Louisa Extension Master Gardeners
Sharing practical, sustainable and environmentally friendly garden practices
Master Gardener Spotlight
At our November Membership Meeting, Master Gardener Emeritus Richard Hinde and Master Gardener Emeritus Tina Chaleki were recognized for their dedication and service to the residents of Louisa County. Jenny Thompson, VCE Senior Extension Agent, and John Thompson, VCE Northwest District Manager presented certificates to Richard and Tina. Both Tina and Richard have provided over 5,000 hours of volunteer efforts in and around Louisa County and they are still very active members of LEMG.
Jenny Thompson, Tina Chaleki, Richard Hinde & John Thompson
​​​​​​​​​Tina Chaleki
Tina joined the Louisa Master Gardeners in 2005 after retiring from her position as a nurse practitioner with the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC and moving to Lake Anna. She is best known in the Louisa Master Gardener unit for helping start and run the ‘Ask a Master Gardener Booth’. The booth was originally part of a small Farmers Market in a strip mall in the town of Louisa. It then moved several times and eventually ended up as one of the original booths at the Mineral Farmer’s Market in the town of Mineral beginning in May 2009. Tina has been setting up the booth, training interns and manning the booth ever since. Stop by the market any Saturday morning from May through October and you will very likely be greeted warmly by Tina.
​
Tina also is also the Louisa County representative for the statewide Virginia Master Gardener Association.
​
Tina is an active volunteer with several other organizations in Louisa including the Louisa Arts Center, a board member at the Sargeant Museum of Louisa County History and is a founding member of the Louisa Quilts of Valor organization. She also maintains a native plant garden at her home.​
Richard Hinde
Richard joined the Louisa Master Gardeners in 2008 and has had a hand in many of the unit’s activities ever since. He has built raised garden beds at various elementary schools, coordinated Master Gardener booths at the Monticello Harvest Festivals, held rain barrel workshops and much more. He has also been a liaison with the Louisa County Fair for many years.
​
He was most recently the President of the LEMG for 10 years from 2013 to 2023. He currently is an active member of the Board filling the Past President role. He is an amazing source of information regarding many aspects of VCE, the Master Gardener program, the history of our unit, and has extensive relationships with many organizations and people in and around Louisa County. And he assists several friends with their gardens while continuing to expand his own beds on his property.
​
To quote a Louisa County Extension Agent in his congratulatory email to Richard, “You have been a fixture in MG for so many years and so much of the program success is because of your constant drive, commitment and leadership."