogen or pest, host plants, symptoms, diagnosis, and management strategies.  

Participants must create a login and password to access the modules. After studying the material presented in the module, participants take a short quiz. They must repeat the quiz until they receive a perfect score and then they are directed to an online evaluation of the module. When finished, the participant is able to print out a certificate, which validates their completion of the module. Each module takes about ½ hour to complete. Check with your local coordinator in Iowa to get approval for Master Gardener continuing education credits (½ hour for each segment) for completion of these IPM course modules.

To access the modules go to: http://mg.cropsci.illinois.edu/ 

Alaska Flowers, Fjords & Friends 

Join nearly 1000 other Master Gardeners from around the U.S. and Canada at the 2013 International Master Gardener Conference, which will be held September 7-14, aboard an Alaskan cruise ship. If you go, you'll need to register for the conference and book your stay on the ship at the conference website. 

Are you a photography buff? Each year the Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Calendar is based on a theme. For 2015 the theme will be garden whimsy. As you're out and about this year, if you see and photograph images that fit the garden whimsy theme, we'd be interested in seeing them for consideration for inclusion in the 2015 calendar. Minimum quality standards for the photos are: 300 d.p.i. for a 9 x 12 inches landscape orientation. Images may be jpg or tiff format. Deadline for submission of images will be March 1, 2014. That gives you plenty of time to create and photograph some fabulously fun garden art.

Please email your entries to Cindy or Denny or mail a DVD or jump drive containing the high-res images to us at 106 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. Photographers will be credited in the calendar, but there is no monetary compensation for selected images.

For the past 9 years, Master Gardener Patricia Baumler has planned, planted and cared for the Maple Crest Manor Perennial Garden, providing a connection with beauty and nature for the residents of this nursing home in Fayette. Horticulture therapy projects such as this can add significantly to quality of life for Iowa residents. Thanks, Patricia for your devoted volunteer efforts!