Sunshine Weekly Weeder Newsletter
15 May 2015
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
All Gardener's Meeting/Workday
Saturday, May 30, Work day starts at 8:00 am, All Gardener's Meeting, 10:00 am
The short meeting will be followed by a Q & A about insects featuring Wizzie Brown, the county entomologist. Gardeners can also bring in samples of insect damage or the insects. There will be refreshments in the trailer both before and after the meeting,
Slate of Candidates
- President: Jeff Monks
- Vice President: Jim Willmann
- Treasurer: Caroline Limaye
- Director: Shannon Posern
Compost Tea
There will be compost tea ready for use on SATURDAY and it will be available until it runs out. It has to brew about a day so it is NOT ready today - Friday.
Tomato Canning
The tomato canning event at the Sustainable food center will be held on Saturday, June 20th. Please let Ila know if you are interested in attending. More detail to follow.
Service Hours
Service Hours must be worked and recorded online by gardeners before the defined semi-annual close of each of two service semesters. YOU WILL BE BILLED FOR UNWORKED HOURS. The following excerpt comes from the current SCG Site Rules:
SERVICE HOURS
- Full plots: 8 hours per six month season. Half plots: 4 hours per six month season. Quarter plots: 4 hours per six month season. Unworked service hours are billed at $30 per hour for first two hours, $10 per hour for subsequent hours,
- For each plot, regardless of size, one additional hour each season is due in service to the sponsorship between Sunshine Community Garden and TSBVI. A $50.00 fee will be assessed for this hour of unworked TSVBI service.
- While the garden seasons run from Feb. 1 to July 31 and Aug. 1 to Jan. 31, service hour periods run from Jan. 1 through June 30 and July 1 through Dec. 31. This is to simplify billing.
There are two deadlines for completing service hours June 30 and Dec. 31. The cutoff for service hours is one month before gardening plot fees are due. That is, service hours run one month ahead of the actual semester end. This is done in order to send out bills.
If you have any questions about service hours, please contact your zone coordinator.
Education Committee Looking for Volunteers
The Education Committee is looking for fun creative individuals to join our team to help complete several projects. If you are interested, please join us at our next meeting on May 23 in the trailer at 2:00 PM. You can also contact shannonposern@gmail.com.
We are also creating a list of possible speakers for educational programs at the gardens. If you have a garden related interest or know of someone with an interesting skill they would like to share with us, Please contact Shannon Posern. Please include the contact name, email, and the subject of the talk.
Central Texas Horticulture
Information Sessions for 2015 Master Gardener Training Program-Travis County
Posted: 05 May 2015 09:05 AM PDT
Are you interested in becoming a Travis County Master Gardener?
If so, it's time to apply!
In order to receive an application, you must attend one of our three (3) information sessions. Seating at each session is limited, so please arrive early to secure a seat.
All information sessions will be held at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office, 1600-B Smith Rd, Austin, TX 78721
- MG Information Session 1, Tuesday June 9, 2015, 6:00 to 7:00 PM
- MG Information Session 2, Friday June 12, 2015, 12:00 to 1:00 PM
- MG Information Session 3, Tuesday June 16, 2015, 10:00 to 11:00 AM
If you are unable to attend one of the 3 sessions offered, you will need to wait until the 2016 information sessions are offered, and thus you will not be able to apply for the 2015 program. No exceptions will be made.
At the information session, we will cover the details of the program, and answer any questions that you may have. You will receive a program application at your information session. Applications are not available elsewhere. No exceptions will be made.
After applications are received and reviewed, 50 applicants will be chosen for interviews. A maximum of 30 applicants will be accepted into the program. The fee for the 2015 Master Gardener program in Travis County is $250, payable upon acceptance into the program.
The course will meet every Tuesday, from 8 AM to 5 PM, from September 15 through November 17, at the Travis County East Service Center, 6011 Blue Bluff Rd.
If you are accepted into the training program, complete the classroom training, and pass the final exam at the end of the course, you will be required to complete a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer service by October 31 of the following year (2016 in this case). Your volunteer hours will be spent on various Extension-approved projects, which will be explained to you during the program.
A criminal background check is required of all Extension volunteers, including Master Gardeners. Therefore, as a matter of policy, criminal background checks will be run on all persons accepted into the Master Gardener training program.
The Master Gardener Program is conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service a maximum of once per year in Travis County, but not necessarily held every year. The limited number of spaces in the program will be filled based on assessment of the applications and personal interviews.
Visit the Central Texas Horticulture website.
What to plant mid-May:
Cantaloupe/Muskmelon; Warm Season Greens; Okra; Southern Peas; Peppers (transplants); Sweet Potatoes (slips); Pumpkin; Winter Squash; Pumpkins
Officer and Zone Coordinator Contacts - Sunshine Garden
Officers
- President - Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Vice-President - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmail.com
- Secretary - Ginny Heilman gheilman1@gmail.com
- Treasurer - Jack Reynolds scgtreasurer1@gmail.com
- Director - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- Director - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Director - vacant
Zone Coordinators
- Zone 1, Jody Trendler jody.trendler@gmail.com
- Zone 2, Katy Davis katydavis@austin.rr.com
- Zone 3, Ludmila Voskov lvoskov@austin.rr.com
- Zone 4, Ila Falvey ila.falvey@gmail.com
- Zone 5, Mary Gifford mgifford@austin.rr.com
- Zone 6, Charlotte Jernigan charlotte@cybermesa.com
- Zone 7, Jing Li jingli80@yahoo.com
- Zone 8, Irina Kaducova irina@austinshrooms.com
- Zone 9, Cheryl Hazeltine cph@austin.rr.com
- Zone 10, Christopher Schroder christopher.s.schroder@gmail.com
Other Coordinators
- Weekly Weeder Newsletter - Margaret Powis purslane2013@gmail.com
- Plant Sale - Michael Hall fibercable@austin.rr.com
- TSBVI Liason & Volunteer Coordinator - Janet Adams jartdaht@gmailcom
- Plot Rental - Kay McMurry scg.plots@gmail.com
- Carpentry & Repairs - Robert Jarry r.jarry@sbcglobal.net
- Water Leak Repairs - Stewart Nichols sgwater@math.austin.tx.us
- Tools & Wheelbarrows - Bob Easter beaster1@austin.rr.com
- Website Coordinator - Sharon Rempert scgardenweb@gmail.com
Record Service Hours Online - the Virtual Green Binder
