The Tollgate Farm News - Tollgate Farm and Education Center

The Tollgate Farm News
Volume 22
ANOTHER AMAZING
SPRING PLANT SALE
Issue 6
June 2016
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteer General Meeting
in the Conference Center
Thursday, June 16, 7:00 PM
Celebrating the 100 th Anniversar y
of the Migrator y Bird Treaty
Join Tollgate volunteers in the Conference Center on
Thursday, June 16, to learn about the Migratory Bird
Treaty. Holly Vaughn Joswick will talk about the genesis
of the bird conservation movement and fourteen Michigan
birds with great conservation stories.
The year 2016 is the centennial of the Convention between the
United States and Great Britain — on behalf of Canada — for
the Protection of Migratory Birds, also known as the Migratory
Bird Treaty, which was signed on August 16, 1916. Shortly
after, treaties were signed with Japan, Russia and Mexico. The
Migratory Bird Treaty, the three additional treaties and the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act are the cornerstones of efforts to
conserve birds that migrate across international borders. To
learn more about the Migratory Bird Treaty centennial, visit
www.fws.gov/birds/MBTreaty100.
Holly Vaughn Joswick is a Wildlife Outreach Technician with
the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. She is based
out of the Detroit Metro Customer Service Center on Atwater in
Detroit. Holly loves to educate people about Michigan wildlife.
She has a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife and an MS in Park,
Recreation and Tourism Resources from MSU. Holly is an avid
birder. For two years, she served as President of the Grand
Traverse Audubon Club in her hometown of Traverse City.
TOLLGATE GARDEN VOLUNTEER IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
JUN
16
JUN
MEETINGS
TGV General Meeting
JUL
7:00
ACTIVITIES
18
Demo/Hosta/Farmhouse
9:00
25
Heritage/Rock Ledge/Rose Garden
9:00
JUL
MEETINGS
2
ACTIVITIES
Independence Day Weekend
No Directed or Supported
Workday Activities
9
Open House Clean Up
9:00
16
Tollgate Open House
Sunset Garden Celebration
4:00
23
Children’s/Nursery and Pond
9:00
30
Hosta Garden
9:00
7:00
5
TGAC Meeting
7:00
AUG
MEETINGS
19
Fall Fair Meeting
7:00
2
TGAC Meeting
7:00
21
TGV General Meeting
7:00
16
Fall Fair Meeting
7:00
18
TGV General Meeting
7:00
Page
FROM THE
TOLL GA TE
FARM
MANAGER
GREETINGS
Roy Prentice
Greetings All,
Plant Sale: Thanks to all that helped make the
plant sale a success. Due to the efforts of the
many volunteers that donated plants, prepared the
nursery, and helped customers on the day of the
sale, we made $7952! This was our second best
sale ever. The total is a little bit less than last
The Check-Out Line at the Plant Sale
year’s sale, but a whole
lot more than we made in
any other year. I am sure
that all who attended the
sale appreciated the
wonderful organization
and upkeep of the nursery. All of the money raised
goes directly into the
Tollgate Garden Volunteer
account and helps us
keep the gardens looking
great for our many visitors. A big “thanks” are
due to George Papadelis
of Telly’s Greenhouse.
George very generously
donated a trailer load of
Thanks
wonderful annuals for the
George Papadelis!
plant sale. George has
been a long-time friend of Tollgate and has donated lots of plants over the years.
Summer Camp Underway: The Tollgate summer
camp season is in full swing. Each week during the
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summer 40 campers will be on the site enjoying the
160 acres that make up the farm. Green Science
Adventure camp, Water camp, Dirt camp, Bug
camp, Survival camp and more all focus on various
aspects of nature and agriculture. Please help the
young adventurers as they discover the outdoor
environments that are the gardens, fields and
woods of Tollgate.
Odd Structures in the
Trees: You may notice
some odd structures
hanging from the trees
around the property.
These are beetle traps.
Dr. Deb McCullough of the
MSU Forestry Department
is conducting research on
different chemical lures to
attract a variety of beetles.
She is working to develop
an insect attractant that
will identify the next invasive pest soon after it enters the US. Early detection
of invasive insects lead to quick action and can help
avoid another Emerald Ash Borer situation.
Many visitors and garden groups came to Tollgate
during May to view the gardens. As the site becomes more and more prominent in SE Michigan, I
really appreciate all of the effort that goes into
keeping the grounds looking their best. We have a
lot of new volunteers on the farm these days.
These extra hands are much appreciated as we
strive to keep the farm looking good and fulfilling its
educational role. If you are considering volunteering at Tollgate, now is an ideal time to get those
hours in. Spring and early summer are the busiest
time around the farm. Please check out the Tollgate
website and make note of our upcoming volunteer
days. I really appreciate all of the work and dedication that goes into keeping Tollgate looking good.
See you around the farm!
Roy
The Tractor Gets a Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection
Photos by Roy Prentice
LEARN
GROW
MAKE FRIENDS
ENJOY
Notes from the President
“Every flower and every tree
and root are annual prophets
sent to affirm the future and
cheer the way.”
Henry Ward Beecher
Renee Cottrell
PLANT SALE SUCCESS!!
Another tremendous success from the efforts of
the Nursery Team and our volunteers! Your efforts help to secure the funding needed for the
continued support of the Tollgate Garden Volunteers and gardens. Thanks to all volunteers who
contributed your plants, time or sales talent and
knowledgeable help to put together such a successful Plant Sale.
LOOKING AHEAD…
Tollgate Open House is on July 16th! We will
have a new theme of “Sunset Garden Celebration” and a new evening time frame 4:00-7:00 PM.
There will be local musicians to provide entertainment and other garden item related vendors to
tempt you with garden related products/plants
and our continued educational talks and the garden walking tours and hayrides. We will have announcement flyers available and ask that you take
these to friends, family and neighbors to share this
event and showcase the Tollgate Gardens. We will
have them available in the volunteer communication center, and a copy available on the website.
We will be looking for lots of volunteer support
to be garden docents, runners, parking attendants, informational speakers and set-up/clean
up crews.
See the activity calendar
and come out and enjoy
the gardens!
As Always, Thank you
for being a Tollgate
Garden Volunteer.
Renee Cottrell, TGV
President
Photos by Renee Cottrell
Page 3
VOLUNTEERS
TOGETHER
DIVIDING
GROWING
SHARING
NURSERY NOTES
Peg Palmer
We had another amazing Spring Plant Sale! While
our total receipts were slightly down from last year’s
all-time record, the $7,952 we took in is more than
double the typical plant sale proceeds of the prior
10 years. A big THANK YOU goes out to the
dedicated nursery team and the support of all the
Tollgate Volunteers who donated plants, worked in
the nursery on division days as well as those who
supported sale-day activities.
Some Fun Facts about the sale after a
preliminary look at the results:
 In 2016, we sold 49% of stock on hand vs
60% last year and 35% in 2014
 SHADE PLANTS ARE HOT! 61% of
SHADE plants on hand were sold in 2016.
This compares to 29% for DAYLILY, 39%
for IRIS and 49% for other SUN plants.
Plants in bloom almost always sell.
 TOP SELLERS for 2016 (more than
We began the sale this year with a significant
increase in the number of plants available to sell –
3,300 pots at the beginning of the 2016 sale vs.
a bit over 2,600 last year. The great response to
the “Plants Wanted” lists that we have been
posting on the Tollgate Nursery website really
helped to bring in the plants we needed and
thought would sell well. But the Nursery Team
also recognized that we had a lot of stock that
hadn’t been purchased in prior sales – and so we
recommended deep discounting these items to
clear them out of the nursery and make room for a
more desirable mix of plants at future sales. This
strategy was successful – we actually sold a few
more pots than last year, but revenue is down a
bit primarily due to these discounts, and also
because we sold smaller pots of plants from some
of our propagation projects for a lower price. We
were also lucky to have a great weather day that
is always helpful in bringing out the crowds!
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20 pots): Persicaria/Virginia Jumpseed,
Hosta (all varieties), Asclepias incarnata/
Swamp Milkweed, Matteuccia struthiopteris/
Ostrich Fern, Galium Odoratum/Sweet
Woodruff, Leucanthemum/Shasta Daisy,
Rudbeckia laciniata/Cutleaf or Greenheaded
Coneflower, Phlox, Stylophorum diphyllum/
Woodland Poppy, Delphinium, Dicentra/
Bleeding Heart, Ligularia, Sedum/Stonecrop,
Tradescantia/Spiderwort
Our next challenge will be to restock the nursery –
so keep Tollgate in mind for your fall garden
divisions! The Nursery will be open again for
donations in August – so check the website and look
for some plant suggestions in the August newsletter.
Please recycle your 1 and 2 gallon pots and
drop them off in the nursery shed NOW. We
RAN OUT OF 1 GALLON pots at the last division
day – so we particularly need this size!
Let me know if you have feedback about the
plant sale or customer comments to pass
on – we want to continuously improve our
operation! And please contact me or Renee
Cottrell if would like to join the Nursery Team. Peg Palmer - pegpalmer@mi.rr.com
Renee Cottrell - rmcottrell4@att.net
Photos by Darretta Ferasin
Pre-Sale Work
A Special Thanks!
To all of you who made a donation to help the Tollgate Gardeners make Tollgate a more
beautiful place. Your donation is greatly appreciated! The support that you have provided will
continue to help our program prosper and grow. Thanks again and Happy Gardening!
Mary Boyd
Beverly Brisko
Rita Chastang
Roberta Decker
Nancy Dingelday
Ron Erdman
Mary Iorio
Kerry Kelly
Bob Luetje
Barbara and Rich Macek
Janice McNulty
Nancy Miller
Sherry Mueller
Denise Reinelt
Melissa Renaud
David Rogers
Julie Semroc
Mary Shea
Tammy Shepherd
Brad VanDerWege
Wanda Whalen
Betsy Wilds
Barb and John Woodrich
Baked Goods for 2016 Open House “Sunset Garden Celebration” — July 16
Our open house is coming and we will once again need lots of cookies for our visitors.
Home baked or store bought, makes no difference. NO NUTS PLEASE. Drop off in
the conference center prior to your shift.
Yvonne
Page 5
2016 Tollgate Spring Plant Sale
Before the Sale
After the Sale
Photos by Darretta Ferasin
Photos by Roy Prentice
Page 6
Page 7
Photos by Darretta Ferasin
2016 Tollgate Spring Plant Sale
NEEDED for 2018 Calendar
Photos of Tollgate are needed for, yes, the 2018 calendar. I need photos photos photos!!!!!
My supply of photos are dwindling. I need your help people! All photos of the property are
welcomed and appreciated, all season's too. In particular though I am asking for some
photos of the farmhouse. I like to have at least one photo of the farmhouse in each year's
calendar, it is such an integral piece of Tollgate. Ideas on what to shoot: landscape scenes;
close-up of flowers, animals, frogs and toads; barns and birds; spring, summer, autumn
or winter; snakes, spiders, turtles.....
So many opportunities and no film to waste!!! You don't have to be a skilled photographer, even I come up with a good photo now and then. It's always a surprise!
How to Send Your Pictures
I prefer to have them on a memory stick with your name on it. It will get returned to you. Leave it with Roy, or give them to me at a Tollgate Volunteer
Meeting (3rd Thursday of the month)...Or email them to me at tollgatemembership@gmail.com
Landscape format preferred.
It is your pictures that make the calendar.
Nancy Roggers
The 2016 Tollgate Volunteer Quilt
Only One Month Remaining to Purchase Your Raffle Tickets
Quilt: “Tollgate Salutes The USA”
Pattern: “Oh My Stars”
The pattern incorporates two classic blocks —
LeMoyne Star and the Irish Chain.
Size: 64” x 64”
Raffle Date: The close of the Tollgate
Open House, “Sunset Garden Celebration”, on July 16, 4:00
to 7:00
.
Tickets: $2.00 each or (3) for $5.00
Tollgate Quilting Bees:
Susan Bremer
Kathy Coleman
Darretta Ferasin
Connie Marcangelo
Kay Pratt
Nancy Roggers
Lynn Strong
Quilter: Bernie Olszewski
Tickets Available at all Tollgate Volunteer General Meetings, Plant Sale and
the Open House “Sunset Garden Celebration”
Page 8
Around The Tollgate Farm
Photos by Cindy Prentice
Page 9
Tollgate Volunteer Information
Activity Days
Activity day hours are 9:00
to noon unless otherwise noted on the
Tollgate Garden Volunteer Important Dates and Events listed on the first
page of the Tollgate Farm News or by the Area Garden Leader (AGL).
Lunch will be provided - veggie alternatives are available upon request.
This schedule does not exclude you from working independently on the
site. However, on non-scheduled days, your efforts will need to be selfdirected with guidance from the garden area clipboards located in the
Volunteer Communication Center.
Garden Tools Available
for Use at
Tollgate
 Spades
 Garden Hoe
 Garden Rakes
 Long Handled
 Brooms
Garden Forks
 Wheel Barrels
 Weed Buckets
 Leaf Rakes
If you aren’t getting
The Tollgate Farm News
e-mail, Check your
SPAM folder
Volunteer Activity Day and
Meetings Information
248-347-3860 ext. 400
List of Suggested Gardening
Implements to Bring
from Home as Needed





Trowel
Hand Pruners
Loppers
Garden Scissors
Your Favorite
Weeding Implement
 Hand Saw






Plant Division Forks
Shrub Rake
Sun Screen
Gloves
Knee Pads
Insect Repellant
Tollgate Garden Advisory Council
Farm Manager
Roy Prentice - 248 347-3860 ext. 251
e-mail - prentic1@msu.edu
President ........................... Renee Cottrell
Vice President… ............... Peg Palmer
Secretary…........................ Dave Komraus
Treasurer ........................... Sue Janczarek
Membership ...................... Nancy Roggers
PR....................................... Yvonne DeMattos
Fall Fair .............................. Dennis Roggers
Programs ........................... Jackie Stengel
Hospitality ......................... Yvonne DeMattos
Farm News Editor ............. Darretta Ferasin
For membership questions or to update your
current membership information send e-mail to:
tollgatemembership@gmail.com
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteers
For general information and questions
Contact Roy Prentice
Page 10
● The Tollgate Gardens Advisory Council next
meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 5, 2016
at 7:00
in the Tollgate Office Building. All
Tollgate Gardens Volunteer members are
welcome to attend.
● Listings to contact individual Council Members
and Area Garden Leaders are available at all
general meetings and in the Volunteer
Communication Center.
● Tollgate Volunteer Membership is renewed
annually. The 2016 Tollgate Garden Volunteers
membership is from December 1, 2015 to
November 30, 2016.