‘Cordes Award’- Minnesota Grows With Bill Cook’s Green Wisdom

Minnesotans love to get outside all year round, but this time of year, the call to our backyards and gardens is a big draw for many of us. We just can't wait to have green grass, lovely flowers, and our very own vegetable garden full of our favorite seasonal fruits and veggies.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BILL COOK -CORDES' AWARD WINNER

This week, I would like to present Bill (William) Cook, Master Gardener, with this week's Cordes' Award, for his time and effort to provide us with great gardening knowledge on 'The Garden Corner.' This is one of my only hour-long guests on the show.

Bill along with other Master Gardeners around the area, have shared their gardening knowledge with us; but Bill has gone above and beyond, talking with us year round and every week, because even when we aren't outside in our gardens and mowing the grass, there is still plenty of prep work to get ready for the gardening season all year round.

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BILL COOK'S UNIQUE OUTLOOK ON GARDENING

Bill Cook has a unique way of looking at the great outdoors. For those of you who have listened to The Garden Corner on Wednesday mornings from 11 to Noon on 'It Matters with Kelly Cordes' on WJON, you know that Bill loves to dig in deep.

"I have a very long history of education for the public in areas of gardens, wildlife and ecology. Going back to the 1990s I did presentations at the New England Aquarium and worked as a zookeeper for the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA. In graduate school I taught many classes about wildlife and ecology for kids at the Kansas Natural History Museum. Since moving to Minnesota I've focused my public education more on gardens and horticulture, but as you know I like to mix in material about climate and wildlife" said Bill. 

He's been a Professor of Biology at SCSU for 20 years, and has worked with the University of Minnesota Extension and the Master Gardener Program for 17 years. That explains his approach to the great information he brings us.

We are so grateful to have someone share their knowledge of gardening, even taking questions from our listeners and giving them solid advice for any issues they might be having with their outdoor ventures.

THANK YOU, BILL COOK

Bill, thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to bring us great information in helping us all make the best of our gardening season.