The St. Louis Master Gardener Speakers Bureau provides quality horticultural information as a public service. All speakers are Master Gardener volunteers who have completed the Master Gardener training under the direction of University of Missouri Extension.
Each year St. Louis Master Gardeners make over 100 presentations to garden clubs, schools, businesses, churches, neighborhood and civic organizations. Presentations are typically 50-60 minutes in length.
Fees
Speaker Presentation Fees:
$50.00 – garden, church, retirement groups
$100.00 – for-profit groups
$100.00 – for groups of more than 50 attendees
How to book a speaker
- Choose a talk from the Program Topics on this page.
- Call or email that speaker directly. The speaker will explain the booking process and provide you with the combined Confirmation/Invoice form.
- On the lower invoice portion of the Confirmation/Invoice form are directions for payment to St. Louis Master Gardeners. Return both the form and a check to the address given.
Contact information
For any issues or concerns related to the Speakers Bureau, please contact Eliza Pessereau at eliza.pessereau@missouri.edu or (314) 403-7410.
Program Topics
Missouri’s wild mushrooms, is it edible?
There are many common, edible mushrooms in Missouri. This program gives information on finding mushrooms in the wild or even in your own backyard!
This instructor will provide you with the steps to identify poisonous mushrooms and give you clues as to where to find those terrific morels!
Presenter
Maxine Stone has been a Master Gardener since 2006. She is the author of the book, Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms.
Maxine retired from a career in the nursing home business working with the elderly and mentally ill. She is the past President of the Missouri Mycological Society, 1999-2006, a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist with the Missouri Department of Conservation and on the board of the Great River Chapter. She is a member of the North American Mycological Society, instructor with the Missouri Mycological Society teaching mushroom identification and author of Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms.
Speaker contact information: verymaxine@aol.com or 314-420-4980
Organic gardening
Organic gardening promotes a healthy, sustainable environment. Enhance your gardening, your plants, and your life with these simple and effective techniques.
Learn how to garden successfully without applying synthetic chemicals. Learn the reasons people choose to grow plants organically, how to keep plants healthy, and ways to handle challenges such as pests, disease and weeds. Discover the joys of growing plants in balance with nature.
Presenter
Cheryl Rafert became a Master Gardener in 2000. She volunteers at the Kemper Center Plant Doctor desk answering questions about plants.
Speaker contact information: crafert@sbcglobal.net or 314-963-9697
Seed to Harvest
Andy Schiefelbein has created a productive garden from scratch in his south city backyard. Follow Andy’s journey creating a productive vegetable/herb garden in his south city backyard.
Reference materials he used to plan his journey, and various tools of his trade will be discussed.
Presenter
Andy has been a St. Louis Master Gardener since 2021. He has been growing vegetables in his back yard since the early 2000s and has done garden consultations at Logan University, area food banks, and community garden organizations. In recent years, he has expanded his vegetable production to include small-scale commercial farming with a focus on local production using regenerative agricultural practices.
Speaker contact information: andy.schiefelbein@gmail.com