2025 Gold Country Master Gardener Symposium

Sarah Eilers has been an ISA Certified Arborist for 17 years. She was employed in both Helena and Bozeman as a private arborist. In the fall of 2016, she began working for Montana State University. She assisted in the Schutter Diagnostic Lab and was the IPM Manager. In the fall of 2022, she became the new Montana Master Gardener Coordinator.  

Dr. Eva Grimme is the Plant Disease Diagnostician for horticultural samples in the Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory at Montana State University. She is focusing on the identification of plant diseases and abiotic issues and provides recommendations based on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Eva started her career as a certified gardener in Germany and specialized in Plant Pathology for her MS and PhD from Montana State University. She has over 25 years of experience in applied horticulture and has worked with a wide variety of plant systems including annual and perennial ornamentals, woody ornamentals, vegetables, and turfgrass. 

Dr. Clain Jones has worked in the area of nutrient management at MSU since 1999, and has been the Extension Soil Fertility Specialist since 2004. His research has focused on nutrient management in both conventional and organic systems, and currently he is studying soil acidification, sulfur fertility, and the effects of long-term cropping systems on soil health. His Extension work uses a range of delivery methods to reach as wide an audience as possible. 

Robyn Klein has been teaching plant identification to K-12 teachers and herbalists since 2004. A graduate of the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine (1995) and an adjunct instructor at MSU, Robyn is a member of the Montana Native Plant Society. Her gardens are a mix of native, Chinese, and European medicinal species, and the odd carrot. 

Mark Majerus has spent his entire career working with grasses and has authored a book entitled ‘Forage and Reclamation Grasses of the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains’. 

Shelley Mills is the Agricultural Extension Agent for MSU in Valley County. She has a BS degree in Botany and an MS in Land Resource and Environmental Management with an emphasis on invasive plant species, both from Montana State University. Shelley has a Master Beekeeper Certification from University of Montana and has been a beekeeper since 2016. She provides outreach and education in crop and livestock production, horticulture, and youth development. Her areas of expertise are crop production, invasive weed management, horticulture, pesticides, beekeeping, pollinator protection, and pest and plant identification. Her research interests include weed management, viticulture, honeybees, and tree fruit production. 

Noelle Orloff is the plant identification diagnostician for the Schutter Diagnostic Lab. Her main role in the Schutter Lab is identifying plants submitted by growers, ranchers and homeowners and providing management recommendations if needed. Examples of current research include investigating perennial weed control in organic and diversified cropping systems, and exploring rangeland plant community response to weed control measures. Noelle received her master’s degree from MSU in 2012, and this work focused on improving ecologically-based management of cheatgrass in both range and cropland ecosystems.  

Patrick Plantenberg graduated from Montana State University with a B.S. in Plant and Soil Science and an M.S. in Range Science. He worked for MSU as a Research Associate in the Colstrip area doing research on reclaiming disturbed coal mine spoils. He then worked for the State of Montana as a Reclamation Specialist for 29 years trying to reclaim active hardrock mines across the state. Patrick has a landscaping business that he has owned since 1983. He is still doing landscaping with his wife in the Townsend area. He is the past President of the Montana Native Plant Society and has been a member since its formation. He is also active in urban forestry and is the Chair of the Townsend Tree Board and the Chair of the Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association. Patrick is a member of the Montana Nursery and Landscape Assn; Montana Trail, Recreation and Parks Association; and an honorary board member of the Association of Montana Turf, Ornamental and Pest Professionals.

Abiya 'Abi' Saeed is the Extension Horticulture Specialist at Montana State University. She assists Master Gardeners, home gardeners, commercial and private green industry professionals, and county and reservation extension offices with horticulture-related programming, questions, concerns, and diagnostics throughout Montana. Abi has a research background in pollinator conservation, integrated pest management, and pollinator health through the University of Kentucky, and is currently working on her PhD at Montana State University, focusing on native bee diversity and conservation. Using her passion for pollinator conservation and outreach, Abi has a decade of experience building pollinator-related programming and publications through her roles in Extension at Montana State University, Colorado State University, and Michigan State University. She is also a writer for the Garden Professors Blog and a recurring panelist on Montana Ag Live. 

For Jennifer Weiss, the desire to get in the dirt skipped a generation. My mother would put out some geraniums and a hanging basket by the front door.  Nana (my grandmother) had a big vegetable garden and flowers wherever she could cram them. As a child I cut swathes out of our yard to make gardens.  I had squash growing over the shrubbery. 

So, the love getting dirt under my nails has been a lifelong passion.  I worked at a local nursery for seven years before starting my own landscape company. I dedicated 25 years to serving on the board of the Montana Nursery and landscape Association, 20 years as education chair.  I served on the local tree board and am a member of the Montana urban Community Forestry Association. I teach horticulture at MSU in the Spring semester.   I am IPM certified, have my advanced Master gardeners’ certificate and am a Certified Plant professional.  But really, all this means is that I REALLY like digging in the dirt!