September 22, 2014, Club Bulletin, #525

Program for September 22, 2014: Muscatine's Farmers Markets ... J. DeFosse & M. Morris

Invocation by:

Happy News: Marv Krieger, Jim Stein, Mike Hagerty and Harvey Allbee for Kip Fisher were happy over the Iowa State win!! over Iowa.

Announcements: Keith Porter informed the club of the unexpected death of Dick and Mary Jo Stanley's daughter Sarah. Judi Holdorf explained the District Governor's Coat Challenge and our club's goal of 100 coats or $20 per member.  She also reported that the Kids First Fund has started the Challenge with the purchase of 25 coats!! Karen Diercks encouraged participation in the October 9, 2014 Vintner's Dinner to support Kids First.  Tickets are $35 a person.  Melanie Alexander showed a brief video clip of the upcoming Joybox Express Activity at the Muscatine Art Center. A funfilled afternoon at the Art Center on September 28, 2014,

Program: Sue Cradick, President of the Master Gardeners provided an informative program on the volunteer groups activities in the community, as well as, explaining how one becomes a Master Gardener.  In Muscatine there are about 60 active Master Gardeners who have a booth at the Farmer's Market, have plant sales, support community gardens at the schools, share their gardens at Garden Walks and have fun planting flowers around the community such as at the Mississippi River Bridge. Their biggest project is the Art of Gardening which they cosponsor with Muscatine Community College in the Spring.  This workshop brings in speakers and experts who share new techniques and their expert knowledge with participants.

To become a Master Garden one must take 17 2-3 hour classes about soil, insects, annuals and etc. to become certified.  Master Gardeners then must serve as interns serving 40 hours of plant related projects in the community. Master Gardeners keep up their certification by taking additional education classes and then doing volunteer work.  In the future annual education will be 12 hours of classes and 20 hours of volunteering.

Persons interested in the classes should check with the local Muscatine County Extension Office to find out about offerings.