Home for the Holidays

Posted on September 14, 2016October 10, 2016 by audrey

Home for the Holidays can also be called Fun for the Holidays!

Tickets for the Home for the Holidays Fundraiser event go on sale September 15. Plan now to go and enjoy all the food, shopping, and drawings planned for the day! The tickets must be purchased prior to the event and are limited. They may be purchased at the Chilton County Extension Office at 504 1st Avenue N., Clanton. The tickets are $10 each. There will be door prizes, a tasting table, recipe booklet, and items available to purchase from various vendors and crafters. There will also be a Second Chance room.

Additional Information – Home for the Holidays Flyer

September 28th Lunch and Learn

Posted on September 1, 2016October 22, 2016 by audrey

CCMGA and Chilton County Extension Office will host a Lunch and Learn program on September 28, 2016 at the Extension Office. Master Gardener Lanell Baker will be presenting a program on starting plants from seed. It will be from 12 to 1 p.m. Drinks will be provided by the Extension Office. All you need to do is bring yourself and a sack lunch!

2016 Expo and Demo Garden Grand Opening

Posted on August 9, 2016February 11, 2017 by audrey

The Grand Opening of the Demo Garden was held August 6, 2016, just before the Farm, Home, and Wildlife Expo. On hand for the ceremony was Eagle Scout Clay Vinson, and Girl Scout Hannah Childress. Clay’s project for Eagle Scout was the Demo Garden’s Pergola and surrounding Butterfly Flowerbed. Hannah’s project for her Gold Badge was the Keyhole Garden. The Expo is always a big event that the Master Gardeners look forward to each year. Master Gardeners are in charge of the ice cream tasting, fruit tasting, corn on the cob hut, plant sale, and of course, the Demonstration Garden. Go to Smilebox to see a slideshow of photos from the Expo and Demo Garden.

Sarah Saunders Wins Peach Cook Off

Posted on June 22, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

CCMGA member Sarah Saunders won 1st place this year in the Peach Festival Cook-Off with her peach upside-down Bundt cake. Congratulations, Sarah! The first time she entered, Sarah won 3rd place with a peach cake that wasn’t a Bundt style. Entries are judged on appearance, uniqueness, creativity, and taste. In fact, taste can count as many as 60 points. And of course, the recipe must include fresh Chilton County peaches! First, second, and third place winners receive $50, $35, and $25. Maybe we can talk Sarah into bringing one of these delicious cakes to our next monthly meeting!

Making Peach Salsa at CREC

Posted on June 6, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Our very own Harriett Jackson was interviewed by WSFA channel 12 out of Montgomery VERY early this morning at the Chilton Research and Extension Center. Harriett demonstrated how to make Peach Salsa, which she and some other CCMGA members made last year for the EXPO. Sondra Henley and Treasia Bennett helped her chop the vegetables and fruit for the salsa. The recipe is also posted on the WSFA website. Thanks, Harriett for doing a great job of representing our association and Chilton County!

Lunch and Learn

Posted on May 3, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Native Perennials by Dr. Sue Webb

Our Lunch and Learn for April 27th was held at the Chilton County Extension Office and was all about Native Perennials. The program was brought to us by one of our members, Dr. Sue Webb, who has a doctorate in Microbiology and is a graduate of the Native Plant Certification Program at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. She brought several samples of native flowers that populate Alabama and told all about growing native perennials for a beautiful, easy garden .
We will host a Lunch and Learn the 4th Wednesday of each month from 12-1:00. This month will be “Daylilies” by Trisha Williams and Audrey Giles, June will be “Salad Bowl Gardening” by Harriett Jackson, July will be “Organic Gardening” by Bill Blackwell, August TBA, September “Starting Seeds” by Lanell Baker, the rest of the year TBA. Call the Extension Office at 280-6268 to reserve your spot, seating is limited.

Sue Webb presented program on Native plants — Native Perennials

group at Native perennials class — Lunch and Learn

Sue Webb teching class on Native Plants — Sue Webb

Fundraiser at Antiques in the Garden

Posted on May 3, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Fun with Fundraisers

Chilton County Master Gardeners’ first fundraiser of 2016 was a booth at Antiques in the Garden held at Petals from the Past on April 22-23rd. There were many handmade crafts including hod baskets, hypertufa planters, vine wreaths, gardening towels, planter chairs, birdhouses, and many other interesting items. This was our first time to use this venue as a fundraiser, and I think it’s a keeper! The weather turned out to be beautiful, even though several members got drenched setting up in a downpour!

2 members selling crafts — Margaret Goolsby and Alice Broome

2 members at Petals of the Past fundraiser — Harriett Jackson and Kimberly Lyn

4 master gardens at the craft sale — Lanell Baker, Jackie Hickman, Audrey Giles, and Harriett Jackson

What’s a Chick Chain?

Posted on April 6, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Chilton-Coosa 4-H Chick Chain

By Pat Farmer

Chilton and Coosa counties in conjunction with the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and Alabama 4-H sponsor a program each spring for 4-H members between the ages of 9 – 18 years called Chick Chain.

Participates receives 10 baby chicks (5 each of two breeds), and they have to take care of them for about 21 weeks. They are taught how to house and feed the baby chicks. Two of our members, Jerry and Pat Farmer assist Josine Walter, the ACES 4-H Regional Agent and other ACES staff members in handing out the 2 day old chicks (500+). They also go on many farm visits during the summer to check on the progress of the chicks.

The 4-H participants learn several things during the time of raising their chicks: how to produce healthy chickens, recordkeeping skills, poultry management skills, business management and they also achieved a sense of pride and accomplishment in a job well done.

Judging The Beef Cook-Off

Posted on February 10, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Master Gardeners Pat Farmer and Ann Moore helped judge the Chilton County 4-H Beef Cook-Off held on January 22nd at the Jemison Municipal Complex. This is an event put on every year by the Chilton County 4-H and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. Master Gardeners are proud to be able to help with it.

volunteers Judging Beef Cook-Off — Judging the Beef Cook-Off

beef cookoff organizers — Joan & Tammy McGriff

Beef Cook-off Extension Coordinator and Alabama Cattlemans representative — Gay West & Kayla Greer

Octogenarian

Posted on January 29, 2016August 31, 2016 by audrey

Octogenarian: Someone in his or her eighties, or in other words, between 80 and 89 years of age.

Now that is a big word, and one that we don’t use in our every day speech, but a person that has lived for such a wonderful length of time deserves to have a special word to describe them.

The Chilton County Master Gardeners Association is blessed to have four members that are Octogenarians. And along with this descriptive word comes a bonus of having a Lifetime Membership in CCMGA.

E.C. Lewis was one of the founding members of the Association and joined in 1999. Lindy Helton became a member in 2000, Charlotte Word in 2004 and Margaret Goolsby joined in 2006.

The Association wishes to congratulate E.C. Lewis, Lindy Helton, Charlotte Word and Margaret Goolsby for attaining the title of Octogenarian. All the rest of us hope that one day we get to have this special title by our names! By Pat Farmer and Audrey Giles