New Announcements:

1.    New “IDs and Diagnoses” webinar series features representatives from VCE labs who will provide information on their work, highlight top issues they see in Virginia, and go through how local EMG help desks can be most effective when submitting samples. This series is open to all EMGs and will be appropriate for anyone who takes part in public programming, not just help desk or plant clinic volunteers! All webinars will be recorded and posted to our website.

a.    Dates and topics:

Tuesday, January 26, 1pm: Soil
Tuesday, February 2, 1pm: Insects
Tuesday, February 9, 1pm: Weeds
Tuesday, February 16, 1pm: Plant Disease

Register in advance: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUodu6qqzguHt3jJ7D6UtyYZvho8T-3hl81   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

2.    State Office Webinar Series:

a.    February 18 10:00 am | Building strong EMG Mentoring Programs – This webinar will focus on the importance of mentoring programs and how you can build one for your unit.

Register in advance: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-Crrz8vGtEC4niKhUUQay0zCLbU1hG6   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

3.    Webinar: The Emerging Invasive Fire Ant – Solenopsis invicta – January 19, 2021 10:00 AM -12 noon

a.    Hosted by Halifax EMGS: As most of you know by now, we have fire ants in the southeastern part of Halifax County with our neighboring counties of Mecklenburg and Charlotte as well as our bordering NC counties also having areas of infestation. We hope to share with you enough information so that when asked about these ‘critters’ you will be an informed EMG. I am also opening this virtual training up to other Master Gardener groups in Virginia and North Carolina, but we will be concentrating on the mitigation processes available to us in Virginia. Bill McCaleb will be presenting as well as Rebekah Slabach, ANR agent, who has been quite active as well checking out possible infestations along with staff from VDACS. We have asked a specialist with VDACS to join us as well.

b.    Pre-registration is required for this training at this link: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucuCvqTsiGtApRtXxwJ-REqSEB-hVK2sh   

4.    Request for resource suggestions: A Northern Virginia EMG is compiling information on gardening with children and needs your help! “Many parents and childcare providers are looking for books, projects like 4-H's Nature in a Box sponsored by VCE/4-H, and other resources that can help adults work with children on gardening projects.”  

a.    Please help us identify resources and projects for gardening with children! Send your ideas to emgoffice@vt.edu

5.    Virginia Horticultural Foundation Home Gardener Day – Jan 11, 2021

a.    Join us January 11, 2021, for Growing Wild as we explore native plants, the important role they play in ecosystems, and how we can incorporate more of them into our home landscapes. Our four speakers – Doug Tallamy, Ryan McEnaney, Brie Arthur, and Ian Caton – will talk about why we should all plant native, the breeding of cultivars, using natives in food gardens, and how to propagate these plants.

b.    More information and registration: http://homegardenerday.org/index.html

6.    Virginia Tech Giving Day – February 24-25 2021: Virginia Tech is hosting its annual “Giving Day” from February 24 at noon to February 25 at noon. If you manage social media pages for your unit, stay tuned for pre-written posts with instructions on giving to the EMG program for Giving Day

Old Announcements

1.    Continuing education reading list: Reading a book from this list counts for up to 3 CE hours: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GcvQr_wm_oH2BaNCLZuXzY6POD2f0FXD0TgY5DlBs8/edit?usp=sharing

a.    More CE opportunities here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/ce/

2.    New guidance for digital contacts reporting: If you are responsible for reporting contacts, there is new guidance available for reporting webinar contacts. The social media guidance remains the same as previous years. Complete guidance available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zls5VzitALqr7p97UAEu-xOJnXg-wdNX/view?usp=sharing

3.    Creating a Facebook event for an EMG program? Please add the state office as a cohost!

4.    IMGC: Virtual Tours

a.    With the switch to a virtual platform for IMGC 2021, we have had to reimagine how we will offer tours to participants. We are asking EMGs from across Virginia to submit links to virtual tours that have taken part in, seen, or created. From these submissions, our IMGC Tours Team will put together a Virginia Tours page for conference goers.

b.    Additional details and virtual tours submission can be found here: https://forms.gle/NnSjPskPhGuXXhL49

5.    VMGA Speakers bureau list: View VMGA’s current list of topics which speakers in the state are willing to give. The site sends an email to the VMGA 'owner' of the list with contact information for the person who delivers that topic. https://vmga.net/wordpress/speakers/

6.    Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu

7.    Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you're proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!

·      Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Master gardeners and agents may submit. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted. Email presentations to Devon dvj@vt.edu

8.    Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

Old January Announcements:

9.    5th Annual Seed Swap, Central Rappahannock, January 23, 2021 – Save the Date and your Seeds for the Central Rappahannock Area Master Gardeners 5th Annual Seed Swap on January 23, 2021 from 10AM to 1PM in King George. The event is FREE and open to all. More info here.

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

2.    Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

3.    Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

4.    View our most recent webinar

a.    View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

                                               i.     https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

5.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
6. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions

New Announcements:

1.    New “IDs and Diagnoses” webinar series features representatives from VCE labs who will provide information on their work, highlight top issues they see in Virginia, and go through how local EMG help desks can be most effective when submitting samples. This series is open to all EMGs and will be appropriate for anyone who takes part in public programming, not just help desk or plant clinic volunteers! All webinars will be recorded and posted to our website.

a.    Dates and topics:

Tuesday, January 26, 1pm: Soil
Tuesday, February 2, 1pm: Insects
Tuesday, February 9, 1pm: Weeds
Tuesday, February 16, 1pm: Plant Disease

Register in advance: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUodu6qqzguHt3jJ7D6UtyYZvho8T-3hl81   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

2.    State Office Webinar Series:

a.    February 18 10:00 am | Building strong EMG Mentoring Programs – This webinar will focus on the importance of mentoring programs and how you can build one for your unit.

Register in advance: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvd-Crrz8vGtEC4niKhUUQay0zCLbU1hG6   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

3.    IMGC: Virtual Tours

a.    With the switch to a virtual platform for IMGC 2021, we have had to reimagine how we will offer “tours” to participants. We are asking EMGs from across Virginia to submit links to virtual tours that you have taken part in, seen, or created. From these submissions, our IMGC Tours Team will put together a Virginia Tours page for conference goers.

b.    Additional details and virtual tours submission can be found here: https://forms.gle/NnSjPskPhGuXXhL49

4.    Continuing education reading list: Reading a book from this list counts for up to 3 CE hours: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GcvQr_wm_oH2BaNCLZuXzY6POD2f0FXD0TgY5DlBs8/edit?usp=sharing

a.    More CE opportunities here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/ce/

5.    New guidance for digital contacts reporting: If you are responsible for reporting contacts, there is new guidance available for reporting webinar contacts. The social media guidance remains the same as previous years. Complete guidance available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zls5VzitALqr7p97UAEu-xOJnXg-wdNX/view?usp=sharing

6.    Creating a Facebook event for an EMG program? Please add the state office as a cohost!

7.    VMGA Speakers bureau list: View VMGA’s current list of topics which speakers in the state are willing to give. The site sends an email to the VMGA ‘owner’ of the list with contact information for the person who delivers that topic. https://vmga.net/wordpress/speakers/

Old Announcements

8.    After much deliberation over the past few months, we have made the difficult decision that the 2021 International Master Gardener Conference will be a virtual event. To learn more about our decision, read Kathleen’s letter here.

a.    To learn more about virtual IMGC 20210: https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/about/

b.    Registration will open April 5, 2021

c.     To sign up for the IMGC email list: https://t.send.vt.edu/lp/EXT-International-Master-Gardener-College

9.    Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu

10. Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you’re proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!

·      Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Master gardeners and agents may submit. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted. Email presentations to Devon dvj@vt.edu

11. “My Trees Count” app launched by VDOF – In order to keep track of trees planted in communities across the state, the Department of Forestry has launched a tree planting tracking application called “My Trees Count”. This will provide VDOF with valuable data about water quality in the state, as well as help track tree plantings as communities work towards their WIP Goals. Finally, it will allow us to recognize tree planting efforts. When submitted through the Trees Count Survey, we may share planting stories on the Community Tree Map or social media with #MyTreeCounts. The application can be found here: https://arcg.is/WryDG

12. Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

13. We’re working on a comprehensive webinar page – The State Office is working on compiling local unit YouTube videos and webinars on our YouTube page. If you have YouTube videos, please email Devon dvj@vt.edu. If you have videos somewhere other than YouTube but would like to get them on YouTube, please also email Devon! Videos will be organized into playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VirginiaCooperativeExtensionMasterGardener/playlists  (Check the “Hanover Home Gardening” playlist as an example)

Old January Announcements:

14. 5th Annual Seed Swap, Central Rappahannock, January 23, 2021 – Save the Date and your Seeds for the Central Rappahannock Area Master Gardeners 5th Annual Seed Swap on January 23, 2021 from 10AM to 1PM in King George. The event is FREE and open to all. More info here.

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

2.    Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

3.    Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

4.    View our most recent webinar

a.    View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

 i.     https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

5.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
6. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions

New Announcements:

1.    After much deliberation over the past few months, we have made the difficult decision that the 2021 International Master Gardener Conference will be a virtual event. To learn more about our decision, read Kathleen’s letter here.

a.    To learn more about virtual IMGC 20210: https://www.internationalmastergardener.com/about/

b.    Registration will open April 5, 2021

c.     To sign up for the IMGC email list: https://t.send.vt.edu/lp/EXT-International-Master-Gardener-College

2.    November State Office webinar

a.    November 19 | State Office updates Q&A 10:00 am

                                              i.     Join us to hear State Office updates from Dave Close (Program Director) and Kathleen Reed (State Master Gardener Coordinator), There will also be time for Dave and Kathleen to answer any questions you might have about the program. Send us your questions in advance (reedka@vt.edu) or type them into the chat box during the webinar!

  ii.     Register: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIqcu2sqzstH9ASNx8CUN62VrgXFUCT5IiN

3.    Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu

4.    Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you’re proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!

·      Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Master gardeners and agents may submit. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted. Email presentations to Devon dvj@vt.edu

Old Announcements

5.    We’re working on a comprehensive webinar page – The State Office is working on compiling local unit YouTube videos and webinars on our YouTube page. If you have YouTube videos, please email Devon dvj@vt.edu. If you have videos somewhere other than YouTube but would like to get them on YouTube, please also email Devon! Videos will be organized into playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VirginiaCooperativeExtensionMasterGardener/playlists  (Check the “Hanover Home Gardening” playlist as an example)

6.    “My Trees Count” app launched by VDOF – In order to keep track of trees planted in communities across the state, the Department of Forestry has launched a tree planting tracking application called “My Trees Count”. This will provide VDOF with valuable data about water quality in the state, as well as help track tree plantings as communities work towards their WIP Goals. Finally, it will allow us to recognize tree planting efforts. When submitted through the Trees Count Survey, we may share planting stories on the Community Tree Map or social media with #MyTreeCounts. The application can be found here: https://arcg.is/WryDG

7.    IMGC 2021 Tee Shirt Design Contest Results! Our winners are:

·      Linda Williams – Carroll/Grayson – “Dogwood”

·      Pat Machowsky – Greenspring – “Buttonbush”

·      Ruby Gardner – Gloucester – “Cardinal and Bee Balm”

8.    Virginia Tech Plant Clinic’s Plant Problem Image Gallery has been resurrected! This useful image gallery contains images of common Virginia plant diseases, provided by the VT Plant Disease clinic. Available at: https://apps.cals.vt.edu/ppig/

9.    Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

10. EMG Coordinator webinar: CE opportunity! Food Safety and Master Gardener Volunteer Programs, before and after COVID-19 webinar recording: https://youtu.be/aK6g8NvpAok

11. VMGA speaker’s bureau list now available, contact Erica Jones 540 544 7359

·      More info: https://vmga.net/wordpress/vmga-speakers-bureau/

Old November Announcements:

12. Garden Basics Workshop: “Water-Wise Gardening” – The Piedmont Master Gardeners will offer “Water-Wise Gardening,” a free Garden Basics workshop, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 21, via Zoom. Participants will learn how to manage water in the landscape efficiently; how to control erosion and runoff; and how to help plants survive in wet, dry and hot conditions. To receive an invitation to the virtual session, register by November 16 at https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/   |   More info here

13. Soil management and soil health webinar series – Soil Management and Soil Health webinar series from VSU The Zoom webinar series will take place on November 2, 5, 9, 16 and 23, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. More info here.

Old January Announcements:

14. 5th Annual Seed Swap, Central Rappahannock, January 23, 2021 – Save the Date and your Seeds for the Central Rappahannock Area Master Gardeners 5th Annual Seed Swap on January 23, 2021 from 10AM to 1PM in King George. The event is FREE and open to all. More info here.

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

2.    Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

3.    Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

4.    View our most recent webinar

a.    View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

                                               i.     https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

5.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
6. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions
7. Every Kid in a Park Program
8. Basil Downy Mildew: Occurrence Monitoring and Info Website for Gardeners
   1. A new website, created by Margaret McGrath and the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, on monitoring occurrence of downy mildew on basil in the US and Canada:

                                               i.     It maps occurrences and replaces them into a GoogleDocs spreadsheet since 2009. There is information about BDM at the website that is geared for gardeners. Gardeners have been the primary and most important reporters in helping with monitoring this disease.

1. 1. A handout for gardeners about reporting occurrences of BDM and 2 other important diseases: late blight and cucurbit downy mildew.

New Announcements:

1.    “My Trees Count” app launched by VDOF – In order to keep track of trees planted in communities across the state, the Department of Forestry has launched a tree planting tracking application called “My Trees Count”. This will provide VDOF with valuable data about water quality in the state, as well as help track tree plantings as communities work towards their WIP Goals. Finally, it will allow us to recognize tree planting efforts. When submitted through the Trees Count Survey, we may share planting stories on the Community Tree Map or social media with #MyTreeCounts. The application can be found here: https://arcg.is/WryDG

2.    5th Annual Seed Swap, Central Rappahannock, January 23, 2021 – Save the Date and your Seeds for the Central Rappahannock Area Master Gardeners 5th Annual Seed Swap on January 23, 2021 from 10AM to 1PM in King George. The event is FREE and open to all. More info here.

3.    We're working on a comprehensive webinar page – The State Office is working on compiling local unit YouTube videos and webinars on our YouTube page. If you have YouTube videos, please email Devon dvj@vt.edu. If you have videos somewhere other than YouTube but would like to get them on YouTube, please also email Devon! Videos will be organized into playlists here: https://www.youtube.com/c/VirginiaCooperativeExtensionMasterGardener/playlists  (Check the “Hanover Home Gardening” playlist as an example)

4.    Soil management and soil health webinar series – Soil Management and Soil Health webinar series from VSU The Zoom webinar series will take place on November 2, 5, 9, 16 and 23, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. More info here.

5.    Garden Basics Workshop: “Water-Wise Gardening” – The Piedmont Master Gardeners will offer “Water-Wise Gardening,” a free Garden Basics workshop, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 21, via Zoom. Participants will learn how to manage water in the landscape efficiently; how to control erosion and runoff; and how to help plants survive in wet, dry and hot conditions. To receive an invitation to the virtual session, register by November 16 at https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/events/   |   More info here

Old Announcements

6.    Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu

7.    Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you're proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!

·      Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Master gardeners and agents may submit. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted.

·      Email presentations to Kathleen reedka@vt.edu

8.    IMGC 2021 Tee Shirt Design Contest Results! Our winners are:

·      Linda Williams – Carroll/Grayson – “Dogwood”

·      Pat Machowsky – Greenspring – “Buttonbush”

·      Ruby Gardner – Gloucester – “Cardinal and Bee Balm”

9.    Virginia Tech Plant Clinic's Plant Problem Image Gallery has been resurrected! This useful image gallery contains images of common Virginia plant diseases, provided by the VT Plant Disease clinic. Available at: https://apps.cals.vt.edu/ppig/

10. Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

11. Master Composter online course from Vermont – https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/vermont-master-composter-course

12. EMG Coordinator webinar: CE opportunity! Food Safety and Master Gardener Volunteer Programs, before and after COVID-19 webinar recording: https://youtu.be/aK6g8NvpAok

13. VMGA speaker’s bureau list now available, contact Erica Jones 540 544 7359

·      More info: http://vmga.net/vmgaspeakersbureau.php

Old November Announcements:

14. Accessible Communications Considerations: “This workshop will present participants with tangible ideas to make communication, particularly in marketing, more accessible, how to avoid common accessibility mistakes, and more. The session will cover topics such as using accessibility features on social media, describing different types of images, language to use when describing disability, and more.”

·      Opportunity offered by VTEngage: Tuesday, November 10, 12 – 1:15 (Sign up at https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/event/6384364)

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

2.    Updated Facebook event guidance – When scheduling Facebook events for your unit symposiums, seminars, talks, etc, please add the state office page as a co-host! More info here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/current-resources/communications-resources/

3.    Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

4.    Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

5.    View our most recent webinar

a.    View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

                                               i.     https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

6.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
7. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions
8. Every Kid in a Park Program
9. Basil Downy Mildew: Occurrence Monitoring and Info Website for Gardeners
1. A new website, created by Margaret McGrath and the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, on monitoring occurrence of downy mildew on basil in the US and Canada:

                                               i.     It maps occurrences and replaces them into a GoogleDocs spreadsheet since 2009. There is information about BDM at the website that is geared for gardeners. Gardeners have been the primary and most important reporters in helping with monitoring this disease.

1. A handout for gardeners about reporting occurrences of BDM and 2 other important diseases: late blight and cucurbit downy mildew.

New Announcements:

1.    October 15, 2020, 1:00 pm – Leadership development training – Still time to register!

·      Programming Pivots: New Program Development during the Pandemic- “Join us to hear about three different programs throughout the state that were developed in the midst of the pandemic and our need for virtual programming. Panelists will share about their programs and lessons they learned along the way. After a Q&A session with our panelists, we invite session participants to share new and innovative programming that their unit took on in the past months (no more than 5 minutes).”

·      Register here: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lcO2rqD0iHtCrvGoyCaiLPpl1YptA2eV3 (Registration link will remain active until the beginning of the session, however please register in advance so we have an accurate headcount)

·      Learn more about all of our leadership trainings here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/current-resources/leadership/

2.    October state office webinar:

·      October 15, 10:00 am | Urban Agriculture – Join Dr. Leonard Githinji from Virginia State University as he talks about urban agriculture, why it’s important, and where it intersects with volunteerism. Register: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/331193942

3.    Call for presentations: Have you created a presentation you’re proud of & would like to share with us? We are creating a presentation repository and need your presentations!

·      Repository will be available for EMGs and Agents/Coordinators to draw from for speaking requests, training, etc. Extension Master Gardeners and Agents may submit presentations. Presentations will undergo editing and formatting before being posted for EMG use.

·      Email presentations to Kathleen, reedka@vt.edu

4.    IMGC 2021 Tee Shirt Design Contest Results! Our winners are:

·      Linda Williams – Carroll/Grayson – “Dogwood”

·      Pat Machowsky – Greenspring – “Buttonbush”

·      Ruby Gardner – Gloucester – “Cardinal and Bee Balm”

5.    Send us your COVID photos! If you have photos of EMG volunteer projects during COVID, such as masked volunteers working in a garden, please send them to us! Email them to Devon, dvj@vt.edu

6.    Virginia Tech Plant Clinic’s Plant Problem Image Gallery has been resurrected! This useful image gallery contains images of common Virginia plant diseases, provided by the VT Plant Disease clinic. Available at: https://apps.cals.vt.edu/ppig/

7.    October is Urban Ag month!

·      “Urban Agriculture Month will shine a spotlight on the significant role urban agriculture plays in our regional and local food system. The events will also highlight our local urban agriculture response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Join MGNV and their partners for a variety of different events throughout the month!

·      https://mgnv.org/2020/10/01/urban-agriculture-month/

Old October Announcements

8.    Registration Now Open for the 2020 Virtual Chesapeake Watershed Forum! https://www.allianceforthebay.org/our-work/key-program-focuses/networking-education/chesapeake-watershed-forum/

Old November Announcements:

9.    Accessible Communications Considerations: “This workshop will present participants with tangible ideas to make communication, particularly in marketing, more accessible, how to avoid common accessibility mistakes, and more. The session will cover topics such as using accessibility features on social media, describing different types of images, language to use when describing disability, and more.”

·      Opportunity offered by VTEngage: Tuesday, November 10, 12 – 1:15 (Sign up at https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/event/6384364)

Old Announcements:

10. Plant sale guidance available – Extension Leadership has released guidelines for Extension Master Gardener Plant Sales in light of the current steps toward reopening. You can find that information on the VCE COVID-19 page (https://ext.vt.edu/covid-19updates.html) under “Administrative Documents and Updates.” It’s at the bottom of that list under “EMG Plant Sale Guidance.

11. Master Composter online course from Vermont – https://www.uvm.edu/extension/mastergardener/vermont-master-composter-course

12. EMG Coordinator webinar: CE opportunity! Food Safety and Master Gardener Volunteer Programs, before and after COVID-19 webinar recording: https://youtu.be/aK6g8NvpAok

13. VMGA speaker’s bureau list now available, contact Erica Jones 540 544 7359

·      More info: http://vmga.net/vmgaspeakersbureau.php

Other Announcements:

1.    Send us your announcements! Have you converted educational programs to an online format? You can still submit those announcements for the biweekly email! Submit an item for the biweekly update here.

2.    Updated Facebook event guidance – When scheduling Facebook events for your unit symposiums, seminars, talks, etc, please add the state office page as a co-host! More info here: https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/current-resources/communications-resources/

3.    Follow the State Office on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

4.    Subscribe to In Season, our quarterly newsletter

5.    View our most recent webinar

a.    View a recording of our most recent state office webinar – Jamie King on urban forestry

                                               i.     https://mastergardener.ext.vt.edu/webinar-archive/

6.  Resources for fertilization of lawns and for those involved with Healthy Virginia Lawns programming  
7. Do you have questions coming in to your Extension Master Gardener program and need to find some answers? Extension Search Resources for EMG Questions
8. Every Kid in a Park Program
9. Basil Downy Mildew: Occurrence Monitoring and Info Website for Gardeners
   1. A new website, created by Margaret McGrath and the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University, on monitoring occurrence of downy mildew on basil in the US and Canada:

                                               i.     It maps occurrences and replaces them into a GoogleDocs spreadsheet since 2009. There is information about BDM at the website that is geared for gardeners. Gardeners have been the primary and most important reporters in helping with monitoring this disease.

1. 1. A handout for gardeners about reporting occurrences of BDM and 2 other important diseases: late blight and cucurbit downy mildew.