Summer is in full swing here in West Virginia. Our gardens are growing and berries are ripening. Red raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and high bush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are being picked for the use in our dessert sauces for the International Master Gardener Conference’s opening reception.

The 2011 conference is scheduled for Oct. 11-14 at the Charleston Convention Center.

Attendees will be treated to special locally grown and prepared foods during the opening reception – “A Taste of West Virginia.” Come enjoy a variety of ethnic and Appalachian dishes, including domestic cheeses, Appalachian brown beans, relishes, pepperoni rolls, smoked brisket, pasta, and lamb sliders. You might want to try a dish seasoned with wild leeks or ramps. We’ll have ramp chowder and potato cakes for sampling. For those folks who prefer a meatless menu, there will be mulligatawny soup, pasta, salads, and a sweet potato bar.

Entertainment during the “taste” will be provided throughout the evening by Dave Haas and Bob Webb. Listen as you enjoy your meal or pull up a seat and be entertained by this lap dulcimer and guitar duo.

During the Wednesday night banquet, you will be entertained by more West Virginians, Brown Chicken Brown Cow String Band. You will see a fiddle, a banjo, a mandolin, and an upright bass and hear multicultural string music, country, jazz, blues, rock, and bluegrass.

If you’ve already registered, check your conference confirmation to ensure that any extra tickets and the merchandise that you ordered are listed. If your receipt does not show a charge for these items, please contact our registration committee.

Come early and stay late to take advantage of the pre- and post-tours that provide an opportunity to visit some of West Virginia’s scenic areas. The Allegheny Highlands tour will take visitors to a unique area where they will see spectacular waterfalls, rock outcroppings, and beautiful mountains. The Heritage and Horticulture tour provide an opportunity for a candlelight dinner in the historic Blennerhasset mansion, lodging in a lovely restored hotel, and an opportunity to shop for fine arts and crafts. Other tours will take you to the historic Eastern Panhandle, the first region of West Virginia to be settled, or to our Northern Panhandle or the beautiful Greenbrier Valley.

Master Gardeners from 42 states and several Canadian provinces have registered. This high volume of participation means that several sessions and day tours are “sold out.” Those sessions and day tours will no longer appear on the electronic registration page. If you plan to mail your registration, we recommend that you choose three options for each slot and rank them in order of preference.
Remember, the early-bird registration deadline expires on July 9. After that date, all conference fees will be increased.

We look forward to seeing you in October!