Master Gardeners celebrate successful season with potluck

Take a look, and you’ll see dozens of ‘green thumb’ folks with the Multnomah County Master Gardener Association finish up their season in their outer East Portland garden – and share their successes …

Welcoming guests to their Harvest Potluck are Multnomah County Master Gardener Association members Deborah Krikorian, Ginny Link, and Susan Marcus.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Under canopies set up in the Multnomah County Master Gardener™ Association (MCMGA) Demonstration Garden, Saturday afternoon September 14 was the day for their annual Harvest Potluck Party.

Guests were encouraged to go on a “Circle of Life Nature Hunt” throughout the garden, which is in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood. Others took advantage of the professional tool-sharpening available. And, nearly everyone picked up native flowering plant seed while there.

Members and guests roam in the Garden as the celebration gets underway.

Some attendees take advantage of professional tool-sharpening, here being done by Harmonie Medlin-Bennett of Sharpening4U.

It being a potluck, members were encouraged to bring dishes and desserts to share. As in past years, MCMGA volunteers were grilling brats (and veggie brats) to complete the meal.

A total of 58 volunteers, and families and friends of volunteers, enjoyed the feast and festivities, even as a late-summer rainstorm swept in during the latter portion of the event.

Serving guests at the salad table are volunteers Jen Hazen and Debbie Haas.

Successes in the Garden

“At the Demonstration Garden, we have three Co-Chairs,” Linda Goldser told East Portland News.

“Under the guidance of Heidi Nichols, who coordinates ‘Edible Crops’, ‘Produce Donations’ and ‘Daily Garden Tasks’, we harvested 1,300 pounds from our edible beds since February to donate to local food pantries – and the harvest continues through the end of October,” Goldser informed.

It’s volunteer grillmaster John Jordan with sausage in hand – actually, he’s using tongs!

Under Carole Hardy, coordinating “Perennial Beds” and “Education & Community Outreach”, the association implemented a new “School Field Trip Educational Program” – and a new in-person “Community Education program”, which supplements the Educational Webinar Series offered during the late fall and winter months.

With Linda Goldser organizing “Event Planning”, “Volunteer Orientation”, “Budget”, “Communications”, “Meeting Coordination”, and “Year-end Reporting”, the Demonstration Garden has hosted several events, trained 40 new volunteers; and opened its gates for visits to the garden by 166 community members since March.

Just before a late-summer rainstorm sweeps over the area, guests enjoyed their supper at this fun celebration.

The Demonstration Garden is open through mid-November on Mondays, Thursdays, and some Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon – or, actually,m anytime the gate is open along SE 57th Avenue, south of Duke Street.

For more information, visit the official Multnomah County Master Gardener™ Association website: CLICK HERE.

© 2024 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™

 

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