April 14th, 12-1:30pm -- The OSU Extension Service brings you, "Cost-Effective Business Landscapes"

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
Three topics, you choose two. You’ll have 30 minutes at two of the three tables. 

Brought to you by OSU Extension Service Lane County

Table Topic 1: Composting for Dollars

Cindy Wise -- (Table Moderator) Compost Specialist Volunteer Coordinator at OSU Extension Service Lane County
Cindy will introduce us to composting and help evaluate various option for handling food and waste in your business. She’ll walk through three examples of ways you can compost, including the pros and cons as well as costs and savings associate with an onsite system, a direct pickup system (connecting individuals with organics to be composted) and a commercial option.

Dave Kayfes -- (Case Study) Master Gardener Compost Specialist
Dave Kayfes will offer his expertise in the direct pickup system and will offer guidance to businesses who are interested in working with this type of composting option. Dave is a former RG sports writer. Dave is a Master Gardener with the OSU Extension Lane County and a Master Gardener Compost Specialist since 2001. Dave volunteers throughout the Lane County Community doing organics recycling and is a passionate advocate of the benefits of composting in the community. Dave was awarded the 2006 Lane County Individual Trashbusters Award for his contributions to organics recycling in the county.

Rodney Bloom --  (Case Study) Operations Coordinator for Gerlinger Hall, UO
Rodney will share his success stories of how he’s helped the Fifth Street Public Market reduce their trash bill and establish a vermicomposting operation on site. He is the Operations Coordinator for Gerlinger Hall on the UO campus. He is a former board member of The Worm Digest, a vermicomposting publication that began in Eugene. He is a recognized expert in the field of vermicomposting and manages the composting operation for FOOD for Lane County's warehouse.

Table Topic 2: Landscaping for your Customers

Ross Penhallegon -- (Moderator) Horticulture Agent, OSU Extension Service in Lane County
With 44 years in agriculture and 26 years with the OSU Extension Service, Ross has a long history of working with Master Gardener volunteers and the commercial horticulture industry. He will talk about planning or renovating a business landscape to help save you time and money.

Mike Kemp -- (Case Study) Owner of Northwest Gardenway
Mike is a commercial landscaper who works with small- and large-scale businesses.  In the past few years, he has seen the need and desire of local business to become more sustainable, use less chemicals and reduce the over-all costs for business in the realm of landscape maintenance.

Georgios Karabinis -- (Case Study) Landscape Business Owner
Owns his own landscaping business.  He works hard to implement sustainable landscape techniques with his business clients.  He will talk about principles of wise watering, taking lawn care to the next level and keeping pests at a minimum.

Table Topic 3: Gardening for your Employees

We will look at how businesses and employees can get involved in a variety of gardening-related projects including: Growing their own food, becoming supporters of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, or growing food for local distribution, including FOOD for Lane County.  

Dorothy Cruickshank -- (Moderator) Master Gardener, Retired Educator of 30 years
Dorothy is a retired educator with 30 years in public education. She continues to remain an integral part of the community through her involvement in various garden groups such as president of the Eugene Garden Club, as chair of a plant NERD night for the past 10 years as well as delivering presentations and workshops around gardening. Dorothy received her undergraduate degree in Education through OSU and her masters in counseling with the UO. 

Donna Berg -- (Case Study) Owner, River of Life and OSU Extension Service Master Gardener 
Donna Berg has been a Master Gardener for many years. She has taken her knowledge from the Master Gardener program and is now implementing these principles successfully into various businesses such as Fifth Street Public Market and the Oakway Mall. She will talk about how vegetables, edible landscape and flowers really have a positive influence in the community and a direct return on business profitability.