From Pollinators to Pest Control
From Pollinators to Pest Control
Master Gardeners offering FREE workshops this fall
Fall in western New York is an exciting time for gardeners, as harvest season is the culmination of many months of careful planning and hard work. While fall may signal the end of the growing season, it’s hardly the end of a gardener’s work. Cornell Cooperative Extension at 28 Parkside Drive in Ellicottville is home to the Master Gardener Volunteer Program, which offers a series of fall workshops for new and experienced gardeners to plan next year’s garden, learn different ways to preserve the harvest’s bounty, and explore new agricultural topics.
Shannon Rinow, coordinator of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program in both Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties, is excited to announce this new series of free community workshops, all of which are held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Office in Ellicottville. “These are brand new classes that we haven’t done before,” Rinow explained. In fact, the Master Gardener Volunteer Program in Cattaraugus County is rather new in that they just celebrated their first group of gardeners who completed their training this past spring. “This is the first time we’ve had Master Gardeners in about 10 years, and we’re really excited to grow the program!”
The Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a nationwide educational program, and in New York State, it consists of a corps of volunteers who are trained by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the science and art of gardening. Individuals in the community complete their training in a variety of gardening and horticultural topics through Cornell University’s curriculum during the spring. Rinow explained, “The purpose is to foster trained, knowledgeable consumers who can pass on their knowledge with others.”
The next part of their training involves teaching different community workshops or engaging in outreach programs in the local area. “Our Master Gardeners do 50 hours of volunteer work to become a master,” Rinow said. “When they’re speaking on different topics or leading workshops, they’re using research-based methods and experience they’ve learned.” The upcoming classes will be taught by the program’s newest members and are based on their interests and areas of expertise.
The first workshop is “Gardening for Pollinators” on Wednesday, September 28th from 5:00-6:00pm. Master Gardener Tamara Bacho will share her knowledge about creating a garden space that is inviting to pollinators, like butterflies. Monarch butterflies are now on the endangered species list, so Bacho will discuss ways to help increase their chances of survival.
For those interested in exploring a new area of agriculture, “Beekeeping 101: the Roles of Bees in Agriculture” is the perfect workshop. On Wednesday, October 12th from 6:00-7:00pm, attendees will learn about bee keeping, the role of bees in our ecosystem, different types of bees, and how they impact our food supply.
Just a few days later on Saturday, October 15th from noon-1:00pm, Emma Boutelle, owner of Miller Valley CSA farm in Kennedy, will be leading “Organic Gardening: Pest and Weed Management.” According to Rinow, “Her workshop will focus on home gardeners and how they can implement organic gardening practices, stay on top of weeds, and manage pests. As garden season ends, we have a little more time that we can spend planning for next year! Emma will talk about putting the garden to bed for the winter and prepping it for next year. There are a lot of preparations that you’ll want to do in the fall that she’ll discuss.”
The final workshop of the season is especially helpful for those who had a bountiful harvest and are looking for ways to preserve their excess. “Food Preservation: Canning, Jams and More” takes place on Tuesday, October 18th from 6:00-7:00pm. “We usually have so many leftovers in our gardens, so preserving them so we can enjoy the foods throughout the winter months is a great way to make the most of our work,” Rinow pointed out.
These and other topics are all based on the interests of the Master Gardeners who are currently in the program, as well as questions that Rinow has received from the community. All of the upcoming workshops are open to the public, and there is no cost to attend. Pre-registration is not required. Rinow is looking forward to offering more community workshops this spring and is open to feedback and suggested topics from the community.
Those interested in becoming a Master Gardener are encouraged to visit https://cattaraugus.cce.cornell.edu/gardening/master-gardener-volunteer-program or contact Rinow at smr336@cornell.edu or 716-699-2377, ext. 106.