Ashland-Bayfield Co. Master Gardener Association

The Ashland/Bayfield County Master Gardener Association was organized in February 2006. We joined WIMGA in September 2007. Association members from Ashland and Bayfield Counties meet monthly at the AERC Building (former Ashland Ag Research Station) on the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Our association includes members from Madeline Island and the Bayfield Peninsula on the north, the Iron River and Barnes area to the west, Ashland and Marengo area to the east, and the Cable, Drummond and Mellen areas to the south. The general public is invited to participate in our monthly programs and educational events.

We have held annual Winter/Spring Garden Series and monthly programs on a variety of subjects.  Recent topics included Primroses; Hoop Houses and Season Extenders; Alliums, Onions and Garlic; Making Hypertufa Pots; and Composting.  Many members in our group attended the Master Composting Class and participated in presentations for the public.

In the past four years we have participated in the Ashland and/or Bayfield County Fairs with award winning educational exhibits. The first exhibit raised awareness of our organization and its accomplishments through large photos.  The second was an exhibit on Square Foot Gardening.  In the past two years we exhibited “Composting Made Simple” in our two counties.

Our organization participates in two “Ask the Master Gardeners” Projects every year -  at the annual spring Dairy, Farm and Garden Show in Ashland and Bayfield in Bloom’s WPR broadcast of Garden Talk in mid-May. Our members annually host numerous garden tours of individual MG’s and community gardens. We regenerate and maintain various community gardens throughout the two counties in Ashland, Barnes, Bayfield, Cable, Iron River, Lake Namakagon and Madeline Island. Our members have conducted workshops in wreath making, composting, 4-H gardening, and gardening with native plants.  We had a successful Master Gardener plant sale last year and are planning one again in 2012.

The Ashland/Bayfield County Master Gardeners look forward to hosting the 2012 Master Gardener Conference on September 14 and 15, 2012 at the Ashland High School.  Please join us!

Contacts: 

  • Verne Gilles, President
    63335 Ed Carlson Road
    Ashland, WI  54806
    (715) 682-4408 
  • Jason Fischbach, Agriculture Agent
    Ashland and Bayfield Counties UW Extension
    Courthouse, 117 E. 5thStreet
    P.O. Box 218
    Washburn, WI  54891
    (715) 373-6104 Ext. 5

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