Flowers for the Chamber Banquet

Chilton County Master Gardener Audrey Giles was approached by Chilton Chamber director Francine Wasden a couple weeks ago and asked if any of the Master Gardeners would be interested in making a flower arrangement for the stage the night of the annual banquet. The board got together and decided to ask our very talented Treasia Bennett if she would do this. She graciously accepted and created this beautiful arrangement for that night. Aren’t we glad she’s our decorating Chairperson for the 2019 AMGA Spring Conference we’re hosting here in May? Great job, Treasia!

First Meeting of 2019

Chilton County Master Gardener 2019 President, Susan Cleckler, welcomed us to our first meeting of the year. We enjoyed a program on Permaculture presented by Tracy Britnell. Tracy and her husband are experimenting with permaculture on their farm and want the farm to be an educational site. It took about a year to get the soil ready to start planting. Since then, they have been using permculture methods. Inter-planting various plants to draw beneficial insects and repel others is one permaculture method. Another is using nitrogen fixing plants to help with fertilization. One of the goals of permaculture is to garden without using chemicals. Tracy is currently building a blog about her farm and methods and will share her research on the blog.

Speaker Tracy Britnell

Dee’s Crunch by Wally Walters

Wally Walters brought Dee’s Crunch to our December meeting and the recipe was requested by several members. This yummy treat is quick and easy.

2 cups mixed nuts
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 package almond bark

Melt almond bark according to directions on package. Add mixed nuts, dried cranberries, and crushed pretzels. Drop by teaspoonful or spread on waxed paper. If spread break into pieces when hard.

Hint: melt 1/4 of bark at a time and add 1/2 cup of each (nuts, cranberries, pretzels) at a time.

“We Love Our Octogenarians!

UPDATE ON OUR OCTOGENARIANS:

The Chilton County Master Gardeners Association now has 10 Octogenarian members.  And along with this descriptive word comes a bonus of having a Lifetime Membership in CCMGA.  John Wallace, who certified in 2018, also became our 10th Octogenarian in 2018.

“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!

E.C. Lewis was one of the founding members of the Association and became certified in 1999.  Joan Davis certified in 1997 in Jefferson County, but joined our association in 2009.  Lindy Helton became a member in 2000, Wayne Freeman in 2002, Margaret Goolsby in 2006, Margaret Ennis in 2007, Peggie Harris in 2008, Charlotte Word in 2009, Bettye Glass in 2011, and our newest member, John Wallace in 2018. We LOVE our OCTOGENARIANS!

CCMGA octogenarians in 2019

 

 

 

AMGA 2019 Conference Registration Open

Chilton County Master Gardener Association, along with Autauga and Shelby County MG Associations, has the honor of hosting the 2019 Alabama Master Gardener Association Conference. The Conference is being held at Clanton Performing Arts Center in Clanton, AL on May 8,9, and 10. The public is welcome and registration is now open. There is a great lineup of speakers and activities! One of our most noted speakers is Joe Lamp’l, Executive Producer and Host of the PBS series “Growing a Greener World”, previous host of DIY’s “Fresh from the Garden”, and on-air contributor to The Today Show, Good Morning America, and the Weather Channel. And he is just one of the great speakers!
Online registration is at www.alabamamg.org. Just click on 2019 Annual State Conference(in red), then click on Registration (in green) to be taken to online registration. We hope to see you at the AMGA 2019 Conference!
Brochure speakers page