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An attached copy of the changes can be found here:

Sick Plants and a Hungry World

Ohio State University created an online education course describing historical famines caused by plant diseases.   It combines plants, history and contemporary global issues.  There are 10 different modules and the course is available online for 10 weeks, so you can take your time going through it.  The cost is $35.  Please follow the link to their website for more information and registration link.

Targeted to Master Gardeners and others interested in learning about stories of plant diseases from a world and historical perspective.  Modules cover topics such as the Disease Triangle, Irish potato famine, and bioterrorism.   The course is available for ten weeks from the time participants start the course and includes reading assignments and self-tests.  It is a non-credit course and no grade is given; a certificate of completion from the Office of Continuing Education is awarded upon completion.

Click on this link:

http://plantpath.osu.edu/extension/outreach/online/index_html

If you have seen the Midstate Fair Cut Flower exhibits during the past few years, then you will remember the wonderful exhibit of cut dahlias that are grown by Dr. Joe Sabol and his wife Jill.  We are so fortunate to have Joe's energy overflow from all of his work on the California Rare Fruit Growers (http://www.crfg-central.org/) and his extraordinary dahlia gardens to working with the Master Gardener Trainees and many local schools.  

Each dahlia will have it's growth schedule recorded on an online journal.  If you would like to have a link to create your own record of your dahlias in your climate, please follow this link:  http://ucanr.org/dahliarecord.  You will create a password, so that your plant journaling may continue as it grows.

Joe also donated thousands of zucchini seeds to the Master Gardeners.  Each new trainee will also be journal the growth of the zucchini and entering a zucchini in the fair as well. If you have a need for any zucchini seed, stop by the office!  If you would like to record a zucchini journal (or any other vegetable, here it is:  http://ucanr.org/vegrecord.

  Check out the Good Life Garden website!  Click on "the garden" tab which features some vegetables and herbs.  The mission of the UC Davis Good Life Garden at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science is to expose and educate a wide audience to the relationship between good food and good health.

 http://www.goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/

We wanted to send a special thanks out to Jan who so graciously brought all of her orchid supplies from Orange County to teach a course on cymbidium dividing, repotting and general care!  There was a huge turn out of over 50 people!  Hopefully everyones orchid will thrive and we can have a division party again someday!   She really kept things interesting with mallet pounding, fire throwing and even a little something with a toothbrush!  I've heard a lot of people say how much they enjoyed themselves!  Thanks again Jan!  You were a delight!

A special thanks out to the people who stayed late to clean up! 

FYI:  The mallet was used to loosen the pot.  The butane flame wasn't actually thrown, but used to sterilize her pruners!   She actually used the toothbrush for scrubbing the bulbs and removing any pests that may be present.

If you would like a copy of the cymbidium care sheet that went with Jan's presentation, please click on the link below.