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MASTER GARDENER NEWS
Letter from our President
It’s a wrap – Master Gardeners. I sincerely hope it has been a
good year for you. I want to thank all the Master Gardeners
that have volunteered in various ways to make this year
successful. We’ve done it all from the Spring Seminar, Garden
Tour, Plant Sales, Bus Trip, training, learning and our
friendships with each other. I’m looking forward to this next
year of being a volunteer for events and continuing to support
those in office and those working to make our programs well
known in our community. I hope you will join in the
development of ideas to promote our identity in Dubuque
County. Your involvement is what makes us memorable to
those we share our knowledge with. Best wishes for the winter
season. Keep gardening, dreaming and reaching out to others
with your gardening talents.
~ Jean Bledsoe
Newsletter November 2017
DUBUQUE COUNTY
Volunteering Opportunities
For people looking for their last couple of volunteer hours, the
Dubuque Arboretum could still use a few hours of help. If you
would like to help, please contact the arboretum at (563) 556-
2100 and ask to speak with Wylie Bledsoe or Jack Frick.
With our gardens going to sleep many things are wrapping up for
the new year to come. This also includes our time period to
complete and submit our education and volunteer hours for the
year. To have them count for this current year, you will need to
have them submitted by December 31st of this year. Please
don’t forget to log them!
If you do not have computer access to log your hours please feel
free to call Ray Kruse at the Dubuque County Extension Office
and he can enter them for you. The phone number is (563) 583-
6496 to get ahold of him.
In This Issue
Letter from our President
Volunteer Opportunities!
Coordinator Updates
Cranberries
Elections Updates
Monthly Meeting
Recipe of the Month
“Anyone who thinks that
gardening begins in the spring
and ends in the fall is missing
the best part of the year. For
gardening begins in January
with the dream.”
~Josephine Nuese
“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
~William Blake
Let’s Talk...Cranberries
by Ray Kruse
Cranberries are commonly a traditional staple when it comes to the variety of foods served at our Thanksgiving meals. A few years ago I got to visit a cranberry farm in Wisconsin. While visiting, I saw the classic berry machinery a person sees in a cranberry commercial on tv with the floating berries in a bog, I did learn a lot about the culture of cranberry production. I didn’t know it but just like most fruit crops there is winter care that is commonly performed to the bogs.
The major activity I learned about was “ice sanding.” After the bogs are harvested they are left flooded and to eventually freeze. This helps to protect the cranberries from the winter cold. Once the bogs freeze, the farmers come out with machinery and apply a thin layer of sand over the ice. This sand then falls through the plants as the ice unthaws. This sand layer is supposed to help encourage the plants to grow new plant material, improve plant nutrition, reduce insect pressure, and reduce disease pressure. When I learned this, I was amazed at the durability of the cranberry plant to withstand being buried beneath ice and then further buried with sand. I have attached a movie link HERE to show the sanding process and how it is done.
Overwintering cranberries may be a unique concept but so is the planting process. Cranberries are propagated in the spring by vine pieces of old plants spread across new bogs with a sandy base. They are then later pressed into the sand with rolling blades so that the vines can take root. This interesting procedure can be seen with the following link pasted HERE.
Things are winding down So far we have had a really successful fall Master Gardener training program this year. We have 2 classes left. I have been having fun and learning a lot along the way myself. The trainees have ex-pressed that they are pleased with the class so far and have enjoyed getting to know the rest of the Master Gardeners. The Master Gardener activities as well as our gardens are slowing down for the long cold winter days ahead. This marks the start of the planning season for our 2018 year.
Information from the Coordinator Ray Kruse
Upcoming Events Awards Banquet- The awards banquet has had an official date set for January 10th at 6pm. We will be having it at the NICC Town Clock Business Center in rooms 106B and 106C
A letter of appreciation from the Dubuque
Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Dear Dubuque County Master Gardeners,
On behalf of all the volunteers and staff at the Dubuque Arboretum, thank you for your help at our fall cleanup events. We had an amazing turnout of about 140 volunteers for the two cleanup days. What a fantastic way to wrap-up a tremendous growing season! The cool weather seemed to invigorate many, and come lunch time, all were hun-gry for a delicious lunch and warm beverages.
With 47 acres of grounds of park to clear and prepare for the winter weather, we are grateful for the many hands that “made light work!” Thank you again for your overwhelming support, participation, and servant hearts! Sincerely,
Jack Frick, President Wylie Bledsoe, Vice President Barb Block, Volunteer Coordinator
Fall Master Gardener Trainings We have two remaining Master Gardener trainings to take place in November. The details are below. These activities are free to attend but please let Ray Kruse know at the extension office if you plan to attend so that arrangements are made to accommodate the extra materials needed if we have an activity needing materials. Plant Propagation: Tuesday, November 7th at 6pm in the Dubuque County Extension Office. Ray Kruse will be presenting concepts in relation to plant propagation including breaking apical dormancy, grafting, and selecting areas to take cuttings on certain plants. Wildlife Management: Tuesday, November 14th at 6 pm in the Swiss Valley Nature Center Southwest of Dubuque. Ross Ellingson who is a depredation biologist with the Iowa DNR will be speaking to us about how to detract unwanted wildlife from our garden areas.
Elections: Ballots will be sent out via email of the candidates. All current active certified Master Gardeners in the 2017 year will be able to vote. I will send out the email to those individuals. Those who do not have computer access will receive their ballot in the mail. If you do not receive a ballot but feel that you are an active Master Gardener please do not hesitate to contact Ray Kruse at the extension office to iron things out. Active certified Master Gardeners do not include individuals from this years training class or interns from last years training class. The results of the elections will be announced at the November 13th
meeting. Planning For Next Year: At our next meeting we will discuss ideas for activities in the coming year. Please bring your ideas to the next meeting. If you do not plan to be present please send your ideas to Ray Kruse at the extension office so that they can be brought up at the November meeting Remember we have no December Meeting
Give Thanks
Recipe of the Month… by Sharon Kuttler
2017 Officers
President: Jean Bledsoe
Vice President: Herb Klatt
Secretary/Treasurer: Cheryl
Sheldon
Contact Us
Dubuque Co. Extension
14858 West Ridge Ln.
Dubuque, IA 52003
(563) 583-6496
Visit us on the web!
Or find us on Facebook!
DBQ: Ask a Master Gardener
From The Master Gardener’s
Kitchen
Please submit recipes:
HERE
November Meeting Our Master Gardener meeting will take place Monday, November 13th at 6pm in the DUBUQUE COUNTY LIBRARY– ASBURY BRANCH. Since we do not have a December meeting this upcoming meeting will be our holiday potluck celebration. Everybody is encouraged to bring a dish to pass for the evening. You will be responsible for bringing your own drinks for the meal. The table supplies such as forks and plates will be provided by the Master Gardeners. For the first 1/2 hour of the meeting we will enjoy the food we have all brought to share. At around 6:30pm we will start our official meeting. At the upcoming meeting we will also be welcoming the trainees from this year’s fall training class. Please do not feel afraid to say hello to any new faces you may see. You can find this month’s and previous month’s agendas/minutes, HERE.
CINNAMON SUGAR APPLE CAKE From Laura Miller
This apple cake recipe will certainly make good use of some of the fall crop of apples that are now so abundant. Quick, easy, tasty – thanks to Laura Miller for sharing! Ingredients: 1 ½ cups brown sugar 1/3 cup oil 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 ½ cups flour 1 ½ cups chopped apples ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix ingredients in order given (except last 3 ingredients). Pour batter into a 9 x 13 greased pan. Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping. Sprinkle topping evenly over the batter. Bake 45 minutes. Delicious served warm!
Cook’s Notes: Raw sugar may be substituted for white sugar; For buttermilk you can substitute milk with vinegar, or plain yogurt and milk; A good apple variety used is Wealthy heirloom.
Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!