The President's Post

The second quarter was a doozy for the Norfolk Master Gardeners!

First, we had a spectacular spring plant sale at the Hermitage in late March/early April. There were lots of Master Gardeners helping, there was a great turnout from the community, and we actually ran out of plants to sell. Best of all, we brought in record sales that will help finance our programs. Kudos to the Plant Sale Team and Co-Leads Connie Kellam and Susan Dudley, great job!

Next, our excellent Intern Training Class of 2022 graduated in mid-April. All 22 trainees who started the class completed the training and graduated, and many of them have already become Master Gardeners. It was evident by the end of the training class (which started on Zoom and then went hybrid about halfway through) that the Class of 2022 had the potential to be excellent Master Gardeners, with great energy and enthusiasm, a thirst for knowledge, and a commitment to serving the community. So far they have not disappointed. Welcome Class of 2022!

Third, our second Masterclass series for Norfolk Home Gardeners finished up, also in mid-April. This year we had 78 participants for the ten online sessions, a great number. This type of educational outreach falls squarely within our mission and is just outstanding work.

These two classes – the intensive Intern Training Class for incoming Master Gardeners and the other for the public, happened concurrently and occupied the time, energy and talents of a lot of our folks. Congratulations to all who were involved for making those run so smoothly.

Fourth, all of our projects are up running at full speed as of this spring, including a restart of the Zoo Cart project. This annual spring awakening is noteworthy in itself, but especially after the COVID shutdown. Congrats to all for your demonstrable commitment to making Norfolk a better place. We do, however, need to temper our exuberance with the precaution that COVID is still out there and we still need to take the necessary precautions.

Fifth, we have, for the first time, created a Development Committee as prescribed by our bylaws. Its main function is to coordinate plants sales and other fundraising activities, and it has started with a bang with several plant giveaways that have raised some money via contributions but more importantly given us some visibility in the community. Thanks to Anna Thurmond and Susan Dudley for leading this committee.

Lastly, we finished the quarter on a note of change as our Agent Chris Epes announced his last day was July 5. While he is the only Agent I have experienced as a Norfolk Master Gardener, I thought he did a terrific job for us, a sentiment shared by many of our more seasoned perennials. I know Kate Melhuish will do a great job for us as Master Gardener Coordinator as we await the next Agent. I am reminded every single day of the commitment all of us share in volunteering and improving our community, and hence I firmly believe that our organization will remain strong and together in the face of whatever changes are in store.

Our next big project is the construction and management of the greenhouse, which is a wonderful opportunity for us. We really need your help on this so please respond to Joey’s email if you would like to participate.