You don't need a green thumb to attend the Arkansas Master Gardeners auction this year. It's online, open to all and free to attend. The online auction will be open today through June 11 with more than 200 items available at https://county76auction.uada.edu.
The auction coincides with the Master Gardeners annual conference, which will be virtual this year. County 76 Master Gardeners, the statewide advisory group for the Arkansas Master Gardener program, organizes the auction each year.
"The online auction is a new venture for County 76," said Linda Soffer, auction co-chair and a member of Jefferson County Master Gardeners. "Due to the pandemic and not being able to meet in person, we missed several opportunities where we would typically have had a silent auction to raise funds to support our programs."
Gardeners of all abilities will find plenty of items, from tools and seed to rain barrels and garden gnomes. Ferns, hanging baskets, succulents and more will be available as well.
Plenty of items for non-gardeners are also available, including spa services, salon hair products, James Hayes glass art, autographed books, tickets to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and homemade goat soap. A few edibles‚ such as honey, jams, jellies and fresh eggs will also be available.
The online auction is open to the public for free. Auction items can be viewed in advance, but bids won't be accepted until the auction opens at noon on Friday.
Bidders must register and provide a credit card for purchases. Purchases will be by credit card only. Winning bidders' credit cards will be charged when the auction ends at noon on June 11.
Winners will pick up items at designated locations and times: Little Rock: June 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; Jonesboro: June 12, 1 – 3 p.m.; and Fayetteville: June 16, 3 – 7 p.m.
Proceeds support the Janet B. Carson County Scholarship Fund, which awards funds to counties for innovative and educational projects and provides scholarships to college-bound high school students. Proceeds also help offset the cost of the Master Gardeners annual leadership conference.
More than 3,100 volunteers are active in Arkansas Master Gardeners. The program is administered by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Their mission is to extend research-based information through demonstration and educational programs to strengthen local communities and families throughout Arkansas.
To learn more about Master Gardeners in Arkansas, visit https://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/master-gardeners/ or contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent. Follow the agency on Twitter at @AR_Extension.
Tracy Courage is with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.