February 6, 2006

Northfield Inn and Suites

2006 Vermicomposting Symposium

This is the third vermicomposting symposium to be held in Illinois. The comments and requests from past participants have helped shape this year's agenda. The practical side of using vermicomposting in gardening will be offered by a Master Gardener, along with how to set-up and maintain a single worm bin. Research conducted in Australia demonstrating the effectiveness of using vermicompost and straw as a mulch in vineyards and cherry orchards will be presented. This symposium is a forum for sharing vermiculture information, promoting vermiculture, stimulating the vermicompost market, and bringing together business people, educators, and vermiculturists so that everyone can benefit from learning about this excellent organic soil amendment.

Presenters: Will Allen, Executive Director of Growing Power, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be the keynote speaker. Mr. Allen has taught vermiculture to hundreds of people at the Growing Power facility.

Katie Webster, founder of EcoResearch in Adelaide, Australia, will present, via web cast, on researching the benefits of using vermicompost on vineyards and cherry orchards.

Chad Hurley, New Horizon Organics, Bunker Hill, will speak about the various species of worms that can successfully be used in vermicomposting.

Andilee Warner, SIU-Carbondale and Jeff Nichols, Sara Bush Lincoln Health System in Mattoon will describe the process and steps taken to start their vermicomposting programs at the university and hospital.

Julie Hughes, Master Gardener from Potomac, will discuss the importance of vermicomposting, how using vermicompost can improve garden growth and productivity, and how to start your own worm bin.

The Vermicomposting Symposium will be providing a livewebcast for those unable to attend. To view the livesymposium online go to the DCEO, Small Business Development Center webcastportal. Instructions for participating in a web castcan be found at www.alado.net/sbdc.

Mary Appelhof Scholarships To Be Awarded

Five scholarships which will be awarded in 2006 will be named in honor of Mary Appelhof who passed away in May 2005. Mary Applehof was an internationally recognized author and vermicomposter and presented at the 2004 and 2005 Vermicomposting Symposiums in Springfield. Whether Mary was explaining carbon and nitrogen molecules or tossing tee shirts into the audience, she was an inspiring teacher. Mary's curiosity about nature and infectious laugh make her dearly missed by people from Kazakhstan to Kalamazoo.

At the 2005 symposium donations were made to establish a scholarship fund. The contributions will allow five applicants to attend in 2006. To receive a scholarship each applicant is to write a paragraph on why they would like to attend and why they are requesting a scholarship. A panel will score the applications and five scholarships will awarded. The scholarship request should be sent in with a registration form.

FREE Field trips to New Horizon Organics, Inc., one of the largest vermicomposting facilities in the nation on February 5 and 7.

Vermicomposting Symposium

Exhibitors

2005 was the first year with vermicomposting exhibits. The response was very positive so exhibitors are invited back in 2006. If your business or organization relates to vermicomposting or gardening, please plan to exhibit at the symposium. Mark the box on the registration form and we will send you the Exhibitors Packet. The space is $75.00 which includes one registration. If you have any questions concerning exhibiting, please call 217/498-9707.

FREE Field Trip

There are two opportunities to visit new Horizon Organics, Inc., located in Bunker Hill, Illinois on Route 159. This is a large-scale, fully operational vermicomposting facility with over 6 tons of worms. Plan to spend at least two hours touring the worm farm.

Lunch will not be provided on February 5 or 7.

Please mark your day preference on the attached registration form.

Sunday, February 5, meet in the Northfield Inn & Conference Center parking lot near Xochimilco Mexican Restaurant at 12:00 noon and caravan to the worm farm, arriving around 1:30 PM.

On Tuesday, February 7, meet in the Northfield Inn & Conference Center parking lot near Xochimilco Mexican Restaurant at 10:00 AM, and again, caravan to the worm farm, arriving at 11:30 AM.

Symposium Site

The Northfield Inn, Suites & Conference Center is located at 3280 Northfield Drive, in Springfield, Illinois. Take the Sangamon Avenue Exit (100B) off I-55. At the intersection of Sangamon Avenue and Dirksen Parkway, turn north on Dirksen, and then make a sharp right (east) onto Northfield Drive. Directions to the Center are on the web site at www.northfieldinn.com.

Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved for symposium attendees at the Northfield Inn, Suites & Conference Center. For more information call the center at (217) 523-7900 or visit the web site listed above.

Sponsored by a partnership of...

Illinois Department of Commerce

and Economic Opportunity

Illinois Department of Agriculture

City of Springfield

Division of Waste and Recycling

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

For more information contact:

Brett Ivers

DCEO, Bureau of Energy and Recycling

Illinois Sustainable Education Project

(217) 524-5859

bivers@ildceo.net

Vermicomposting Symposium Registration

Name ______________________________________ Please check the following:

Organization/Business_________________________ __Vegetarian lunch __Omnivore Lunch

City, State, Zip ______________________________ __Will attend the 5 pm reception on Feb. 6

Phone No. __________________________________ __Will go to the worm farm on 2/5 at noon

Email ______________________________________ __Will go to the worm farm on 2/7 at 10 am

Exhibitor packet needed ___ yes ___ no __ Scholarship application enclosed

My interest in vermicomposting is (please circle all that apply)

Organic farming Viticulture Golf Course Maintenance Home Gardener

Orchard Management Worm Grower/Castings Producer Greenhouse/Nursery

Master Gardener Landscapers Teacher/educator Other __________

Please make your registration check for $35 payable to Illinois Stewardship Alliance.

Mail payment and completed registration form to: Illinois Stewardship Alliance, P.O. Box 648, Rochester, IL 62563

Cost at the door, day of the event, is $50.

The following is a letter from the Louisiana State Master Gardener Coordinator requesting donations to help rebuild the Master Gardener program after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Dear Fellow Master Gardeners,

Thirteen of our Louisiana Master Gardener programs, representing 30 parishes (almost half of our state) have been directly impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Five parish Extension offices were completely destroyed with others receiving wind and flood damage. Many extension agents and Master Gardeners have been and are still displaced, and numerous agents' and LMGs' homes have been damaged and destroyed. Currently, utilities and services are still not available in some areas.

The LSU AgCenter, in cooperation with the Louisiana 4-H Foundation, has developed a Louisiana Master Gardener Hurricane Relief Fund for individual LMGs and LMG programs that were directly impacted by the hurricanes. This fund will help with specific identified needs of those people and programs most affected and will help to rebuild our Master Garden Extension Volunteer Program in Louisiana.

Many of you have asked how you can help with the're-greening' of areas devastated by the hurricanes. While plant materials, supplies and hands-on help are needed, the biggest impact in helping us obtain these items and help our Master Gardener programs recover is through your monetary donation. Our Master Gardener programs are varied and diversified and touch a great number of people, directly and indirectly, from youth to seniors. Your gift is important to help us once again reach those people.

Selected examples of short and long term identified needs:

• Urban shade tree reforestation program
• Educational materials specific to addressing post-hurricane horticulture
• Replacing teaching and demonstration gardens at schools, community centers, and botanical garden
• Community tree evaluation and remediation
• City parks and public gardens volunteer assistance
• Youth gardening projects
• Replacing parish LMG library gardening books

Checks should be made out to the "Louisiana 4-H Foundation," with "Hurricane-Master Gardener" in the memo field. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

Thank you in advance for your generous gift to help our Master Gardener programs get back on their feet. The past few months have been difficult for the people of our state, but with the kindness of people like you, we are recovering.

Sincerely,

Robert J. Souvestre - State Master Gardener Coordinator

137 Julian Miller Hall–Horticulture

Baton Rouge, LA 70803

(225) 578-1030 bsouvestre@agcenter.lsu.edu

The five-acre Lurie Garden in Millennium Park, designed by plantsman, Piet Oudolf, is reviewing applications for volunteers in 2006. Since it's opening in 2004, millions of curious visitors have experienced the garden. In 2006, we will provide these visitors with a series of regularly scheduled garden tours. The guided tours will be offered alternate Sundays from May 14, 2006 through early October from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. We hope to have four to five Master Gardeners on hand during this time.

As a Master Gardener, you will have the opportunity to share your experience and knowledge with visitors to the garden, while also meeting diverse people from around the world. Your various talents and commitment will be the cornerstone of this new tour program.

The Lurie Garden in Millennium Park has more than 240 varieties of native and non-native plants. You will be trained by Colleen Schuetz, Head Horticulturist for the Lurie Garden, along with the staff of Millennium Park. During the training process, we will educate you on the many varieties of plants, as well as the garden's unique design concept. The website will also provide learning resources including a photographic index of all the plants in the garden. We are confident that this will be a great opportunity to become more familiar with your natives and also to experience up close this dynamic park and the "New Wave Perennial Movement".

The City of Chicago is committed to accommodating the millions of tourists that visit us every year. This would be a great opportunity to share our knowledge while improving the experiences of these visitors.

If you are interested in helping this coming spring contact Nancy Kreith at 773-233-0476 or email her at kreith@uiuc.edu.

We need 2-3 Master Gardeners at each Master Gardener training class to facilitate activities.Classes will be held every Monday, January 23 - April 10,from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.

We are also continuing to interview applicants for the 2006 Master Gardener program. Nancy Kreith could use a few Master Gardeners to help with the interviews. We still have 50 more applicants to process. Nancy can schedule the interviews around your free time.

Please contact Nancy about either of these volunteer opportunties at 773-233-0476 or email her at kreith@uiuc.edu. Nancy will be in the office December 27,28,29 and 30. Our office will be closed on December 26 and January 2.

Master Gardener Felix Palacio will appear on the University of Illinois Extension Show on CAN TV 21 on Wednesday, December 21 from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. Academic Hourly, Nancy Kreith will be interviewing Felix. Felix has been a Master Gardener for three years. He has volunteered extensively at the Cook County Jail Garden and Garfield Park Conservatory. This a live TV show that takes calls. So give Felix and Nancy a jingle.

The University of Illinois Extension will again be presenting a garden display at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show to be held March 11-19, 2006 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. We have an area that is 46' X 46' that will be developed into a display titled, "Welcome Home". The general idea is to show how a small property can be developed into an inviting, interesting and welcoming landscape. The area will have a "front yard" and a "backyard" separated by a walkthrough house facade. From the more formal, highly textural front yard, visitors will walk to the back yard consisting of a cutting garden, kitchen garden, patio sitting area surrounded by flowers and color and other elements. Emphasis will be on how to utilize small space and get an inviting, interesting space.

As always Greg Stack will be overseeing this project and is requesting Master Gardener assistance to put the garden display together. Enclosed are several descriptions that pertain to volunteer opportunities for garden set-up and information booth staffing.Please call the Matteson Center with your preferences. Please keep in mind that calls for times will be on a first come first served basis but every effort will be made to accommodate everyone wishing to help.Greg would like to get the assignments filled by the 2nd week of February.

Please call the Matteson Center at 708-720-7520 and tell the secretary where you would like to help out and at what time. Please leave your name, address, and phone number. Thanks again for the help.


FLOWER SHOW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
GARDEN CONSTRUCTION, SET-UP AND TEAR DOWN
Chicago Flower and Garden show
March 6-10 and March 19, 2006

Construction of the garden will begin on Monday, March 6. Outlined below is an approximate work schedule with the type of work to be done along with the number of people needed.

Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7: Setting stone block walls, installing hardscape, filling beds with sand. Could use 5-6 people each day starting about 9 am. Be prepared for lifting and getting dirty. Bring good gloves and work clothes.

Wednesday, March 8: Finish with bed construction, off loading plant material and start setting plants into the garden. Could use 5-6 people starting about 9 am.

Thursday, March 9: Setting plants into the garden. Could use 5-6 people starting about 9 am.

Friday, March 10: Placing signs, finishing last minute details, clean-up. Could use 4-5 people starting about 9am. Garden needs to be completed by 11 am.

Sunday, March 19: Garden tear down. Garden dismantling will start at 6 pm. Dismantling amounts to removing plant material from beds, and getting hardscape and saved plant material back on to truck. Could use 8-10 people.

If you are interested in helping with construction and/or teardown, please call the Matteson Center at 708-720-7520 and tell the secretary which day you would be available to help. Please leave your name, address and phone number.

FLOWER SHOW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
INFORMATION TABLE
Chicago Flower and Garden show 2006
March 11-19, 2006

The information table will be located within the garden area. This area will be a place for show visitors to ask horticultural questions, get information about the garden and get other information as it relates to Extension and the Master Gardener program. Two people will be needed to staff the area during each time block. There will be resource material available to help in answering questions.

Show hours:

Monday-Saturday: 10am-8pm
Sundays: 10am-6pm

We will need two people for each of the following time blocks each day:

Saturdays and Weekdays: March 11,13,14,15,16,17,18

10am-2pm
2pm-6pm
6pm-8pm

Sundays: March 12 and March 19

10am-2pm
2pm-6pm

All time blocks are for 4 hours except for the late evening weekday hours, which are for 2 hours.

As a volunteer, you will be given free admission to the show. You may come early before your shift or stay late after your shift to enjoy the show. Transportation to the show and parking are at your own expense.

If you would like to help at the information table, please call the Matteson Center at 708-720-7520. Tell the secretary which day and which time block you would like to work. Please leave your name, address and phone number. You will be sent a final work assignment sheet along with other instructions toward the end of February.

I attended the Northeast Region's Master Gardener Coordinator's meeting at Countryside today. The major topic for discussion was the new Master Gardener Reporting Database. The database will allow us to keep tack of all kinds of statistics about Master Gardener volunteer projects. This will help us as we do reports for Extension, politicians and other groups

Master Gardeners will enter the database with a user name and password to report their hours. They will also be able to check their list of volunteer activities and total hours.

We will be tweaking the system over the holidays and roll out the working version in January. I would like to form a group of Master Gardeners to test the system. If you are interested, please email me at rwolford@uiuc.edu or call Nancy at 773-233-0476.