It's not too soon to start getting your 2008 volunteer hours together if you have not already. Before we know it the end of the year will be here.

You may turn in a hard copy of your hours at the office, e-mail a file, or submit the form online through the Macon County MG website. I have seen hours submitted in a variety of ways, and my only request is that you choose a method that 1) you will actually do and 2) others can read.

Some people have very neat handwriting, while some are much better off with a typewritten sheet/file. You know who you are (I hope).

You do not have to wait until December to turn in your hours! The online form suggests quarterly, but you may turn in hours whenever you wish— monthly, by event, by season. Please pick a method that works for you!

When you submit hours to our office, our secretary Peggy enters the information into a spreadsheet containing records of each MG's hours for current and past years.

Every year people tell me they don't write down all of their hours for all kinds of reasons. Please make an effort to write down ALL your hours. Taking the time to do this does make a difference to our county MG program and the statewide MG program.

We use the hours submitted for a variety of things. For one, volunteer hours is the basis of our local and state level MG awards.

Even if awards aren't important to you, your volunteer time is still valuable. I can't tell you how many people have commented to me that they don't record all their hours because its "just volunteer time".

The most recent figure published on the value of a volunteer's time is $18.77 per hour.

In 2007, Macon County MG volunteers gave nearly 4,000 hours worth over $75,000. Sounds great, but I know it is too low. There are too many MGs not reporting everything.

When we are faced with budgetary issues, these numbers speak loudly to our government of the value that the MG program brings to our community. As we all know the economy is horrible; we need to toot our MG horn as much as possible. Turn in ALL your hours! -Jennifer

Fall is here along with some beautiful weather. There is lots of activity in the office getting ready for our 2009 gardening season and events.

The new Help Desk Manual is completed and is undergoing a final editing. A big "thanks" to a great committee: Fern Stinson, Virginia Schuler and Vennetta Joliff.

If you don't attend Tuesday morning coffee at Panera's , you are missing a great opportunity to share gardening information, current events, and great interaction between Master Gardeners. This past Tuesday morning the state of our economy came up as a topic and Ross Thompson came up with what the group calls a "Rossism" This week's quote was,

'There are two things you never want to watch—people making sausage or people making laws".

Well, maybe you had to be there. But this is a fun time to share gardening information and get to know your fellow MGs.

Please remember that the Local Volunteer Recognition Celebration is scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, 2008 in the Illini Room at 6:00 p.m. We are planning hors d'oeuvres, awards and lots of fun. If you have outstanding hours for 2007 that have not been recorded in the office, please contact the Extension Office no later than October 6, 2008.

Please check the calendar for some of the events that are being offered. The trip to the Pumpkin Patch should be lots of fun.

If you need CEUs, remember that telenets are great opportunities to earn hours.

Help Desk Notes

News Flash! The Help Desk hours will be reduced beginning on October 27, to three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 to 12:30.

The Help Desk Manual is in the final edit. When completed, the manual will hopefully make it a simpler process to locate answers to your questions concerning the operation of the Help Desk and the Master Gardener office.

We are in the process of implementing a method to provide a better tracking and coordination system for the home-owner yellow detail sheets and sample specimens. More information will be forthcoming.

We need Help Desk volunteers for several days in October. Please see calendar.

2009 Garden Walk

Plans are well underway for next seasons Garden Walk.

All of the gardens and hosts for next year have been selected. We will have 8 gardens open for display in 2009. Selection of the garden chairs to work the gardens is being finalized.

We will be contacting Master Gardeners in the near future to assist in other areas and positions to make the 2009 Garden Walk a success. The co-chairs this year are Shirley Swarthout and Margie Cook.

Looking for Master Gardener Trainees for the 2009 Class

We are still accepting recommendations for the 2009 Master Gardener Training Class. If you know of someone who may be interested in becoming a Master Gardener, please let us know. For those expressing interest, we will be happy to send them a personal letter along with an introduction to the Master Gardener Program. In October, we will be sending out the class details to anyone who has indicated interest in participating in the 2009 Class.

Master Gardener Cookbooks

The Master Gardener cookbook has been submitted to the publisher. The publisher responded and stated that we should have the cookbooks on site in early December. This will be just in time for Christmas giving.

Winter Telenet Sessions

Due to the current economic climate at Extension and elsewhere, we are considering charging a small fee to attend telenet classes. This fee will be used to help offset the costs of staff and facility charges. This will be brought up for discussion at the next advisory board meeting.

Please note that we are presenting 2 Prairienet Sessions (via telenet). Please call 877-6042 if you have any questions.

October

Thurs, Oct. 9 and Fri. Oct 10, Advisory Board Retreat & Mtg., Fairgrounds

Tues, Oct. 14, 1:00 p.m. Backyard Composting Telenet (CEU)

Fri, Oct. 17th, 9:00-3:00 p.m. Outing to Pumpkin Patch & Arthur

Tues, Oct. 16, 7:00 p.m. Backyard Composting Telenet (CEU)

Tues, Oct. 21, 1:30 p.m. Prairienet--"Prairieland Restoration" Clover Room ($5.00 fee)

Tues, Oct. 21, 6:00 p.m. Volunteer Recognition Celebration Illini Rm.

Wed, Oct 29, 6:00 p.m. Master Gardener Hosts and Chairs Illini Rm.

November

Mon, Nov 3, 1:30 & 6:30 p.m. Prairienet--"Rain Gardening" Clover Room ($5.00 fee)

Fri, Nov 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m. Fabulous Friday--Illini Room ($8.00 fee for 3 sessions or $3.00 per session)

Sat, Nov 8, 8:00-4:30 p.m. Organic Gardening, Holiday Inn, Urbana $59.00 fee before 11/1.
Contact 333-7738

Looking Ahead

January 10, 2009 Buy Local, Eat Healthy Conference, Springfield (CEU)

March 22-26, 2009 International MG Conference, Las Vegas (CEU)

If you're one that usually suffers from the fall allergy season, you know the symptoms all too well. Many people blame goldenrod as the culprit, when it is mostly ragweed problems. In our area, we have two types of ragweed. The most noticeable is giant ragweed. Giant ragweed, also called horseweed, can grow well over 10 feet tall. It is very noticeable as one of the few weeds that grows taller than our Illinois corn. The other type of ragweed is common ragweed. It is generally less than six feet tall, and not nearly as noticeable.

Ragweeds tend to bloom in late summer. The period can range from mid-August to mid-September. They put out a lot of pollen when they bloom. The amount of pollen is one problem, but the shape of the pollen is another. The shape of the pollen is more jagged and sharp along the edges, making it more of an irritant than other types of pollen.

Add in the usual ragweed problems, alternating wet and dry conditions, and early leaf drop, and we have the recipe for an allergy sufferer's nightmare. There are also several leaf molds that are at work, and that compounds the allergy problem.

What can you do? One, try to eliminate ragweed in your particular area. Two, avoid the mid to late morning period in the great outdoors. This is when more pollen is released. Three, you can stay indoors (or office or car) with air conditioning. And, if your problems are particularly troublesome, talk to your doctor. There are prescriptions and over-the-counter products to help alleviate at least some of the symptoms.

- By John Fulton, County Extension Director, Logan County Extension

8:30 am—Fruits & Vegetables

Have you ever eaten jicama? How about daikon? Plumcots? These are some of the unusual fruits and vegetables found in our stores today. Learn how many fruits and vegetables you should eat each day and get recipes for preparing them in new and different ways.

10:00 am—Retirement Realities

Due to medical technology and improved lifestyle habits many of us will live retired for almost 1/3 of our adult lives. This lesson will cover changes in lifestyle and relationships after retirement and provide some ideas for charting a plan to make the rest of your years as good as they can be.

11:30 am—Living Single in a Couples World

Today more people are living alone. Many women find themselves single after having lived as a couple for a number of years. This program will discuss overcoming loneliness, making new friends, and learning to enjoy life as a single person.

Program Registration Fee-$8.00 for all 3 sessions or $3.00 per session. Contact 877-6042 to register

October 2008
AM Hours are 8:30 - 12:30
PM Hours are 12:30 - 4:30

October 1 - AM OPEN, PM - Ross Thompson

October 2 - AM - Aaron Nelson, PM - OPEN

October 3 - AM & PM - Fern Stinson

October 6 - AM Fern Stinson, PM Maria Christian

October 7 - AM Deb McFarland, PM OPEN

October 8 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 9 - AM Jan Kast, PM OPEN

October 10 - AM OPEN, PM Art/Cheryl Sappington

October 13 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 14 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 15 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 16 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 17 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 20 - AM Connie Scribner, PM Connie Scribner

October 21 - AM OPEN, PM Deb McFarling

October 22 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 23 - AM Jan Kast, PM OPEN

October 24 - AM OPEN, PM Art/Cheryl Sappington

October 27 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 28 - AM OPEN, PM Deb McFarling

October 29 - AM OPEN, PM OPEN

October 30 - AM OPEN PM OPEN

October 31 - AM OPEN PM OPEN

Please join us on Friday, October 17, 2008 on a trip to the Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, Illinois.
Time—9:00 am—3:00 pm

We will carpool from the Macon County Extension Office*

Cost—$20.00 per person

Includes admission to the Pumpkin Patch and a buffet lunch at Yoder's Restaurant. Additional stops will be made at Beachy's, Homestead Bakery, & Downtown Arthur.

To Register—Please call 877-6042 by Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

*If you would like to carpool from another location, meet us at the Pumpkin Patch at 10:00. You will need to call the with your plans, so that tickets can be purchased.