In SeasonVolume 28, Number 3, May 2014

Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and the Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture

Project aids the hungryLynn Brammer started “Share the Spare” in 2010 as a way to help people receive fresh food and has since blossomed into a community-wide Master Gardener project.

While perusing her local Blacksburg Farmer’s Market one day in 2010, Lynn Brammer had a realization.

What if everyone at the market bought something extra to donate to people in need?

Brammer recognized the importance of helping people in the New River Valley receive healthy, fresh, locally grown food and set out to make it a reality.

“We need to find ways to make healthy food an option for people who are under the radar,” Brammer said.

In an age where fast food is abundant and cheap, Brammer aimed to help make fresh, nutritious food a viable choice—thus “Share the Spare” was born.

“Share the Spare” encourages patrons of the farmer’s market to buy additional items to be donated to local food pantries and other charitable organizations. Another component of “Share the Spare” is educating people about the value

of fresh, local produce. “Part of being a good Master

Gardener is promoting good eating habits and gardening principles,” Brammer said.

The “Share the Spare” booth also acts as a plant clinic for the patrons of the market. Brammer says that she has provided free soil test kits and seeds to those interested and answers numerous gardening questions.

As an approved Master Gardener project, “Share the Spare” aligns with the goals of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program.

“One of the main missions of VCE at this time is the food-to-table initiative—getting local food to people in need,” said Wendy Silverman, the New River Valley Master Gardener Coordinator. “(Share the Spare) fits right in line with what VCE is doing at this time.”

With the blessing of Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market, Brammer set up her booth and

By: Madeleine Gordon, Newsletter Editor

Inside.

Straw Bale Gardens

Publication Contest Winners Announced

VCE Celebrates 100-year anniversary

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Kelli Lee Photography

Continued: MG ensures people receive fresh food donations began collecting food in 2010.

She started raising awareness at the Farmer’s Market by speaking to patrons and simply asking them to buy one extra item to donate.

“The ball rolled and it was beyond what I imagined,” Brammer said.

In addition to patrons donating extra food, Brammer said that the vendors will often donate some of their leftovers at the end of the market day.

“(It’s amazing) to see how generous people are when all you do is hold your arms out,” Brammer said.

Now that “Share the Spare” is in its fourth year, Brammer said that people have begun to donate like clockwork. She often has 60-70 lbs. to donate at the end of the market day.

Right after the Farmer’s Market ends, Brammer takes the food to various organizations like Plenty! and the Interfaith Food Pantry to be distributed as soon as possible.

“They understand that this is perishable stuff. This is food that has to be turned over quick,” Brammer said. “People come get it that day or the next day so you know that it’s going to get on someone’s table soon.”

Brammer said that since 2010, “Share the Spare” has expanded beyond the farmer’s market booth and now gathers food from other avenues as well.

Brammer reaches out to local gardeners to donate their backyard garden surplus and she has teamed up with the YMCA’s “Neighborhood Harvest” program. The “Neighborhood Harvest” program seeks out local fruit trees and with the permission of the owner, volunteers pick the trees for donation.

“It’s a very collective collection of food,” Brammer said.

All of these efforts helped “Share the Spare” donate over two tons of food in 2011. Both Brammer and Silverman recognize the impression that “Share the Spare” and programs like it, have in the community.

“(The impact is) knowing that the food is going to good use and that people are getting nourished.” Silverman said. “I think it’s very important to the community because we have a lot of hunger here.”

According to the New River Valley Community Action 2013 Needs Assessment, as of the 2010 census, there are 30,708 people living below the poverty line in the New River Valley. Of those, only 6,400 people receive Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “There are a lot of people who have limited access

to food,” Silverman said. “The fresh food pantries that we have in our area can’t supply without having food. So having a ‘Share the Spare’ program helps fulfill that mission.”

Brammer and Silverman are hopeful for the future of “Share the Spare” and the movement that it has energized in the New River Valley.

“I’m overwhelmed by how “Share the Spare” has grown and how much more can be done,” Brammer said.

Brammer’s commitment to “Share the Spare” has not only inspired several like-minded programs in the NRV, but also inspires those around her.

“Her dedication to this mission is amazing. She is so dedicated to getting food to people, especially people who wouldn’t have healthy options,” Silverman said.

Lynn Brammer (above) sets up the “Share the Spare” booth at the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 8 am to 2 p.m.

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Straw Bale Gardens

By: Kelli ScottExtension Agent, Agriculture and Natural Resources

How many of you have heard of or have some experience with Straw Bale Gardens? This is a newer concept to me. Although I heard of growing vegetables in straw bales and also using straw bales to create raised beds and/or cold frame space, the actual recipe for creating a straw bale garden was recently shared with me.

I’ve been working with a client in the New River Valley that has installed 3 rows of straw bale gardens to his traditional vegetable garden plot. He invited me out to see the concept and learn more about the process. The idea all started when he was given a book by Joel Karsten simply titled, “Straw Bale Gardens.” Karsten also has a website by the same name. The wheels began to turn and ideas began to spark. These types of gardens are great for folks with limited space, poor soils, unprepared garden space, and it is

also great for folks with disabilities as most of the bales are high enough to sit by with no bending over allowing for low maintenance gardening activities.

According to Karsten, Straw Bale Gardening is simply a different type of container gardening. The main difference is that the container is actually the straw bale itself, held together with two or three strings; the outside crust of the bale serves as the container. Once the straw inside the bale begins to decompose, the straw becomes “conditioned” and ready to plant. The step by step process of conditioning creates an extraordinarily productive, warm, moist and nutrient-rich rooting environment for young seedlings. Getting the straw bales conditioned is an essential part of the process, and should be started approximately two weeks prior to the target planting date in your

Straw Bale Gardens offer a different method of container gardening.

Above: The trellising system allows support for the plastic covering. It will be removed once the threat of frost is gone.

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Kelli Lee Photography

Continued: A Look Into Creating Straw Bale Gardensarea. This planting date varies greatly depending on where you are in Virginia, but this gardening technique works anywhere for seasonal spring/summer or for winter gardens with added frost protection.

To “condition” the bale, water the new bales thoroughly and keep them wet for 3 days. Keeping the bales moist is very important. Once the bales have been watered they will be very heavy, so be sure they are situated where you want them. As the inside of the bales begins to decompose, they will start to warm up. This is part of the conditioning process.

On days 4, 5, and 6, sprinkle the top of each bale with 1 cup of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or a half cup of urea (46-0-0), watering the fertilizer in well after application. (Note: I would like to try an all-organic version with a high dose of fish emulsion, but it may be hard to keep the critters out). The act of watering in the fertilizer application speeds up decomposition. On days 7, 8, and 9 cut the amount of fertilizer per bale in half. On day 10, stop adding fertilizer, but keep the bales moist. On the day 11, feel the top of the bale checking for heat. If still hot, check every day until it cools down to body temperature or lower, still keeping bales moist. Once cool to touch, you can plant your straw bale garden. If you are unsure, use a meat or soil thermometer to measure the heat several inches down inside the bale. If weeds, oat grass, or alfalfa starts to sprout in your bales, remove the plants when small. Because the straw is decomposing, mushrooms may also sprout from the bale. There is no need to remove them, but they could be poisonous so don’t eat them.

Left: Baby spouts begin to emerge. It’s very important to vent the plastic covering to avoid too much heat buildup during the day time hours. Use a white plastic vs. a clear to avoid extreme tem-peratures and rapid plant growth.

Above: Irrigation source, trellising, and plastic to provide season extension were incorporated into the Straw Bale design.

For more information visit:• Joel Karsten’s Straw Bale Gardens:

http://strawbalegardens.com/ • Washington State University-Benton

County Extension publication on Straw Bale Gardening: http://milwaukee.uwex.edu/files/2010/05/StrawBaleW-SU.pdf

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Each bale can hold 2-6 plants; it depends on the mature size. A good rule of thumb is to plant 2-3 tomatoes per bale for optimum results and to ensure adequate space for the plants. Straw bale gardens are not only for vegetable production. They are also great for annual ornamentals, cut flowers, and pollinator attractors. Staking may be necessary. (See the photos to get ideas on how to add a trellis/staking system to the straw bale garden design.)

The bale will also need to be continually fertilized. “Conditioning” does not ensure enough nutrients for the entire season. It is recommended to fertilize once a week with a balanced liquid fertilizer. As the seasons progress and flower set starts, it is advantageous to move from a balanced fertilizer formulation to a “bloom buster” type of formulation. Look for a fertilizer with a high phosphorus reading (the middle number in the 3 number series). Once the season is over, break up and compost the bale. It will create a nice organic mulch to use in the landscape next season.

Two brothers worked together to produce this year’s winning publication for the Virginia Cooperative Extension 2014 consumer horticulture iBook publication contest.

Caleb and Seth Fisher, both Newport News VCE Master Gardeners, won the contest with their publication The Benefits of Urban Backyard Chicken Keeping.

The brothers picked the topic of urban backyard chicken keeping because they could personally attest to its benefits. Caleb and Seth have fond memories of raising chickens in their backyard during a high school project 12 years ago.

In addition to having experience with chicken keeping, Caleb and Seth chose the topic because it was an innovative subject for VCE.

“We did some research to see what VCE papers had been written on chickens because we knew we had to do something that hadn’t really been written on before,” Seth said. “Caleb actually did the research and looked in to see what topics had been covered on chickens and it wasn’t really heavily written about.”

According to the brothers,

Consumer Horticulture iBook Publication Winner Announced

the publication is a mix of their own experiences with facts and research about urban backyard chicken keeping.

“We wanted it to be a little different than any of the other publications by telling our story, but we didn’t want the whole thing to be a story. We had to find a balance,” Seth said.

The brothers agree that adding a personal touch gave a unique edge to the publication.

“We wanted it to be informative but we also wanted it to be personal enough that people would get more interested in it,” Caleb said.

They focused on incorporating their positive experiences alongside statistics that aim to dispel the myths about backyard chickens.

“What surprised us the most was how quiet they are. Normally you’d think chickens would be loud but that’s usually the rooster,” Seth said. “They can be loud when they are laying eggs, but generally they’re much quieter than the dogs near us.”

To Seth and Caleb, the chickens became more than a project—they became family pets. Over the years that the brothers kept chickens, they recognized that each chicken has a distinct personality. They

named their chickens just like any other pet with names like Henny, Penny, Polly, Dolly, Miss Wattle, Phyllis and Elizabeth.

“They make very good pets, almost like dogs or cats. They are very loving,” Caleb said.

In addition to being great pets, Caleb and Seth said that keeping chickens is also great for your garden.

“Chickens aren’t necessarily a farm animal. They can be a pet and a recycler by providing nutrients for compost and garden. Pets such as cats and dogs, you can’t use their waste for compost, but chickens you can,” Caleb said.

Also, keeping chickens allows you to know where your food is coming from, Seth said. Chickens can eat up to 75% of table scraps and controlling what the chickens eat in turn allows you control the nutrition of their eggs.

According to the publication, when compared to the USDA nutrient data for commercial eggs, pasture-raised eggs contain 1/3 less cholesterol and 1/4 less saturated fat, in addition to other benefits.

The brothers said that one of their goals with this publication was to inform the public about

By: Madeleine Gordon, Newsletter Editor

May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3

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JuliaHenny and PennyMiss Wattle

VMGA’s President Tom Bolt challenged Master Gardeners, local associations and units to make donations to the State Coordinator Endowment Fund. He announced that VMGA will match each cash gift dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 made between now and June 30, 2014.

Increasing the cash balance in the Endowment is important as the corpus is what earns interest. A total of $212,319 in cash has been donated, and the endowment market value has grown by over $59,000 through strategic investment and reinvested income. President Bolt would like to see the cash balance increase significantly and proposed the matching gift. The VMGA members voted unanimously in support of the idea.

Beginning at Master Gardener College this June, VMGA will join the Office of the State Coordinator in presenting donors of the level of Silverbell ($500-$999) and Bald Cypress ($1,000-$4,999) a small gift in appreciation for their support. Individuals and a

Market Value* $271,439Cash gifts and pledge payments $212,319Outstanding pledges $5,875Deferred commitments $190,000Interest income account $17,036Total market value & pledged/committed $484,350

By Pat ReillyVMGA to Match $10,000 in Gifts to Endowment

Continued: Publication inspired by chicken keeping experiences

The authors in the winter of 2000; Caleb Fisher (left, age 5) & Seth Fisher (right, age 15) getting fresh water for the chickens.

representative of each association and unit that have contributed to those levels will be acknowledged in front of MG College attendees. Those not in attendance at MG College will be recognized at a later date.

Right now is the time to make your gift to the Coordinator Endowment! Consider that the donation you make will come back threefold – your gift, VMGA’s match to your gift, and the interest earned. That’s making your money work for you…and our VCE Master Gardener program!

A donation form is available at the VMGA website, www.vmga.net. If you have questions, contact the VMGA Coordinator Endowment Committee Chair Pat Reilly at pat@thereillygroup.net or Ben Grove, Associate Director of CALS Development, by calling (540) 231-7640 or emailing begrove@vt.edu. Thank you for supporting VMGA’s State Coordinator Endowment!

VMGA Coordinator Endowment Status as of Apr 1, 2014

the numerous benefits to chicken keeping. According to the publication, chickens provide healthy eggs, eat unwelcome insects, weeds and table scraps, and till the land.

“We want to make people, cities, and government agencies aware in hopes that they will reevaluate and lessen the restrictions,” Seth said.

They also hope to dissuade people from believing the various myths and stigmas that surround backyard chicken keeping.

“One thing that I thought was interesting are the myths that have been spread about chickens. It will take a lot of time to disprove those myths with a lot of people because its already been ingrained in society—the whole thought that they are too loud, too messy,

too smelly and when you look at the statistics they are a lot easier to maintain then dogs and cats,” Caleb said.

The publication will be available online in PDF, epub, and iBook versions in the summer of 2014.

“We want people to look at the statistics and evaluate their own opinions on the subject instead of listening to the general hype that is going around,” Caleb said.

Seth agrees that the mindset about chickens will have to change in order to experience the benefits widespread.

“Having chickens and reprogramming our thought process as to what chickens are and what they can be is something that can benefit everyone.”

May 2014 Volume 28, Number 3

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Courtesy of Caleb and Seth Fisher

A History LessonI often say to appreciate where we are today, we

must look at how far we have come and relish in the hard work and paths blazed by the ones that came before us. 2014 allows a pause to celebrate the centennial of Cooperative Extension; the past, present, and future.

On May 14, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Smith-Lever Act establishing the Cooperative Extension system, and by doing so significantly broadened the mission of the nation's developing land-grant institutions. It marked the beginning of a partnership among federal government, state government, and higher education in working cooperatively towards the solution of social and economic problems. It elevated the posture of higher educational institutions as social actors accountable to the social systems they helped to produce. It changed the view of university as a training ground for the elite by expanding its mission to the public domain.

The 100-year anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 which officially created the national Cooperative Extension System, a state-by-state network of educators who extend university-based research and knowledge to the people, will take place in 2014. This celebration will highlight Extension’s past and focus on the contemporary application of Extension’s transformational educational programming into the future.

Extension in VirginiaIn 1906, Dr. J. D. Eggleston, then State

Superintendent of Public Instruction in Virginia, on learning about the work of Dr. Knapp, a special agent in the United States Department of Agriculture, and invited him to Virginia. While in the state, Dr. Knapp got T. O. Sandy of Burkeville, Virginia, to be a demonstrator. The demonstrations conducted by Mr. Sandy under Dr. Knapp's direction

Celebrating 100 Years Of Cooperative

Extension

By: Kelli Scott

were so satisfactory that in 1907 Dr. Knapp made him state agent and gave him authority to appoint 8 or 10 additional agents to help with the work. Mr. Sandy set to work immediately and soon surrounded himself with a group of practical and devoted men.

From the beginning, those in charge of farm demonstration work realized that in the southern states improvement of living standards among the African-American farmers was just as important as among whites, and that the best way to do this work with the African-Americans was through African-American agents. The first such agent to be appointed in this state was J. B. Pierce in 1906 of Hampton Institute, who worked in Gloucester County.

The first of these assistants was F. S. Farrar of Amelia County, who began work October 1, 1907. Early in 1909, he organized about 100 young boys in Dinwiddie and Chesterfield Counties into "corn clubs." These boys soon averaged 65 bushels of corn per acre on farms which had produced only 17 bushels per acre.

Demonstration was a new thing in education. Here and there, school superintendents and others began to show interest. W. C. Shackelford was appointed demonstration agent with headquarters at Charlottesville and J. H. Quinsenberry with headquarters at Louisa. Within the next year or two, W. P. Moore in Bedford and J. C. Bruce in Culpeper were appointed.

Girls' club work in Virginia started in Nottoway and Halifax Counties in 1910 under the direction of Miss Ella G. Agnew of Nottoway County. This work was first known as "girls' canning club work." It gave the farm girls in their homes the same type of instruction that was being given to farm boys on their farms. Within a few years, girls' canning club work had gained so much favorable recognition that the agents directing it became known as home demonstration agents.

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In Season, Editor, Madeleine Gordon mlg757@vt.edu; MG Communications Project Coordinator, Lindsey Nelson

David D. Close, VCE State Master Gardener Coordinator; John Freeborn, Assistant Master Gardener CoordinatorThe Virginia Master Gardener Leadership Development Newsletter goes to all active VCE Master Gardeners in Virginia. It is published by the Department of Horticulture, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Mail Code 0327, Blacksburg, VA 24061.

If you are a person with a disability and desire assistance or accommodation, please call David D. Close, 540-231-2714, during business hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The VCE Master Gardener seal and title are trademarks of the VCE Master Gardener Program.

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic and State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program,Virginia State, Petersburg

Continued: Virginia Cooperative Extension celebrates centennialHistory of the Virginia Master Gardener Program

Many of Virginia Cooperative Extension’s current volunteer “Master” programs are designed from models implemented by the hard working, eager, early demonstration agents. The Virginia Master Gardener program was started in 1979 in Arlington County, VA. The applied program model was adapted from a successful volunteer program in Washington State.

Dr. Diane Relf began working at Virginia Tech as the Horticulture Extension Specialist in the late 70’s. Dr. Relf was the first woman to hold this title in the United States. Diane supported and grew interest in the Master Gardener program assisting many units with curriculum and training, which established the volunteer horticulture program inside the Virginia Cooperative Extension offices. In 1982, funding was secured directly from Dean Andy Swegert for the first State Master Gardener Coordinator, Judy Schwab. In 1984-85 under supervision of Diane Relf, Judy and MG volunteers put together the first MG Handbook. She also helped to start the first MG conference on campus that evolved to the MG College.

Today, we are so proud to see the program has grown to touch all communities across the Commonwealth with 60 established program units and 5,500 active volunteers, which provides approximately 360,000 volunteer hours annually, creating increased community outreach, collective impact, and a value of over 8 million dollars to Virginia Cooperative Extension. We are celebrating the 27th year of Master Gardener College, and the curriculum has grown to include advanced steward training and certification, as well as online modules and learning opportunities.

In 2013, the Virginia Master Gardener Program

revised the strategic planning process working to maintain both the progressive and traditional objectives of the statewide volunteer program.

MissionSharing Knowledge. Empowering Communities.

Vision To be the Virginia Cooperative Extension

volunteer organization extending horticultural and environmental outreach across the Commonwealth.

Core Values (Internal and External)Respect

• The environment, each other and those we serve

Accountability • Wise stewardship of resources • To our organization, our community and

each other Collaboration

• Willing to work with a diverse group to reach a common goal

• Actively seeking out partners

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