Plant Sale Proceeds Fund Scholarships, Jan. 14

While most gardens in the area are currently under water, members of the Coos County Master Gardener Association (CCMGA) met recently to start planning for the annual ‘Tomato Rama’ plant sale held in mid-May at Pony Village. All proceeds from the sale are earmarked for horticulture/agriculture scholarships, local school garden grants, community garden projects and garden-related educational programs in Coos County throughout the year. Individual scholarship recipients in 2015 included Alessandra Hossley, Shelby Porter, James Kirkpatrick, Tasia Hyatt, Emily Midyette, Serena Erler, Elizabeth Spencer and Cole Waddington. Applications for the 2016 funding cycle have been distributed to area schools and will be reviewed by the scholarship committee after the April 15th submission deadline. School garden grants were given to Allegany Cooperative Education School, Bandon High School, North Bend High School, Myrtle Crest Elementary and Myrtle Point Junior and Senior High School. The deadline for applications for this year’s program is February 5th. The CCMGA is a countywide volunteer organization supporting Oregon State University’s Extension Service Master Gardener Program. Trained members provide technical assistance to the community on a wide variety of home gardening topics including plant growth, soil nutrition, and pest and disease management.