Green Bay, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Natural and Applied Sciences academic unit will be holding its annual Heirloom Plant Sale again this year in support of student research.
The process will look a little different than in the past to ensure social distancing and the safety of the community due to the continued impacts of COVID-19, but the impressive selection of plants grown at the Green Bay Campus hasn’t changed. A new website (https://www.uwgb.edu/heirloom-plant-sale/) has an online shop for customers to place an order that can be picked up on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, May 13-15. Masks will be required for order pick-up.
Payment will be at pick up (cash or check only). Questions about the ordering process can be submitted by e-mail at uwgbplantsale@uwgb.edu. There will still be an (outdoor) sale for browsing on Saturday, May 15, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Lab Sciences greenhouse, but only those plants that haven’t been pre-ordered will be available at that time. Thursday, April 22, 2021 is the first day for public ordering.
Heirloom plants are unique and rare!
Unlike other vegetable sales, the UW-Green Bay sale features unique and rare heirloom varieties, held in part to introduce local gardeners to new varieties and protect agricultural biodiversity. Gardeners can dabble with “Bull Nose bell peppers, Tommy Toe tomatoes, or the Teddy Bear sunflower.”
This year the sale features 59 different varieties of tomatoes and 41 varieties of peppers from sweet to scorching hot. Also offered will be a variety of vegetables, herbs, several different basils, and a collection of flowers. Additional to the sale this year will be native flowering plants that will benefit pollinators and other beneficial insects (UW-Green Bay received official “Bee Campus USA” affiliate designation this spring). Overall, there will be 202 different heirloom and open-pollinated cultivars and varieties for gardeners. (Details are available at the website.)
The annual sale, sponsored by the Natural and Applied Sciences academic unit, began in 1997 with 300 plants for sale. Students benefit from the proceeds that are used to bring scientists and specialists to the University, and to support both student research projects and travel to conferences where students can present results of their research and meet scientists in their fields. Over the past few years this fund has supported research on the genetics of wild rice and invasive Phragmites, a study of local aquifer composition and water quality, a survey of the emerald ash borer on the Cofrin Arboretum, collection and analysis of microplastics in the Bay of Green Bay, migration ecology of Lake Whitefish, and development of a website to understand fish diversity in relation to aquatic invasive species.
Professor Steve Meyer to hold salsa fundraiser for scholarships
Additionally, Prof. Steve Meyer’s homemade salsa (mild, medium, and hot) makes its return at the “checkout stand.” Meyer makes 300+ pints of salsa each year with donated proceeds going directly to the Katie Hemauer Memorial Scholarship. Hemauer was an exceptional student, and Meyer was a friend and mentor. She passed away in November of 2005 in a tragic car accident, killed as the result of someone driving while intoxicated. Meyer established the scholarship in her memory in 2014 to support future generations of students who shared her curiosity of the natural environment and commitment to campus and community. Meyer’s salsa (mild, medium, and hot) will also be available at the “checkout stand” if you wish to pick some up and make a donation to the Katie Hemauer Memorial Scholarship.
