Free Bee information at WV Beekeepers Spring Meeting

The biggest event of the year for the WV Beekeepers Association is their Spring Meeting. It is being held near Fairmont this year. It is being sponsored by the Marion County Beekeepers Association. Attend the free public sessions this Saturday afternoon. The next paragraph is a note from one of their members who is also a Master Gardener.

"There will be a free informational session at the WV Beekeepers Spring Meeting Saturday March 28, 2009 at the Trinity Assembly of God church in Fairmont. The session will be open to the general public from 1-2:45 pm and will include information about the honeybee and beekeeping. I imagine the session could be used for educational hours for Master Gardeners."

The Church is located on Rt 73 South. If you were leaving the Middletown Mall, drive south a couple of miles. On the left you will see the Church's sign.

More details and a map are located at the West Virginia Beekeepers Association web site. Click on the title to get there.

Daily Red Meat Raises Chances of Dying Early

Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to the first large study to examine whether regularly eating beef or pork increases mortality.

The study of more than 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans found that those who consumed about four ounces of red meat a day (the equivalent of about a small hamburger) were more than 30 percent more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats also increased the risk. The rest of the story at the Washington Post. Click Title for the link.

Don't miss this presentation on Helleborus

You are invited you to hear Barry Glick in Clarksburg on March 21. The Goff Plaza Garden Club is organizing this. Barry will be speaking on Helleborus. I've never met Barry, but I love Helleborus. The cost is $5,which goes to cover his expenses and future educational programs sponsored by the garden club. There will be lots of good 'eats' afterwards. Invite your friends. It is open to the public.

You can read more about Barry Glick from the Garden Lady.

Dollars from Dirt - Home Gardening Boom

With the recession in full swing, many Americans are returning to their roots -- literally -- cultivating vegetables in their backyards to squeeze every penny out of their food budget.

Industry surveys show double-digit growth in the number of home gardeners this year and mail-order companies report such a tremendous demand that some have run out of seeds for basic vegetables such as onions, tomatoes and peppers.

"People's home grocery budget got absolutely shredded and now we've seen just this dramatic increase in the demand for our vegetable seeds. We're selling out," said George Ball, CEO of Burpee Seeds, the largest mail-order seed company in the U.S. "I've never seen anything like it." Click on Title to continue

Just a few moles can raise a lot of turf!

Question: Our lawn is being devastated by moles. How do they manage to tunnel so well through our heavy clay soil? How do we get rid of them?

Answer: Moles are built for digging. With a bullet-shaped head and nose, powerful shoulder muscles, and large, outward-facing front feet with strong claws, these earth miners literally swim through the soil in search of their favorite food, the earthworm. In fact, moles can dig surface tunnels at approximately 18 feet per hour and can travel through existing tunnels at about 80 feet per minute. If it weren't for their raised feeding tunnels and occasional mounds of excavated dirt, we would likely praise them for their habits. In the process of digging, they mix and aerate soil, provide tunnels for water to reach down to plant roots, and eat many destructive insects including grubs, beetles and insect larvae. Vegetation occasionally makes up a small portion of the diet

Click title for the rest of the story.

I'm Ready for the Worms!

12 years ago I wrote a newspaper article about raising worms as part of my Master Gardener certification. I had the privilege of interviewing a local expert on worm composting who taught me that the proper term is vermicomposting. Visiting her at her house I discovered that she had many "worm composting pits" in her back yard. What surprised me the most however, was that she also had a can-o-wormsin her kitchen! Ever since, I have wanted to buy my own can-o-worms. The Can-O-Wormsis basically a multi-tray composting system raised up on legs with a tap on the front to drain excess water as "worm tea".

Since this popular unit costs over a hundred dollars, I was never able to get one.

Last year, I finally decided to try my hand at vermicomposting in a makeshift plastic bin. It was fun and worked for a little while. My bin didn't provide adequate air for them and since it was sitting on the basement floor, ants invaded the bin. I made all sorts of mistakes and the worm farm failed.

This year, my wife said that she would like to try again if we could find a cheaper alternative to the Can-o-Worms.

Read the rest by clicking on the title.

Mountaineer Treeways accepting Applications

This program provides trees at no cost for various community projects. All trees must be planted on public property in WV. No matching funds are required. Application deadline is March 20, 2009.

Trees will be distributed in early April as weather and nursery conditions permit. Candidate sites may be schools, city streets, municipal property, public parks, highways, rest areas, and interstates, among others. Any civic group may apply.

Do your part to help make West Virginia a better place to live, work and visit by planting trees.

Mountaineer Treeways works with volunteer organizations and municipalities to foster and support public tree care programs in communities and cities. To learn how you can become a part of the Mountaineer Treeways program, download the application below.

Mountaineer Treeways Application

Outdoor burning restrictions start March 1

No burning allowed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily until May 31
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Officials at the Division of Forestry remind West Virginia residents that the spring forest fire season begins Sunday, March 1. Starting Sunday, no outdoor fires will be allowed during the daytime hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fires to burn brush or other vegetative debris may only be started after 4 p.m. and must be
extinguished by 7 a.m. Outdoor burning is restricted to evening hours when cooler temperatures, increased humidity and calmer winds reduce the likelihood of fires spreading.

Fire Staff Assistant Ben Webster says that since Jan. 1, the state has already had nearly 100 fires that have burned approximately 800 acres. “We’ve seen quite a few fires so far this year despite the snow and rain most of the state has received. Half of those were the direct result of fires where people started to burn debris that later were allowed to escape and burn multiple acres.”

Cut back Garden budget by using No-fuss seeds

One way to rein in your plant purchases this spring without putting a damper on your dream garden is to use annuals — especially those you can start from seeds sown directly into the garden. For 15 to 25 bucks — the price of one or two flats of flowers or hanging baskets — you can buy a fistful of seed packets that will produce hundreds of plants in a rainbow of colors and shapes.

Some annuals, such as morning glories, hyacinth bean, cardinal climber and moonflower, climb by leaps and bounds. Sunflowers, in shades of red, cherry, gold or white, turn their "faces" throughout the day to follow the sun. Some annuals are fragrant, like the night-scented tobacco flower, and others can add zing to a flower arrangement.

Unlike perennials, which typically return every spring, but usually flower for just a few weeks, annuals tend to bloom their little heads off from late spring right up until frost. When they finish flowering, they produce seeds and then head for that garden in the sky. You can collect the seed for freebie flowers next year and rearrange where you use them for a new look.

By sowing annuals from seeds, "your world opens to plants you never knew existed," says garden designer Patti Kirkpatrick of Joliet, Ill. "My advice to newbies and other gardeners is to just try it." Each spring, she sows seeds of Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum), which offers shades of blue and pink and will bloom in full sun to light shade. "It's a must for those tiny little flower arrangements."

Click on title for rest of the story

Winter Blues Farmer Market - Morgantown

First Winter Blues Farmers Market offers variety of fresh produce
Meats, cheeses, breads, other products also available

Shop at the Winter Blues Farmers Market from 4-7 p.m. Monday (Feb. 23) at the Ramada Inn in Morgantown, and you won’t have to wait until summer to plan mouth-watering meals with locally produced meats, vegetables, cheeses, breads and other products.

Working with the West Virginia University Extension Service, farmers from throughout West Virginia and neighboring Maryland counties will turn the Ramada Inn lobby into a one-stop shopping excursion, offering fresh produce, frozen meats and finished foods and goods.

Goat cheese, potatoes, onions and garlic are among the fresh items. Lamb, pork, chicken and beef will be packaged, frozen and ready for consumers to carry home.

You will find a variety of value-added (finished or ready-to-use) farm products. Locally grown tomatoes, for example, are ingredients in jars of salsa. The value-added list also includes sourdough artisan breads, Bloody Mary mix and apple butter. Preston County wool will be available as yarn and as scarves, mittens and hats.

Wool from WVU ewes will be on sale as wool blankets. Cornmeal – ground at the old mill in the famous WVU Jackson’s Mill Historic Area in Lewis County – also will be among the vendors’ wares.

Live blues music will add to the “open air” shopping experience, said Susan Sauter, a volunteer with WVU Extension’s West Virginia Small Farm Center.

The winter market, she said, is a new event for the annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference, which runs from Tuesday through Thursday (Feb. 24-26) at the Ramada Inn. Although the market closes Monday, the local foods theme will season the conference, and the Local Foods Banquet is set for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Click on Title for more information

WVU Extension Service to host Mountaineer Camping Institute

WVU Extension Service to host Mountaineer Camping Institute
Registration deadline is Feb. 25

How can camp organizers keep their programs current to reach today’s diverse groups? Do youths prefer computer games to campfires?

These questions and more will be answered during a three-day training conference that will help camping professionals learn the latest trends for targeting young people. The conference will take place March 10-12 at West Virginia University Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp near Weston.

Mountaineer Camping Institute, hosted by WVU Extension Service, brings together experts and camp organizers to share information about creative and effective ways to recruit campers and train staff members. MCI offers workshop presentations in areas such as day camping, operations and staff training.

Jim Cain, Association for Challenge Course Technology executive director, will be the keynote speaker. He is the owner and operator of Teamwork & Teamplay, a worldwide teambuilding program for corporations, colleges and camps.

In addition, Cain will present several workshops, sharing his experiences in innovative staff training methods, teambuilding and recreation.

“Camp organizers know that it takes more than singalongs and s’mores to attract today’s youths,” said Bill Beckley, WVU Extension camping specialist. “WVU Extension faculty members, combined with outside experts, offer a unique training experience that infuses heritage, tradition and trends.”

Click title for more information.

Web-Based Tree Picker Helps You Branch Out

LOGAN, Utah -- Utah State University Extension Forestry released a new online tree browser, http://www.treebrowser.org, in January to replace the Utah Tree Browser CD-ROM available from USU since 2002. This new interactive browser contains more than 1,000 full-color photographs of and information about 241 native and introduced trees growing in Utah and the Intermountain West.

Users can browse through a complete list of trees or narrow their choices by selecting from 21 general, growth-related, cultural and ornamental characteristics, including whether a tree is native or introduced. For each species there is a fact sheet, usually including descriptions of the leaves, twigs, buds, flowers, fruit, bark, wood, general comments about the tree's native habitat, and a description of its uses in cultivated landscapes, including its USDA Plant Hardiness Zone designation.

Extension Service recruiting for Extension Agent

West Virginia University
West Virginia University
“Career Opportunity”

WVU Extension Service is recruiting for a faculty, twelve month Extension Agent - position for Wayne County. Master’s Degree required. Educational background in families and youth including education, health, family and consumer science, communication studies, social work, agricultural education, leadership studies or human development are required. Applicant may qualify with any master’s degree plus three years of work experience in a required field.

For a complete position announcement and application process, visit our website at
http://www.wvu-edu/~exten/
Revised Closing Date: March 2, 2009.

What! A Master Vegetarian Program? Yes, It is true.

Confronted by rising food prices and global climate change, more people are reducing their carbon footprint and saving money by making changes to their lifestyle. If you find yourself wondering how your dietary choices affect the environment, your wallet, and your health, now is a great time to sign up for Veg 101 and the Master Vegetarian Program.

Modeled after the Master Recycler Program and the Metro Master Gardener Program, the nine-week Master Vegetarian Program was piloted by Northwest VEG in 2007 to teach interested members of the community about the environmental and epidemiological impact of food choices. Now in its fourth run, the program continues to attract both vegetarians and omnivores by offering thought-provoking lectures and discussion about the science and politics of food.

Master Vegetarian topics include the environmental effects of food choices; organic agriculture; issues on animal agriculture and animal treatment; nutrition; the effects of diet on health and chronic disease; effective communication; and social issues. The program is co-sponsored by People's Food Co-op and the National College of Natural Medicine.
Click here for more.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman

Becoming An Outdoors-Woman

The WV Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program encourages women to participate in outdoor activities. We host two weekend workshops a year designed for hands-on training in an atmosphere where women can have fun learning new skills. The BOW program is looking for women who are at least 18 years old and are interested in improving on an existing skill, learning a new skill, and/or are looking for the camaraderie of like-minded individuals. Each person is able to participate in four half-day courses along with special activities each night. Classes include: hiking, biking, camping, shooting, fishing, and outdoor cooking.

Future workshop dates are:
# April 17-19, 2009 - Spring BOW Workshop - Pipestem State Park (registration form)
# September 11-13, 2009 - Fall BOW Workshop - Watoga State Park

Extension Service - SJ Jubilee reach agreement

Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee leaders are breathing a little easier following a meeting with the West Virginia University Extension Service regarding the future of the Labor Day festival.

The festival's existence was being questioned by its own board of directors because of a debt of more than $18,000 owed to WVU Jackson's Mill. The debt was incurred through the lodging and feeding of the musicians and some demonstrators. WVU Extension Service leaders have agreed to allow the Jubilee to pay off the money over time.

The WVU Extension Service could also become a sponsor of the event, but its staff wants to have more of a say in the happenings of the festival. A meeting of the Jubilee board is set for 6 p.m. today at Jackson's Mill to discuss those terms.

"I feel positive something can be worked out," said Jubilee President Debby Walker. "We need to know a little bit more about the terms we are striking with WVU and what are the requirements."

Lewis County Commissioners Pat Boyle and Agnes Queen also attended last week's meeting in Morgantown over concerns what the disappearance of the Jubilee would mean to the local economy. The festival generates hotel/motel tax funds that are distributed not only to other tourist attractions, but also to local parks and the public library.

"They were very open to the plight of the Jubilee," Boyle said. "The Extension Service wants it to be successful. They don't want to see it fail, and that shows they are willing to work with us."

Rest of the story from the Inter-Mountain

Hey, kids! Grow your own fruit

West Virginia author Anna Egan Smucker's newest book is featured in the Stark Bros. nursery catalog as part of a grow-your-own fruit tree kit for children.

Smucker's book "Golden Delicious: A Cinderella Apple Story" (illustrated by Kathleen Kemly) tells the true story of how the Golden Delicious apple was discovered growing on a Clay County hillside by Anderson Mullens more than 100 years ago.

Mullens sent a box of apples to Stark Bros. nursery in Missouri. One of the Stark brothers traveled to Clay County to see the tree, buy it from Mullens and send grafts back to his nursery. All Golden Delicious apple trees are descended from that tree.

Click the title for the rest of the story from the Charleston Gazette

State Flower Bouquet

Click on the Title. Wait till you see the end when all the state flowers come together in a bouquet.

2009 Master Gardener Classes WVU-Harrison County

The WVU-Harrison County Extension Office will be conducting a Master Gardener volunteer training program starting February 17, 2009. This exciting program offers individuals the opportunity to receive in-depth instruction in horticulture and to participate in gardening related community service.


Participants attend 30 hours of training and receive a complete gardening reference manual. In return they volunteer 30 hours of horticulture service to their community.


WHEN: February 17 THROUGH April 28, 2009 . Ten weeks of consecutive Tuesday evenings from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00P.M. & one Saturday morning.


WHERE: Harrison County 4-H Center on Route 19 South


COST: $80 Fee which covers an extensive gardening manual & class materials.


REGISTRATION: February 3, 2009


CONTACT: Information and Registration forms are available at the Harrison County Extension Office located on the 6th Floor of the Court House. Telephone the Extention Office at 624-8650 or EMAIL at lgcampbell@mail.wvu.edu

W.Va. Farmers Aim at Growing Muslim Market

There's a growing demand in West Virginia for sheep and goats from Muslim residents tired of traveling hundreds of miles for meats prepared in accordance with their faith's dietary requirements.

At the same time, West Virginia's farmers are eager for new customers. Story Here

WVU Extension Service garden calendars available

Note: This article is from the Point Pleasant Register. The same calendar is available from the Harrison County Extension office located on the 6th floor of the County Court House. The Harrison County Extension Agent is Larry Campbell and can be reached at 624-8650

POINT PLEASANT — Growing a healthy garden can make a healthier gardener, according to West Virginia University Extension Service experts.

The 2009 WVU Extension Service Garden Calendar highlights 12 months of healthy habits and gardening tips.

According to WVU Extension Agent Rodney Wallbrown, the garden calendar is the WVU Extension Service’s most-requested publication.

“This is one of the most popular publications that the WVU Extension Service puts out,” Wallbrown said. “People start calling and stopping by the office well in advance of Jan. 1 asking about it. They already want it and are really anxious.”

The garden calendar is available at the Mason County WVU Extension office in the courthouse annex. The monthly calendar and gardening guide offers information helpful to beginning and avid gardeners. According to Wallbrown, the calendar provides day-to-day planting and harvesting reminders, and notes range from tips on when to plan a garden layout to when to mulch roses.

“(The garden calendar) is popular because of the information in it — not only the article for each month on the selected topic, but it also lists what month and what day should be (used) for planting certain crops,” Wallbrown said. “People like the advice.”

In January, readers are reminded to avoid using salt where runoff might injure plants and are encouraged to create garden plans documenting when and where the garden will be planted. In February, reminders include tips about ordering fruit trees and seeding vegetables indoors. The important notes continue through December.

In addition, the calendar features a short article on a novel or problematic topic each month. An extra bonus is the Extension Experts page, which gives leads on finding inexpensive mulch, tips about feeding trees and other gardening insights.

Wallbrown described gardening as becoming increasingly popular in the county.

“Gardening is popular and getting more so with the economy and prices of food and contaminated foods. A lot more people are growing their own produce,” he said, adding that some residents grow their own produce and sell it at the Farmers’ Market to bring in extra money.

The garden calendar is free and lists the phone number of each county office of the WVU Extension Service. For more information, call 304-675-0888.

Jubilee hoping to reach compromise with WVU

Officials with the Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee, along with the Lewis County Commission, will meet this morning in Morgantown with the leaders of the West Virginia University Extension office to discuss the future of the Labor Day weekend festival.

The sticking point in the issue is the amount WVU Jackson's Mill charges - $27,000 - the Jubilee for the weekend event. The festival has paid all of its financial obligations, but still owes about $19,000 to Jackson's Mill.

Debby Walker, president of the Jubilee's board of directors, said she hopes some sort of financial compromise can be worked out with the university. She attributed the festival's financial difficulties to a $16,000 drop in revenue from last year's event.

FROM the Inter-Mountain. Read the rest HERE.

Marion County Beekeepers offering course

Marion County Beekeepers Association are offering a short course in beekeeping. This 6 evening course is open to any NEW OR EXPERIENCED beekeeper. The classes will be held at Pleasant Valley Municipal Building in Kingmont (Exit 133 off I-79 - 3/10 mile past the Chevron station- bldg is on the right) from 7:00 to 9:00 on the first 3 Tuesdays and Thursdays in February (February 3^rd, 5^th, 10^th, 12^th, 17^th and 19^th). A field day will also be held in early April for hands-on experience. We will hold a special Saturday workshop for equipment assembly. Please tell anyone interested in bees about these classes. Cost is $30 per family or $18 if already a 2009 MCBA/WVBA member. Cost includes a textbook, printed material and membership dues in MCBA and WVBA. Call Nancy Postlethwait at 366-9938 or Tom Kees at 363-4782 for further information.

Veggie Garden for the White House and the Obamas

"This is a real opportunity for the president to lead by example," Mr. Simon says. He points out that past administrations have had gardens and grown vegetables, including those of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. And First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, like millions of other Americans, had a Victory Garden during World War II. ...

Roger Doiron, too, envisions a presidential vegetable garden. The founding director of Kitchen Gardeners International, an advocacy group in Scarborough, Maine, that is part of the eating-local movement, runs a campaign called Eat the View to promote a White House garden.

Mr. Doiron has gathered more than 10,000 signatures on a petition supporting the idea. His cause ranks first in votes among more than 5,000 ideas for President Obama that people have submitted to On Day One, a project of a group called Better World Fund that promotes good ties between the U.S. and the United Nations.

New Extension Agent for Putnam County

New extension agent named for Putnam County (The Putnam Standard ...
13 meeting that a new West Virginia University Extension Service Agent, Chuck Talbott, has been named to replace retired Extension Agent and Extension Associate Professor, Wayne Bennett. Read the rest of the story. ...
Worm.com - http://www.worm.com/