Black Hawk County Master Gardeners

08/24/2026

What will you learn at Virtual Seed School?

Over six weeks, we’ll follow the seed-saving process from the botany behind it to the community that keeps it growing:

🌼 September 28: The Botany of Seed Saving
🫘 October 5: Harvesting and Cleaning Seeds—Dry Processing
🍅 October 12: Harvesting and Cleaning Seeds—Wet Processing
🫙 October 19: Seed Quality and Storage
🗺️ October 26: Growing and Saving Seed with Regional Experts
🤝 November 2: Next Steps—Connecting to Community

Classes are live on Zoom on Monday evenings, with time for questions and conversation. Recordings will also be available to registered participants.

Explore the full course and register: https://seedsavers.org/events/seed-school/

08/24/2026

Save the Date! The 2026 Fall Garden Symposium sponsored by the Black Hawk County Master Gardeners will be Saturday, October 31st. Yes that's on Halloween, no you don't need to wear a costume. 🎃 We will be posting more about the theme, speakers, topics, and cost very soon!

08/24/2026

It's time again for Arboretum Under the Stars! Join us for DATE NIGHT! September 11, 2026

It's time again for Arboretum Under the Stars! Join us for DATE NIGHT! September 11, 2026 bring your blanket, picnic, telescope, binoculars, watch a romantic movie, and just enjoy one another's company.

08/24/2026

Survival of the Fittest and the Greenest

08/21/2026

Harvesting and Storing Tree Fruit

Harvest apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries at the right maturity stage for the best quality. Proper storage extends fruit shelf life.

08/21/2026

Seed Savers Exchange conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year.

It all started with two garden plants, ‘Grandpa Ott's’ morning glory and ‘German Pink’ tomato, which were brought from Bavaria by their ancestors in the 1870's. Seed Savers Exchange is open to the public and is located north of Decorah, Iowa. You can browse the gardens or shop for supplies in their store.

08/20/2026

"Local food systems work is complex, so having a shared understanding of how they function and how to positively contribute is valuable."

"Local food systems work is complex, so having a shared understanding of how they function and how to positively contribute is valuable."

Build that foundation with Virtual Local Food Leader 101 — a self-paced, online course paired with live learning circles for real peer connection. Sept. 30-Dec. 16. Open to anyone invested in strengthening local food systems.

Learn more 👉 https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/online-course-provides-skills-enhancing-local-food-systems-0

Iowa State University Extension Farm Food and Enterprise Development