Schedule:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM : Waste Not: Start Composting Today

Amanda Woodlee, OSU Extension Master Gardener Coordinator

Learn the basics of composting: how it works, how it can help you improve your soil, and how to find a system that works for you, so you can start saving money (and maybe the world?).

Amanda Woodlee received her B.S. in Sociology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with a minor in English—which doesn’t tell you much, except that she learned how to turn a bunch of nothing into something useful, which is what composting is. As coordinator for the Master Gardener program in Umatilla County, she has taught several classes on that topic, earning her nicknames like The Compost Lady and Worm Wrangler. She lives in Hermiston with her husband, rescue pups, and chickens, and if she’s wandered off, just ask folks if they’ve seen a strange redhead following a bug around with her phone camera.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: The Nitty-Gritty Of Dirt: Soil Basics And Testing

Maya Bamer, OSU Master Gardener

Happy plants start with happy soil, so it’s worth taking the time to get to know yours. Learn how to find out your soil composition with a simple home test, how that can affect your garden/landscape, and how to get further testing done if needed.

Maya Bamer is proud to be a native Oregonian, Master Gardener volunteer, and mother to 3 wonderful boys. She and her husband (married 25 years this June!) maintained an off-grid farm in Central Oregon for five years. Now she is the owner of Morningstar Blends, a tea and herb shop in Pendleton. Maya enjoys just about anything that takes her outside—fishing, hunting, foraging, hiking with her dog, and getting her hands dirty in her "new-age victory garden”—as well as canning and making her own tea blends. She studied Soil Science at Oregon State University.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Design And Implement A Regenerative Grazing Plan

Mike Guebert, Oregon Pasture Network

Proper grazing management can help you grow more forage, produce happier and healthier livestock, and provide lasting improvements to soil health. Learn how to design and implement a grazing plan that works for you.

Mike Guebert has over 20 years of experience raising a wide variety of livestock on his small regenerative farm in Corbett, Oregon. He is also the statewide Program Director for the Oregon Pasture Network and is an elected member of the Board of Directors for the East Multnomah Soil & Water Conservation District.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Herb Appeal: Growing, Harvesting, And Using Herbs

Valerie Barrows Conner, OSU Master Gardener – Umatilla County,

Karen Wagner, OSU SNAP Educator

Learn ways to incorporate herbs in your garden and landscape, how to cultivate them for maximum potency, and how fresh herbs compare to dried ones.

Valerie Barrows Conner found gardening as a Camp Fire Girl, when a wonderful neighbor mentored her for a special badge. She has attempted home gardening in Germany, southern New Mexico, urban Portland Metro, and now Pendleton. A 7-year veteran of Master Gardener training, she now advises neighbors and friends, teaches short classes, and helps with tastings at the Pendleton Farmers’ Market. Valerie has been a clinical dietitian and home economist for a career spanning 4 decades, specializing in diabetes education and herbal remedies.

Karen Wagner is an OSU SNAP Educator serving Umatilla County by teaching healthy lifestyles, cooking, gardening and coordinating regional farm-to-school projects.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Beyond Tex-Mex: Prepare A Taste Of Latin Heritage With Food Hero

Carolina Muniz, OSU SNAP Education Coordinator

Karen Wagner, OSU SNAP Educator

This session will introduce you to exciting new (traditional!) cuisine from south of the border.  We’ll look at foods central to many South American recipes and teach you how to create unique, healthy dishes that will open your eyes to an incredible variety of flavors and healthy preparations.

Carolina Muniz is the coordinator for OSU Umatilla-Morrow County Family & Community Health/SNAP Education Programs.  She specializes in nutrition and healthy living, teaching a wide variety of classes at many venues in the region.  Habla Español!  

Karen Wagner is an OSU SNAP Educator serving Umatilla County by teaching healthy lifestyles, cooking, gardening and coordinating regional farm-to-school projects.