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October 15, 2009
Garden Symposium Features Top Experts
What: The World of Seed and Soil
Who: Michael Martin Melendrez and Bill McDorman
Two highly-recognized tree, soil and seed experts.
When: Friday, October 30th, rom 9am-6pm.
Where: Northland Pioneer College, Silver Creek Campus in Snowflake/Taylor
Area gardeners and growers are invited to attend a special fall symposium, The symposium is the brainchild of two popular NPC gardening instructors, Kim Howell-Costion and Jan Mathis. "These two gentlemen will be here literally by popular demand!" says Mathis, a master gardener and forestry expert for the Navajo County Cooperative Extension Service. "They spoke at the High Country Garden Conference at Hon-Dah four years ago and people have been begging to have them visit and speak again. So Kim and I decided we'd do just that!"
Howell-Costion, an expert in her own right whose well-received NPC gardening classes often deal with seeds and with soil improvement, regards Melendrez and McDorman as mentors. "Bill has traveled as far as Siberia in search of unique seeds and Michael is one of the cutting-edge people in the field of soil microbiology. Yet they are so ... well ... they are so down to earth!"
Both Mathis and Howell-Costion emphasized that the speakers will address issues useful to every kind of grower. "Landscapers, turf farmers, nursery owners, tree growers, and home gardeners can all learn so much from these phenomenal experts," added Howell-Costion.
The morning session of the program will be headed by Melendrez, owner of Soil Secrets LLC and Trees That Please of Los Lunas, N.M. Trees That Please, the small business he started 22 years ago, is now a regional nursery for the entire Southwest. Soil Secrets, which evolved from that enterprise, is now a well-known producer and supplier of microbial products for soil amendment, soil restoration and control of plant diseases. His topics at the symposium will be, "Healthy soil grows healthy food" and "Understanding the science of humus and microbiology."
Bill McDorman, president of Seeds Trust, Inc., of Cornville, is presenting the afternoon program with "Gardening from the inside out and why we garden," as well as a session on seed saving. McDorman has dedicated himself to the concept of sustainable agriculture through preserving and expanding the genetic diversity of seeds, and has lectured about seeds and seed saving for more than two decades. Of special note to area growers is that one of Seeds Trust departments, High Altitude Gardens, specializes in wildflower, native grass, herb and vegetable seeds for cold climates and short growing seasons.
The Amazing World of Soil and Seed symposium is jointly sponsored by Northland Pioneer College and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and is offered as an NPC non-credit course (NCC AGR 37413). There is no tuition charge for the event, only a $10 fee to defray instructor expense. Those interested in attending may register at any NPC campus weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. or by calling 524-7660 or (800) 266-7845 to enroll by phone. For further information, contact Loyelin Aceves, Coordinator of Community Education, at 536-6244 or (800) 266-7845, extension 6244.
Northland Pioneer College serves the residents of Navajo and Apache counties through four regional campuses and six centers with a variety of educational options in academic, career and technical and personal enrichment subjects. NPC supports each student's educational goals through affordable tuition, small class sizes and caring, professional instructors. For more information about NPC programs and services, call (800) 266-7845.
Posted by maxmaddy at October 15, 2009 5:30 AM