Suggestion: Upper Midwest Regional Forum?

I'm in the upper midwest (Wisconsin). This morning I was 'out and about' surfing through the forums to find something that would apply to the really weird set of circumstances of my zone (4b/5a). We don't fit into the 'Cool Climate' forum because, like this past summer, we can get *mighty* warm. I looked into the Michigan forum...and that's a little better, but not quite what I need.

Then it hit me. Maybe we need a set of regional forums...you know...groups of similar growing areas. My region might include the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and definitely the Michigan U.P.

Does anyone else 'feel the need' for regional forums? I'd sure like to hear your opinions.

~julie~

Love the idea! I thought I read something about this a month or so ago. Hmmm....

Jody

Jody, if you find something else here on DG about the regional forums...please post a link here, ok?

~julie~

We do have regional forums, currently for the two most populated states - California and Texas.

I'd be happy to add more regional forums, but I'd like to see at least 20 people from that region express an interest.

dave

Thanks Dave...I didn't really expect you come in for quite a while yet. I'll see what I can do about getting some of the people I know would be interested.

~julie~

Count me in! There isn't much in the other forums that applies to our area.

Snow or lack of it, blizzards in April, ice, drought, humidity, thunderstorms, tornados, hail, -30* to 105* temp extremes, wind, clay, ummm.......

I love Iowa!

mg

If Illinois qualifies, I'm in too!

Toni

I think so far all THREE (oops...Jody, too! LOL) of us qualify!

Go find your friends, peoples.

~julie~

Dave,

Thanks for making it a doable number, I appreciate that and I'm sure all others in "our" area do also.

Awesome idea, count me in too.

marie_ (Augusta, WI) is out of town for a few days however I'm positive if she were here she would be all for it also.

So that makes 2 more

Edited to add, sanannie and violann are both in Canada, however I would consider that our region also. Any one else have any comments on that?

Possibly it could be zones 3 - 5 ????

Kelly



This message was edited Oct 22, 2005 3:16 PM

Our friends in Canada already have their own forum:

http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/tradeeh

dave

I still have to do some D-mail writing...:-) There will be more.

~julie~

Julie,

Now that Dave has mentioned it I probably saw the Texas and California regional forums.

Jody

But Dave ....Canada has so many climates....why only one? Oh, that's not what I meant to post but it seemed appropriate. I'm all for a midwest forum, and how many are we now???

We DO have a forum in Canada, but Canada is VAST and encompasses many different regions with different growing conditions. In many ways the growing conditions in Ottawa where I live and just outside of Ottawa where Sanannie lives are closer to the mid-west growing conditions than to those of other Canadians - especially those in BC or in Alberta to mention two extremes. I certainly would be interested in following a mid-west forum.

Ann

I'm sure there are much more than 20 people here who would enjoy a Mid-Atlantic forum (MD, VA, PA, etc.), but I wouldn't know where to begin trying to contact them all to ask.

I count seven so far (including ViolaAnn.)

Jody

Ann...I'm SO glad you stopped in. I was hoping we'd get some Canadians in here with the zone 3,4, and 5 to help us out.

Thanks for the post!

~julie~

BreezyM...you posted at the same time I did. And you stepped up to the plate with exactly what aI was hoping to see. I'd love to see us *all* have a spot where we could discuss our area's challenges. Not just for my area of the upper midwest.

Yeah! BreezyM!!

~julie~

To contact all those others, click on Memberlist at the top of the page.
You can browse the list of subscribers and members by several different criteria including Zone and State. it might take awhile, but you could send D-mails to the list.

Ann

I'll handle Iowa, we have 54 subscribers.

Here is the Dmail I think I will send, any comments or suggestions?

Subject: A Regional Forum

We are trying to start a "Regional Forum" for our area, if you are interested please go to: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/552464/ and let Dave know you support the idea.

Thank you from Dubuque!

mg



This message was edited Oct 22, 2005 7:01 PM

Hi,
I'm in St. Louis, Missouri. Would love to see a regional forum for this area. Would make plant / seed swaps easy to get together. Thanks

Crystal

Count me in :O) :O)! My son is in the GreenBay area.

Annie

Just found this thread. I think we would qualify as midwestern here in Manitoba. Would be interested too, if you want to count me. I'll go and rattle some more cages here.

Yep...I'm in for a regional forum as well.

I'm in for a midwestern forum as well. :)

While we're at it, I think it would be rather nice to have a Northwest Region Forum. After all, once again our weather isn't like anyother place other than perhaps Northern California. I would think it would cover Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho and the western part of Montana.
Is there anybody out there that agrees with me? Dotti

I think a midwest forum & the ability to easily connect with other people subject to the same weather patterns, would be great. Maridell

Ok, Iowa has been Dmailed, and we are already getting support! Thanks merigold!

My cage was rattled. I'm in
Inanda

I am a little confused about what defines a 'region'....Illinois was mentioned for the Midwest region and is mostly zones 5 and 6. Ohio is 2 states east of Illinois in the same latitude and encompasses zones 5 and 6. Pennsylvania, which borders Ohio on the east, was mentioned for a Mid-Atlantic region and it is almost entirely zones 5 and 6. Virginia was also mentioned for the Mid-Atlantic region but it is almost entirely zones 6 and 7 with a tiny pocket of zone 5b.

When I google Upper Midwest I come up with Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. I think of Indiana as having the same weather as Ohio since it is the state immediately west of Ohio.

In Ohio our usual winter lows are in the -10 to -20 range although we have had some memorable -30s. Summers get up into the 80's and 90's with the occasional 100+ temperature.

So is the 'regional' going to be determined by proximity to an area or by climactic conditions? Or both?

I do like the idea of sharing with gardeners who struggle with similar conditions. On the other hand, I have noticed that when regional forums are opened, some members seem to disappear off the radar unless you look for them in their regional forum. I hate to see that happen although maybe as big as DG has become, that is to be expected.

Perhaps you need to be looking at zones rather than regions since a region could encompass many zones?
And we have a new zone map here in Canada so I am not sure if the USA zones are the same as ours? Calgary used to be 2 (?A) now it is 3B

HI, and Marcia from WI-zone 4/5...would be helpful-the climate changes so often-oopss there it goes again......

I'd be interested in this forum, too! Count me in.

I think this is a great idea---count me in! I'm thinking maybe a zone 4/5?
Lauri in WI

I don't think Zones make a lot of difference in growing. They refer to how cold it gets in the winter, which determines how a plant will overwinter. Northern Minnesota is zone 2, they get lots of -30º days. Down here we are Zone 4. Our coldest is -20º. Then for growing season, temperatures are about the same for highs. The difference here is the number of days for the growing season. I have been watching this fall & the first frost for us & others in the midwest. There is not a lot of difference. But farther south it does not get as cold for as long, so a higher zone & easier for plants to live through winter.
We could have a "Corn Country" forum for us midwestern types. If corn is grown as a major farm crop, you are in the midwest.
This would be southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, parts of Kansas, Nebraska, & South Dakota. All this area has similar growing conditions during summer.
I'm sure all Iowa Round-up people would agree with this.
Bernie

I sent to most in WI. The link in the post I copied from mg's post didn't work so I e-mailed the correct link.

Kelly

My link didn't work? Where did it send you? That is weird, it worked for me??

A regional (or zone) forum is a great idea. I don't know if I'm expressing this in an understandable manner (it's late, I'm tired), but I feel that it would unite us better as gardeners if it were more region-specific. To be honest, parts of BC remind me of the tropics and I just can't relate, lol. One February, I boarded a plane during a snow storm here in Toronto and 4 hours later landed in gardening paradise in BC (lucky ducks).

I'm in and thanks in advance to the admin for any consideration.

Erynne

It worked for me also. I have absolutely no business in this thread, but I'm just so darned nosy! Good luck getting your forum everyone, it sounds handy.


Rachel

Where is this "link" supposed to take us? It took me to top of this thread.
Bernie