Master gardeners arrive for annual conference

By Leah Rainwater

Gardeners from across Missouri and the neighboring states are in St. Joseph this weekend for an event that is focused on growth. 

The Missouri Master Gardeners Association is holding its 2024 conference at at Missouri Western State University‘s Fulkerson Center. This is the first year for the conference to be held in St. Joseph, and one organizer said tickets for the event sold out in minutes. 

“We’ve got gardeners coming from all over the state and also the state of Kansas,” said Sharon Weiser, a member of the Northwest Missouri Master Gardeners and the chairperson for the conference. “I think we sold out because of our keynote speaker. Dr. Doug Tallamy is renowned researcher and author.”

More 250 people will be in attendance with about 200 of those coming from out of town. 

Weiser said learning and growth are both the big goals for this weekend’s conference. 

“Dr. Tallamy’s message is about how we can all make a difference and just learning about our plants,” Weiser said. “Learning how to grow them and that’s one of … our goals for this weekend.”

A gardener’s marketplace will be open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29.

About 40 different vendors will be in attendance to sell garden essentials.