Thank you, Broomfield!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and a very heartfelt thank you to the team of 50 Broomfield Colorado Master Gardeners and apprentices who made our community services possible this year. Since November 2023, this group has given 2,436 hours of their time and expertise to Broomfield, sharing horticulture knowledge with 4,469 residents at farmers’ markets, youth programs, garden centers, and more! Master Gardeners are available to answer your gardening questions year-round by phone (303-464-5554) or email (BroomfieldMG@colostate.edu). We are grateful for this dedicated group of volunteers and their work supporting the Broomfield community.

Gifts for the Gardener!

Looking for gift ideas for the gardener in your life (or maybe for yourself)? Here are a few suggestions, many coming directly from the experts - Broomfield Master Gardeners:

• A good pair of gardening gloves - long ones for the rose-growing crowd and cute, colorful nitrile gloves for the fashionistas
• High-quality tools are popular items: pruning shears, garden knives like Hori Hori, and hedge clippers
• Power tools - one Master Gardener said her favorite gardening gift is a mini chainsaw!
• A kneeling pad or seat
• A "kneeler" with handles to help get up
• Journals, a subscription to a gardening magazine, or a coupon for gardening help
• Garden decor or art
• A garden bench or cart
• Gardening shoes, bandanas, t-shirts, and sweatshirts
• A Christmas, or rather, a Thanksgiving cactus baby (Schlumbergera truncata). It's easy to propagate, with lots of blooms during the holidays and also at Easter.  
• Gardening classes - maybe one of Colorado State University Online's Green School Short Courses

Family Activity: Make a Nature Journal!

The latest CSU Family Matters newsletter is all about embracing the winter season, including instructions for creating a nature journal:

1. Personalize Your Journal: Spend some time decorating and personalizing a blank journal to give your child a sense of ownership.
2. Discuss Nature Journaling: Explain to your child what a nature journal is. According to John Muir Laws, nature journaling involves collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations using words, pictures, and numbers.
3. Review the Five Senses: Before heading out, review the five senses with your child and provide examples for each.
4. Go on a Nature Walk: With a pencil and journal in hand, take a 20-minute walk, encouraging your child to engage all their senses. They can write down their observations as they go or save them for when they’re warmer indoors. Together, illustrate or write about your winter discoveries.
5. Document Your Experience: Remember to include your name, date, location, and weather conditions in the journal, so you can compare your findings next time!

Check out the full Family Matters newsletter in English and Spanish.

Cottage Food Safety Training

Presented by Colorado State University Extension, this nationally-recognized training program covers the specifics of the Colorado Cottage Food Act and how to safely operate a food business from a home kitchen. The $50 online class is next offered on the following dates:

Saturday, Dec. 14, 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 23, 12-3:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Webinar: New! Fresh Gardening Myths

Wednesday, Dec. 11

12-1 p.m.

Free, but must register

Join instructor Alison O’Connor, Horticulture Specialist, Larimer County Extension, for this free CSU webinar.

Closure

The Library/CSU Extension will have adjusted hours in observance of Christmas Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Christmas Day on Wednesday, Dec. 25: Closed

Make your holiday season merry and bright by enjoying these Holiday Cheer events with your friends and neighbors in Broomfield! Learn how you can both have fun this holiday season and give back to your community at Broomfield.org/HolidayCheer.

Residential Waste Services in Broomfield

New waste and recycling services are coming to Broomfield in 2025! The new program will provide easy access to recycling for eligible households. To participate, residents will need to choose their preferred trash cart size by Dec. 21, 2024. Residents who do not choose their trash cart size by the deadline will automatically receive a 65-gallon trash cart and a 95-gallon recycle cart. Learn more about eligibility and choose your trash cart size(or opt out of the program) at Broomfield.org/ResidentialWasteServices.

Questions? Attend an open house to talk to subject matter experts about the program. The final open house will be held on Sat., Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. - noon in the George Di Ciero City and County Building lobby. 

Celebrating Safely for the Holidays

Decorating homes and businesses is a long-standing tradition around the holiday season. Unfortunately, these same decorations may increase the chances of a fire. Think about using battery operated flameless candles as almost half of all home decoration fires are started by candles around the holidays. If you have a tree for the holidays, be sure your tree is at least three feet away from heat sources. And read the manufacturer's instructions for the number of light strands that can be safely connected. For guidance on preparation and response to potential hazards and threats to your community, visit the City and County of Broomfield’s Emergency Preparedness website.