Multnomah County Master Gardeners

Honey bees pollinate more than 90 different crops in the United States, and honey bee pollination is estimated to be worth more than $20 billion. Recent honey bee colony losses attributed to colony collapse disorder and a steady decline in colonies for the past two decades have caused serious concern and alarm. This presentation will focus on the importance of honey bees as pollinators and current problems with honey bee health. Also, some suggestions on how to help honey bees and bees in general will be provided.

Ramesh Sagili

Ramesh Sagili is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. His primary research focus at OSU is honey bee health, nutrition and pollination. His appointment also includes extension, and, hence, he works closely with the state stake holders i.e. both beekeepers and producers. His goal is to establish a vibrant and dynamic honey bee research and extension program at OSU that will cater to the needs of beekeepers and producers in the state.

When: Tuesday, June 8, 7pm

Where:  Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church, 5441 SE Belmont St., parking on 54th

Cost: Free!

Who: Everyone is welcome!

Presented by: Multnomah County Chapter of the Oregon Master Gardeners Association

Coming up in September:  Uncovering Compost Mysteries.  Speaker Carl Grimm, Metro.  Tuesday, September 14

Marc Boucher-Colbert, Rooftop Gardening

Quite often as gardeners we are forced to utter a version of the serenity prayer: “Help me to accept the things I cannot change.” Concrete, contaminated or unworkable soil, lack of available light: these are all seemingly insurmountable challenges to growing food. Using innovative adaptations of container gardening, many of which were developed on the rooftop of Noble Rot restaurant, Marc Boucher-Colbert offers ideas about how to transform ‘previously ‘wasted’ spaces into productive vegetable gardens.

Marc Boucher-Colbert is currently Garden Specialist at Franciscan Montessori Earth School in Portland, OR. He also runs Urban Agriculture Solutions LLC, which provides creative garden solutions for city gardeners. Urban Agriculture Solutions’ most notable ongoing project is the three-year-old edible rooftop garden on the Noble Rot restaurant (1111 E. Burnside, Portland, OR), which Boucher-Colbert designed for the late Rocket restaurant and continues to maintain for Noble Rot. For years he operated Urban Bounty Farm, a community-supported farm in Portland and helped start Portland’s Zenger Farm in its current incarnation as an urban agricultural park and education center. He lives in NE Portland with his wife and two children.

When: Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 7pm

Where:  Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church, 5441 SE Belmont St., parking on 54th

Cost: Free!

Who: Everyone Welcome!

Presented by: Multnomah County Chapter of the Oregon Master Gardeners Association

Photo from Edible Portland:
http://www.edibleportland.com/2008/06/portlands_new_w.html

Coming up next month…June 8, Ramesh Sagili, OSU, Subject: Honey Bees Their Current Plight