Sorry I missed the August meeting- I was in Griffin

OK- So I was so harried this week I left Elaine hanging without all of the info I meant for ya'll to get! A few notes:
1. Trip to Southern Roots Veggie Garden-I cam currently sending out the most labeled postcards you'll ever get to some of you who were not at the meeting or needed more info. The trip of on Wednesday, September 12. We will caravan or meet at the site. I will be leaving the Annex parking lot at 9am- or you can meet at the farm at 10am. The address is 2710 HWy 82 Midway, AL. It should take about an hour to get there. We need 10 to make the trip. Currently, there are3 signed up. We will bring sack lunched- I will provide drinks. The manager of the farm will show us around his 2acre lot and then we will enjoy our picninc lunch. I will try to get the word out to AL MG's- but as with any of our meetings, feel free to bring a friend/spouse/child, etc.

2. A few upcoming dates-

• September 5- start JMG at St. Luke
• September 29- we are involved with Keep Columbus Beatiful Commission (KCBC) Help-The-Hooch with Your Pooch - we will try to help educate the community on the impact dog poop left at Lakebottom Park has on Weracoba Creek- I am guilty!
• October 12-13 Help the Hooch-don't forget to recycle your household stuff (paint/printers etc)
• November 1- Westville Trip

Web address for the monthly homeowner disease report -http://plantpath.caes.uga.edu/extension/documents/AUGUST2007.pdf

If that is not right- blame Elaine!

American Camelia Society - this weekend in Fort Valley-ask Tom Tennent.

Football season is upcon us- we got tickets for Kansas State tomorrow. War Eagle!

Jen

Have a Very Nice Weekend

It's Friday pm and I am getting ready to go home for the weekend. Next week will be jam-packed...a few highlights...

Monday-BIG Conference at Trade Center on Child Abuse

Tuesday-in office, answering calls, etc

Wednesday-ANR Advisory meeting at 4pm

Thursday- ANR Update, Griffin, 5pm MG Meeting

Friday-back in office answering calls and getting ready to beat Kansas State on Saturday -War Eagle

I am having trouble getting Hispanics to sign up for training on the 5th- if anyone has any ideas/incentives, let me know.

That's all for now.

Jen

Today we made rain barrels with our VMG group. Who knew that Beverly, Ellen, Martha and Caroline wher so handy with the power tools. Tom and Cathy didn't do so bad either. I am really hopeful that we can go out and with our multiplier effect really reach many households.

We are going to work together with Botanical Gardens and other places to really have some impact. I want to show ya'll all of the facets of the Watersmart program that we will be taking part in.

Also, we are getting ready for 2008 MG class- is there a subject any of you would like to co-teach? We need to really do a media blitz in the month of October to get lots of good applicants- i would like for someone to serve on the selection committee with Dianne O as the chair. ANy takers? Also-start talking it up to your friends if you know anyone interested.

I will try to provide the instructions for the rainbarrels maybe we could do another "class" later this fall- just to poll, how many are interested?

Anyone interested in helping with hispanic safety training- just helping me market it?

Thank yall so much for all you do. Yall really make Columbus a better place to live.

Jen

I have been unable to blog lately -been very busy! Currently we are getting ready for our rain barrel project and marketing for the Hispanic Safety Training. I will include some info about that later in the post. I had an interesting site visit for the city the other day- Green June Beetles feeding on the sap of an oak tree that had several cankers on it. I just got news that we will become a pilot county for the water wise program- that will be starting asap- i am excited.

On a personal note, this week I put Ash in day care and am having a hard time-does anyone know of anyone who might want to keep him at home?

Hope to see ya'll at the monthly meeting- I will let ya'll know asap who the speaker is this month. I do have office work so if anyone is interested, let me know.

Jen

I have been in the loveliest village on the plains!

So I have been in AU for 3 days. I miss it when I go visit. Oh, to be a student again.....sorry, back to business. I was at a 3 day workshop on what it means to be USDA certified Organic. It was a very interesting training, though i am not sure many farmers will b e knocking on my door to become certified. We went through all of the ins and outs to become organic. It is NOT just replacing synthetic chemicals for naturals or nothing at all. It is much more involoved than that. I found it interesting on a personal sense - seeing that I am the consumer paying higher prices- I need to know what I am getting. If anyone is interested in having me do a talk for ya'll just ask. I can pass on what I learned. I am not interested in arguing the good, the bad, or the ugly about organic versus traditional farming methods-there is not enough science nor am I knowledgeable about everything you must know to make a great arguement either way. I am now, however pretty educated on what USDA ORganic means.

On other subjects- I will be working from home next week- I will be calling in a couple of times per day, checking messages and checking email. I am looking forward to tour rain barrel demo- hope we can help save some water and$ during this drought. I really think with the multiplier effect we can do some good.

I will be having a Hispanic Training in September so if any of you know any landscape company owners- please help me market to them.

I chatted with the Russell COunty agent about doing some cross programming-hopefully we can coordintate somthing this coming year-we want to re-do teh trip to Massee Lanes. Until Later!