The following is from Kari Lewis, Glacier County Extension  Agent:

Glacier County Extension will be featuring two free and outstanding workshops at the Courthouse Annex on April 14 and April 16, 2015.  The April 14 workshop will begin at 12:30 p.m. covering Tree Establishment and Management, and the April 16 workshop will begin at 7 p.m., focusing on Composting for Cut Bank.

Toby Day
MSU photo by Kelly Gorham.
Toby Day
MSU photo by Kelly Gorham.
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Tuesday, April 14, MSU Extension Horticulture specialist, Toby Day will be in Cut Bank leading a Tree Establishment & Management workshop.  The workshop will begin at 12:30 p.m., and a free pizza lunch will be provided so please arrive a few minutes early if you are able to join for lunch.  Whether establishing new trees, planting a shelterbelt, or caring and pruning for your existing trees, this workshop will provide a strong foundation for management of your trees.  Toby Day is the statewide Master Gardener coordinator and MSU Extension Horticulture specialist, so will be a tremendous resource to have the in the area for any of your tree or gardening questions.  Please make sure to RSVP by April 13 to the Extension office for the free pizza lunch.

Kari Lewis, MSU Extension Glacier County Agent
Kari Lewis, MSU Extension Glacier County Agent
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Thursday, April 16, Kari Lewis and Connie Olson will present Composting for Cut Bank, beginning at 7 p.m.  Composting converts organic materials, such as grass clippings, shredded branches, leaves, and kitchen food scraps that would otherwise fill a landfill, into a high-quality soil conditioner.  Compost helps to improve soil drainage and moisture retention, hold nutrients from fertilization in the soil for gradual use by plants, neutralizes acidic soils, and adds small amounts of minerals for plant growth, according to the MontGuide Home Composting.

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Connie Olson, local Level 3 Master Gardener, will cover Bokashi composting, a relatively new concept to composting.  The Bokashi composting method uses an inoculant, usually called Effective Microorganisms, to create ideal conditions for composting and eliminating odors commonly associated with composting.  The Bokashi method is an anaerobic, low maintenance method that uses the fermentation process and produces a nutrient rich end product in 30 to 90 days.  The Bokashi method can be completed in a much shorter time frame than traditional composting, and according to Olson, is well suited to the cold climate of Cut Bank.  Olson will be sharing her personal experiences with Bokashi composting in regards to the challenges of gardening in cold Cut Bank,  MT!

There is no charge for the workshops, but attendees are asked to pre-register to the Glacier County Extension office at 873-2239 or glacier@montana.edu at least one day prior to the workshop to allow for enough materials and seating.
 

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