September 2024 Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter

In this issue…

From the President…

“A little bit of summer is what the whole year is about.” -John Myer

Sitting on my deck today in late August, there is a hint of Fall in the air. I recognize that summer is fleeting – yet it’s always a gift. While the burst of summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and flowers are a challenge, I will take it over snow and ice. While the height of the growing season is past, we can anticipate the glorious displays of handiwork and produce at the State’s upcoming agricultural fairs. The cyclical nature of life is never more apparent to me than it is at this time of the year.

I recently visited a local retirement community, which has individual raised garden beds for community members. The variety and quality of beds reflect each resident’s interest and gardening expertise. The beds provide the residents with the opportunity to grow vegetables and flowers of their choice, many of which had personal meaning in their pre-retirement years. The anticipation, planning, planting, care, and harvest of their personal beds give each resident gardener an identity. 

Resident gardeners and non-gardeners were recently strolling from bed to bed with curiosity and fascination. While they expressed their gratitude to me for sharing my gardening expertise, they gave me back more. In taking a moment to notice, praise and thank these gardeners for their efforts, I could sense their enthusiasm and joy for life and growth. No matter how big or small your garden is, allow it to be a joy shared. 

The CCMGA Board does not meet in August so I have no news…. Our next Board Meeting will be in September. Again, please mark your calendars for the Annual Harvest Celebration that is scheduled for Saturday, October 5th, 2024, from 3-6 P.M. at Tidewater in Falmouth.  

Enjoy the growing season. May it yield us not only a beautiful and bountiful harvest, but also, just as importantly, tranquility.

Gary Hoyt

CCMGA President

What’s Happening?? My Garden

Tussock caterpillars on milkweed leafKerri shares: “As I was relaxing in my garden this summer, I noticed these adorable caterpillars devouring my milkweed: the milkweed tussock caterpillar  – also known as milkweed tiger moth caterpillar.  This is the first season I’ve seen them in my yard and I was intrigued. I had to look it up to find out more.” 

Milkweed tussock moths are native to areas ranging from southern Canada to Florida and the caterpillars feed on milkweed. While the caterpillars are quite striking, the moth is much more mundane, with its mouse brown body and wings.”  

Need help identifying an insect in your yard check out the University of Maine Extension Home and Garden IPM page.

Want to share what’s going on in your garden? Please reach out to Kerri Frazier. Both successes and maybe not so successful moments are totally welcome.

Roots – Get to Know an MGV 

Bonnie at home with her brother and husband

Elizabeth (Bonnie) Barthmaier – of Annual Garden Sale fame and a Scorpio – spent much of her early life in the Mid Atlantic, but now calls Freeport home. A lifelong volunteer, she describes herself as “a product of the 1960’s.” ‘Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country’. Just like every teenager at the time, I took the Kennedy pledge. My father was an active volunteer in our parish, boy scouts, and local politics. He was my inspiration – he wove community service into my DNA. As a teenager I worked as a Candy Striper, rolled bandages for the VA, delivered groceries for the Little Sisters of the Poor, and visited seniors in nursing homes. Everything sounded exciting and I could never say no. As a young mother I was a Girl Scout leader, chaired the local Village Fair, and sold hotdogs at swim meets. I always say if you need the job done, just ask a busy woman.”  

Bonnie has brought her passion for volunteering with her to retirement in Maine and joined MGV in 2017. “How nice to volunteer and get your hands dirty with friends.”

This summer, in addition to growing her favorite – eggplant – Bonnie’s focused her attention on a unique and meaningful garden project – creating a Vertical Garden out of an upended root ball. She shares, “I had a large spruce tree downed last December during a vicious nor’easter – right outside my living room window. It took down the power lines on my dirt road and stranded us for days. My husband was dying, hospice could not get down the road, we were isolated and together. After three long days the power company removed the tree trunk and repaired the down wires but left me with a large exposed root ball and deep muddy hole. My daughters arrived and my husband passed on Christmas Eve. But I still had a muddy hole in the yard and in my heart. I had no luck finding someone to upright the stump – and when the front of the root ball bloomed with hostas this spring, I decided it was a sign and set about to create a monument to the storm of 2023. I’ve been filling in the muddy hole both literally and figuratively ever since and now I have a unique vertical garden in my front yard. And a memory for life.”

As the Chair of the Master Gardener Plant Sale Committee, Bonnie is always looking for new volunteers. “Look for the announcement for Master Gardener Plant Sale Committee spring 2025!”

Bonnie is also proud to share she went to Woodstock ‘69! in a VW Bus with 10 other pediatric nurses from Philadelphia. 

Is there a Master Gardener Volunteer you’d like to see featured here? Nominate them by emailing Heather Wiggins Berger.

Volunteer Opportunities

Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden Volunteer Project

The Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden project started 3 years ago revitalizing a previously abandoned and weed-choked community garden.  Over the last 3 years, with the help of Master Gardener Volunteers, the garden has been transformed. It now consists of 19 beds, 5 of which are maintained by MGV’s.  At the start of each season, community members are assigned individual beds to cultivate their own vegetables and flowers.

Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden project goals are twofold: to grow culturally appropriate food for the community’s immigrant residents and to empower community members to feed their families through both the on-site food pantry and growing their own food in the community garden. 

The Master Gardener Volunteers collaborate closely with the Sagamore Food Pantry to grow in-demand foods that are not as readily available such as okra, varieties of hot peppers, cilantro, and basil.  This season the addition of mustard greens has proven to be very popular.  During the 2023 growing season, it was estimated that around 350 to 400 lbs of food were grown and donated to the Sagamore Village Food Pantry.

harvested vegetables in containers in garden

 Currently five volunteers help support the Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden. Volunteering is based on the individual’s availability, with the goal having two MGV’s available to harvest and deliver food to the pantry at 9 AM on Tuesdays.  

Dave Hessilink, MGV, has enjoyed volunteering at the Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden. He’s been involved in some of the decision making, and enjoys interacting with community members, and the food pantry.

Looking ahead, the Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden project aims to establish weekly hours where a Master Gardener 

Volunteer can answer community members’ gardening questions and further support their gardening efforts.

Thank you to all the volunteers: Allan Cronan, David Hessilink, Pam Lanz, Amy Starne,s and Jerry Turner who have made this project possible. 

If you are interested in volunteering with the Sagamore Village Community Food Pantry Garden project, you can reach out to Alan Cronan or Pamela Lanz 

We’re looking for volunteer projects to feature in our Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter. If you are interested in having your project featured – or if there is a project you would like to learn more about – please reach out to Kerri Frazier

MGV News 

Longtime UMaine Extension educator Richard Brzozowski honored with National Hall of Fame award

Richard Brzozowski, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Professor Emeritus from New Gloucester, was awarded the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Hall of Fame Award in July at the 109th Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference held in Dallas, TX. This prestigious honor recognizes Extension educators for a lifetime of exemplary work where they have demonstrated commitment, dedication, and effective leadership.

Now retired, Brzozowski’s commitment to the mission of Extension was evident throughout his career in the impact he made through his educational programs, statewide leadership and his success in securing over $1.9 million in grant funding for diverse research and educational initiatives. His influence spans from county-based educational programs supporting sustainable agriculture, and home horticulture to statewide responsibilities as a small ruminant and poultry specialist, illustrating his dedication to collaborative efforts with a variety of agricultural producers.

Read more about Richard’s accomplishments here.

MGV Events

Tuesday, September 10:  Cumberland County Extension Open House and Annual Meeting  |  5:00-7:00 PM  |  Falmouth  |  FREE

Wednesday, September 11: The Basics of Composting: From Scraps to Soil | 5:00-6:30 PM | Falmouth | Sliding scale ($5-15)

Interested in turning your food scraps and waste into nourishment for your plants? Join us and learn the basics of composting! In this workshop we’ll discuss the advantages of different compost feedstocks, best practices to build and maintain a healthy compost pile, and horticultural uses of finished compost. Participants will also learn about different small-scale composting set-ups, from bins to lobster traps to tumblers. We hope participants will leave the workshop empowered to compost wherever they live, whether it’s a farm, apartment, or community garden.

Cumberland County MGV Speaker Series 

The Speaker Series and Special Projects committees recently joined to become the Education Committee with Barbara Dee and Jim Casey as Co-Chairs. We have an exciting schedule planned although we have a few gaps so if you have any ideas on topics or presenters please let Barbara or Jim know. Here’s the schedule so far – all events are offered on a sliding fee.  

  • Thursday, September 12: Bringing Nature Home with Andrew Tufts/Audubon | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Zoom
  • Thursday, October 10: How to Capture Nature in Writing with Deb McKew | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Falmouth
  • Thursday, October 24: Harvesting and Saving Native Seeds with Pamela and Extension staff | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Falmouth
  • Thursday, November 14: TBD
  • Thursday, December 12: TBD
  • Thursday, January 9: Growing Figs in Maine with Bob McArdle | Time TBD | Zoom
  • Thursday, February 13: Drought Resistant Gardens with Amy Witt | Time TBD | Zoom
  • Thursday, March 13: Therapeutic Horticulture | Time TBD | Zoom
  • Thursday, April 10: Biochar and Soils with Andrew Carpenter of Northern Tilth | Time TBD | Zoom
  • Thursday, May 8: TBD
  • Thursday, June 12: TBD

University of Maine Extension Events

Community Events

Past Editions: Missed a previous newsletter? View them all HERE  (password: ladybug)
About this Newsletter: The Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer Newsletter is edited by Clarissa Brown, Kerri Frazier, and Heather Wiggins Berger. If you would like to submit an event, article,or help with any aspect of the Newsletter, please contact Heather Wiggins Berger, the newsletter coordinator.