Most nights, as we all sit down at the dinner table, I try out my dad jokes.
Ninety-nine percent of the time the kids love them, Beth cannot stop laughing and they ask for more. It is amazing how nobody tells me to stop and no one rolls their eyes (What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fsh).
I have also been known to have these same “jokes” with my Colorado Master Gardener class: “Humus is stabilized organic matter, not something you put in a pita,” or my favorite, “I added more compost to the garden this year. The plot thickens …”
I hope that I haven’t dissuaded anyone from taking the class, which starts Jan. 10, because it is an excellent opportunity to learn from local and statewide experts. If you are new to gardening or new to the area, this is the most comprehensive educational gardening program offered. And if you have a few years of digging in the dirt under your belt (or fingernails), I guarantee you will walk away each week learning something new and valuable. We try to tailor the topics to our local environment, and we try to not go off on tangents about plants, insects, diseases or issues that do not pertain to us.
With the pandemic affecting the 2020 and 2021 classes, Colorado State University Extension has really looked into the best way to reach all Coloradans. Traditionally, this class has been held for 11 consecutive Thursdays, with classes going from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. That is a lot to ask from our students, especially those who may be working that day.
So our hope is that we can create different opportunities with educational models: Some classes will be videos to watch from your own computer; some will (hopefully) be in-person lectures from local experts; and others may be field trips or hands-on activities that get you all excited about plants, and soil, and food (oh my!).
On the Net
For more information about the Colorado Master Gardener Program, https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/about/become-a-colorado-master-gardener-2/.
We want to remind people that learning can be fun. Seriously. I promise your hands will get dirty, that you will laugh and that you will want to tell at least one person what you learned in class that day. You are like a middle-aged kindergartner, surrounded by people who have similar interests, and if you are like me, people who really like to bring homemade snacks and treats. Just no naps.
One of the biggest, and probably most rewarding, components of the class is the expectation to volunteer. In addition to the cost of the program, which is $200 for 12 weeks, we expect 50 hours of volunteer service. These hours can be at local community, school or demonstration gardens; at our booth at Durango Farmers Market; or at one of our many local food awareness events. If you continue to volunteer in subsequent years, you will also get my sincerest appreciation. I have about 40 active volunteers, and if it not for them (or for all of you who are volunteers and reading this), we could not do what we do in the community without their support, their knowledge and their energy.
So much more information, including the application itself, can be found online, but know that we stop taking applications Dec. 17.
Oh, and did you hear about the gardener who was so excited for their newfound education that they wet themselves?
Darrin Parmenter is the director and horticulture agent of the La Plata County Extension Office. Reach him at darrin.parmenter@co.laplata.co.us or 382-6464.
