MVG Fall Driving Tour
From 19th century farms to brand-new suburan homes, from mounds of pumpkins to fields of hardy mums, a greenhouse driving tour offers an eye-opening sample of the beauty of the Maumee Valley. Maumee Valley Growers invite you to take a break and enjoy the scenery while you visit area greenhouses and garden centers. This map is the first in a series of self-guided Greenhouse Driving Tours (a PDF file, 6 megabytes).
We welcome your comments and your suggestions for future tours.
Join the MVGA
» MVG Growers: click here to indicate your interest in joining MVGA «
MVG prepares for fall as group develops new organizational structure
Although the busy summer is over, Maumee Valley gardeners know that September and October are great months for fall color and for preparing the garden for next year. Chrysanthemums offer a range of color, and pumpkins and gourds are beginning to appear in area garden centers.
As they shift to a slightly-less-busy season, Maumee Valley Growers are turning
their attention to a new not-for-profit industry organization which will
provide a focus for future activities. The Maumee Valley Growers Association,
organized to represent the business interest of greenhouses and garden centers
in Northwest Ohio, is the newest initiative of the greenhouse project funded by
the USDA and managed by the University of Toledo in partnership with Bowling Green
State University, Indiana State University, and The Ohio State University.
The MVGA is signing up members and in October will elect a governing board which will manage the organization and continue to advice activities of the UT-based project (in partnership with Bowling Green State University, Indiana State University, and The Ohio State University) which aims to strengthen the Northwest Ohio greenhouse industry.
The Maumee Valley Growers Association
Maumee Valley Growers, which is funded through a USDA grant managed through the
University of Toledo (in partnership with Bowling Green
State University, Indiana State University, and The Ohio State University), are kicking it up a notch with a new, grower-controlled
non-profit corporation called Maumee Valley Growers Association.
This new industry organization will work with The University of Toledo and other
partners from Bowling Green
State University, Indiana State University, and The Ohio State University on ongoing cluster activities, and will provide a focus for the
industry when the original USDA grant funding ends.
Recently, Maumee Valley Growers celebrated the achievements of 2008 and
launched a membership recruitment campaign for the new organization.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur was in attendance and spoke eloquently about the
importance of Northwest Ohio’s floriculture activity. She urged growers to pay
close attention to the new Farm Bill and to use new resources made available in
the bill to strengthen their businesses.
In addition to voting members, all of whom will be area growers, MVGA is accepting non-voting associate members, of whom Congresswoman Kaptur is the first.
The new organization is planning to elect officers in October. All growers are urged to become members and to consider seeking a leadership position.
» MVG Growers: click here to indicate your interest in joining MVGA «
Green Greenhouse Practices - Recycling
Maumee Valley Growers are getting together with the Lucas County Solid Waste District and Keep Toledo Lucas County Beautiful to provide an opportunity for growers and gardeners to recycle the pots, trays, and other plastics which often stack up in garages as an unwanted side effect of spring planting.
MVG staff and members are working to design a program that will work long-term to keep these materials out of the landfill; a pilot program is underway and will last through August. The goal is to provide opportunities for all area greenhouses to participate by working together.
MVG At The Lucas County Fair
As a part of the 175th Lucas County Fair, Maumee Valley Growers’ members and partner organizations hosted visitors including Nancy Montanez Johner (Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the USDA), Helen Jones-Kelly (Director of the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services), and Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak.
The MVG exhibit, housed in a hoop house temporarily set up on the fairgrounds, included plant and floral displays from a number of area greenhouses, rain garden information, and a demonstration windmill by partner North Coast Wind & Power.
Throughout the week, MVG members enjoyed the opportunity to talk to Maumee Valley gardeners as well as a chance to network with other growers.
Local Farmer's Market News
Many Maumee Valley Growers can be found at area farmers markets, offering fresh local produce, bedding plants, hanging baskets, and more. Many markets sponsor frequent special events; check back often to see what’s new.
The following is a partial list of area farmers markets.
| Tuesday |
Augsburg Lutheran Church, 3pm-7pm, beginning May 6th and continuing through October 28th. 1342 W. Sylvania Avenue in Toledo. Senior Nutrition Coupons and WIC are accepted. |
| Wednesday |
Westgate, 4pm – 7pm, Elder-Beerman parking lot Secor north of Central (http://toledofarmersmarket.org/) Sylvania Jewish Community Center / YMCA, Sylvania between Holland-Sylvania and McCord |
| Thursday |
Perrysburg, 3pm – 8pm, Louisiana Avenue Sylvania Mayberry Square, 3pm – 7pm, Centennial just south of Erie |
| Saturday |
Toledo, 8am – 2pm, Market Street between Erie and St. Clair (http://toledofarmersmarket.org/) |
Maumee Valley Grower Specials
Maumee Valley Growers is an industry-based association committed to working together to strengthen our local greenhouse industry.The industry includes more than fifty individual Maumee Valley growers, alike in offering top-quality local plants but distinct in location, product mix, and focus. Learn more about what you can find at these individual locations by visiting our specials page.
Download the Latest MVG Calendar
Click here to download the 2008 MVG Calendar (a PDF file, about 3M in size).
Download MVG Wallpaper
Download a Maumee Valley Growers calendar picture from the list below. Choose the one
that best fits your screen size (bigger numbers = a larger image); each picture will be displayed
in a new window. When the picture is displayed,
right-click on the picture (command-click on a Macintosh) and select the menu choice that
saves the picture to your computer.
October 2008:
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