We need your help. We're trying to plan events for RPMGA for 2018. At a brainstorming session Thursday, January 4, we developed a list of possibilities. Now we need to narrow that down to the ones we're most interested in.
So please look over the information below and send Ruth Flescher back a note listing the ones that most intrigue you (in order of most to least interested would be helpful).
If you have additional ideas, those are also welcome!
Thanks for your help!
Ruth Flescher
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Tour Ideas
Daylily hybridizer and farm - Bill and Mary Powell hybridize and sell daylilies from their Epiphany Farm (off Hwy 106, East of Fort Atkinson).
Pasque Flower Preserve in the Kettle Moraine—One of the best sites to see one of our earliest spring flowers. Other wildflowers that may be blooming at the same time: Shooting stars, prairie smoke, kittentails, puccoon, pussy toes and several species of buttercups.
Nature at the Confluence, 306 Dickup St, So. Beloit, Ill. Tour their gardens and learn about their urban ecology plan.
RPMGA members private gardens (2-3)
CSA Options
Tour Regenerative Roots LLC in Jefferson - organic vegs (on a permaculture model) and Cultivating the Commons (grows vegetables for seed) near Fort Atkinson
Behind the scenes tour of the RECAP CSA project out at the Community Garden in Janesville
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute near East Troy - This organization offers hands-on education on sustainable agricultural—everything from soil basics to managing insects to marketing, much of which also applies to horticulture. If you want a look-see before deciding if you’d like this, the website is michaelfields.org.
Welty Environmental Center in Rock County
The Angel Museum in Beloit (gardens)
Wirkus Nursery outside Clinton, WI
Tour Agrecol Native Seed and Plant Nursery - which grows native plants for many of the local prairie restoration specialty companies and conservation groups. Near Evansville.
Rockford: Anderson Japanese Garden and Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Madison: Field day and vegetable tasting at the UW’s West Madison Ag Research Station
Allen Centennial Garden and DC Smith Greenhouse are part of the UW Family Garden Day (May 5)
Program Ideas
Beekeeping (at RECAP/Community Garden or another location)
Tool Care by Paul Haen of The Sharp Edge – rescuing damaged tools, plus a sharpening option.
Making and using seed screens (to clean trash from seeds you want to save)
The Art of Planning and Planting Flower Gardens (a talk by Mark Dwyer)
Making pollinator mixes for specific purposes (bee mix, beneficial insect mix, butterfly mix, bird mix)
Soils—Testing the effects compost could have on your own home soil
Help create a video on testing the difference mulch makes on growing plants
Hands-On class on Germination Testing
Companion planting
Making and using wildflower seed bombs (seeds mixed with clay that can be tossed out in appropriate locations to plant more native plants)
IPM for average folks/Home fruit trees - Hoping to invite Dennis Norton who is nurseryman at Royal Oak Farm Orchard in Harvard, Ill.
Weeds: ID at various growth stages, discussion of MGV’s weed control methods, uses of weeds such as fodder and food. Weeds you might keep and why.
Insect houses 2: Shelter boxes (vs. nursery boxes), using your houses, creating environments to support pollinators and beneficial insects
Contact Ruth Flescher with choices, comments and suggestions to yafello2@gmail.com. We're looking forward to your input.
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