Public Activities
Due to Covid-19 these events are subject to change
2020 Monthly Educational Programs
Every 4th Thursday of the month, the Hancock County Master Gardeners Association of Indiana host Community Educational Programs. Join us from 6:30-7:30 at the Hancock County 4-H Extension office in Greenfield for the following topics:
JANUARY 23rd- LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS
The fascinating story of beavers in North America and their impact in transforming and reviving our landscape.
FEBRUARY 27th – TERRARIUMS & MINIATURE GARDENING
Darlene Trusty, a Hancock County Master Gardener will be the featured speaker.
Due to Covid-19 this event has been cancelled.
MARCH 26th – GROWING HOPS IN INDIANA
Ryan Hammer owner of Crazy Horse Hops will be the guest speaker for our night of hops.
Due to Covid-19 this event has been cancelled.
APRIL 23rd – MONARCH BUTTERFLIES
Biology teacher Kristen Carlsen will be our guest speaker for the presentation.
MAY 28th – RESTORING HABITAT
Master Gardener, Mary Ann Whietbrock will tell us about building mini eco-systems.
July 23rd – PLANT PROPATION
Master Gardener, Emily Snider will teach us all about proper plant propagation
August 27th – GROWING AND TENDING FRUIT TREES
The famous Roy Ballard, previous Hancock County Extension Educator, will show us the ins and outs of growing and tending fruit trees
September 24th – CRAZY HORSE HOPS
Ryan Hammer owner of Crazy Horse Hops will be the guest speaker for our night of hops.
September 18th-19th – Fall Plant Sale
Fall plant sale focusing on perennials. Online pre-order and in person. Click here for more details.
Hancock County Master Gardener Scholarship Awards
The above picture shows (L to R) Jerry LeCount, HCMG President; Calista Overman, Sam Bricker, and, Bob Degitz, HCMG Scholarship Chairman. Calista and Sam each received a $750 Scholarship Award from the Hancock County Master Gardeners towards their college education for the 2019/2020 school year.
Sam Bricker
Sam is a Sophomore at Lake Land College in Mattoon, IL. He will be majoring in Agricultural Systems Management and plans to transfer to Purdue University for his Junior and Senior years.
Sam graduated from Eastern Hancock High School and spent 10 years in the Hancock County 4-H youth program. He has a strong interest in farming, photography, and figuring out how things work. Sam’s parents are Jeff and Michelle Bricker of Greenfield.
Calista Overman
Calista is a Sophomore in Pathways to Purdue Agricultural and is attending Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue University. Calista is majoring in Agricultural Education and plans to become a teacher.
Calista graduated from Greenfield Central High School and spent 10 years in the Hancock County 4-H youth program. She is a Greenfield Central FFA Alumnus and enjoys educating others about agriculture. Calista’s parents are Tim and Cheryl Overman of Greenfield
Helping Others Grow.
Retirement Open House for Roy Ballard Was a Success!!
Thank you for joining Purdue Extension Hancock and the Hancock County Master Gardener Association Indiana in celebrating Roy Ballard as he retired after 28 years of dedicated service as the Extension Educator of the Purdue Extension-Hancock County!
John Orick Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator on Ballard, “I would like to express my gratitude for serving as a Purdue Master Gardener County Coordinator in Hancock County. I have appreciated your willingness to share innovative ideas with other county coordinators…. I too, have appreciated the way you have shared thought-provoking questions about the program with me over the years. These have stretched my thinking by challenging me to think “outside the box”. Thank you! The strength of the leadership within the Hancock County Master Gardeners and the continued impact these valuable volunteers make in the local community are a testament to your leadership as their coordinator.”
THANKS ROY!!
Left to right: Ballard leading a Master Gardener class; Ballard at Indiana Grown Day 2019; John Orick (Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator)
Extension Gardens
The Hancock County Master Gardener Association maintains demonstration gardens on the grounds of the Hancock County Purdue Extension Service at 802 North Apple Street in Greenfield.
The gardens have been designed as a self-guided learning experience for members of the association and the public as well. The gardens that are self-guided are the Pollinator garden, the Nature area, and the Foundation garden (starting at the front door of the Extension Office).
Plants in the gardens are marked with steel plant markers that bear the name of the plant as well as a number. In each garden is an information box containing plant information sheets that list the names of the plants in that garden and their characteristics.
Matching the number on the plant marker with the number on the plant list sheets will assist you in identifying a plant. Additional information such as botanical name, light requirements, bloom times, etc. is also listed for that plant on the sheets. If you enjoy plants and gardens stop by and view our gardens and learn about the plants that reside in them. Viewing can be done during daylight hours, seven days a week.
Wild Flower Walk
Take a hike through Greenfield’s Thornwood Preserve consisting of 40 acres of pristine native plants and trees. The property was donated by Herb and Judy Brown and was recently opened to the public. Below a group of Master Gardeners enjoy a spring wildflower walk to identify the many native species and remove invasive plants.
2019 Hancock County 4H Fair
It was great to see many of you at the Hancock County 4H Fair in Greenfield, Indiana. We enjoyed chatting with you about all kinds of topics related to gardening. If you ever have gardening questions, please feel free to submit them to Ask a Master Gardener, where Hancock County Master Gardeners will provide researched responses.
