The Master Gardener program began in the 1970's in response to the many gardening questions that resulted from the rapidly increasing level of interest in home gardening. The idea was to train knowledgeable gardener volunteers to help University Extension staff deliver home gardening information to the public.

Our local Master Gardeners are able to build on their interests and acquire greater expertise through the resources available through the Extension Service and the University of Missouri.

University of Missouri Extension provides equal opportunity to all participants in extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or status as a protected veteran.

Hickory County Master Gardeners recommend contacting your local Extension Service for more complete plant and growing information and how to become a Master Gardener.

Meetings are reserved for Master Gardener members, but community programs hosted by the Master Gardeners are public events and will be announced in the local newspaper.

As of 12/31/2014, this blog will no longer post new articles. It will remain active as an archive. Please use the tools available in the right column to search for information and source links provided in previous articles.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://extension.missouri.edu/ and http://mg.missouri.edu/.


Brisk Weather Comfort Food!


Whatever the season, our gardeners enjoy nature whether it is plant or animal and work to create a more hospitable environment for both. 


A flock of birds enjoy the suet buffet prepared by Deanna Loeffler.
Deanna shares the winter scene seen from her back deck.
With this extremely cold and snowy long-lasting winter, Master Gardener, Deanna Loeffler, sympathizes with those struggling to have an adequate food supply. Her interests led her to research and devise a suet recipe for the birds that share her garden and farm. 
Deanna is sure the suet is a delicacy because she reports, "Seems like hundreds of yellow finches, many cardinals, several kinds of woodpeckers/flickers, chickadees, tufted titmouse, purple finches, juncos or snow birds, blue-jays and several types of sparrows.  This year the starlings have found my feeders and they are gluttons!"

HOME MADE SUET FOR WINTER BIRD FEEDERS
Combine and microwave in a large microwave dish for about 21/2 minutes.
   1 cup chunky style peanut butter
   1 cup lard
Add and mix well.
   1/2 cup granulated sugar
   1/2 cup whole wheat flour
   1 cup "quick" oatmeal
   1/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
   3 cups cornmeal added 1 cup at a time to aid in mixing into other ingredients
Spoon one-half the mixture into each of two 9" sized pans.  Place suet in a cool location until the suet is "set."  This recipe makes approximately 2 lbs. suet.
Tip for feeding:  Break or crumble into very small pieces and place in tray feeders.  The suet is crumbly and will not work in the wire suet feeders made for cake suet.



Close view of tray feeder with black oiled sunflower seed on bottom
of tray with center layer of coarse sunflower seed over the bottom layer.
The suet is crumbled and added on both sides of the coarse sunflower.

Posted: 2/8/2014

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