Region 8

Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Background photo is “Tatanka” by Kent Stork of Nebraska

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Iowa

Meeting times: Contact Carol Magoon (VP), 641-858-2554 for information regarding location and time.

Contact #1: Catherine Thompson, President

  • Phone: 319-266-5172

Contact #2:  Carol Magoon

Information updated 2/15/2018

Meeting location:

  • The Northwest Community Center
  • 5110 Franklin Ave.
  • Des Moines, IA 50310

Meeting times: Second Thursday of each month (no meetings in December or January) at 7:00 p.m.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfricanVioletClubOfDesMoines

Club Email Address: eveningavclubdsm@gmail.com

Contact #1: Lanaiya Vetter

Notes: The community center one building west of the Franklin Ave Public Library. Meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone interested in African violets to attend. Each month a club member presents a topic or leads a workshop or discussion on a African violet topic, followed by the business meeting – a great learning experience.

The Club hosts an annual Show/Sale each spring.

Information updated 4/27/2022

Bettendorf Library
2950 Learning Campus Dr.
Bettendorf, IA  52722

Meeting Times: If a room in the library is available, the meeting will be the first Thursday
of the month. Otherwise, it will be held another day of the month. There is no meeting in January.

Contact #1: Judy Du Pont
Phone: 815-695-5924
Email: 2manyhobbies2@sbcglobal.net

Contact 2: LuAnn Christenson
Phone: 563-505-9552
Email: luann.christenson@gmail.com

Information updated 9/05/2018

Minnesota

Fridley City Senior Center
6085 7th St. NE
Fridley, MN 55432

Web Site: sites.google.com/site/avsminnesota

Meeting Times: Second Tuesday, Sept, Nov., Feb, March, May 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Contact #1: Jude Neumann, President
City: Scandia, MN  55073
Phone: 651-433-2708
Email: judeneumann@frontiernet.net

Contact #2: Patricia (Pat) Mattson
City: Luck, WI 54853
Phone: 715-472-2734
Email: horsehappy@lakeland.ws

Note:  Show and sales April and October.

Information updated 12/8/2019

Anoka Library — Mississippi Branch
410 Mississippi Street NE
Fridley, MN 55432

Meeting Times: 10:00 a.m. twice a year (Spring and Fall, to be determined)

Contact : Barb Werness
City: Blaine, MN
Phone: 763-754-3918
Email: bwerness@comcast.net

Information updated 2/14/2019

Maplewood Library conference room
3025 Southlawn Drive, Maplewood, MN 55109

Meeting Times: Fourth Saturday of the month, except July and Dec,  11:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Contact: Jude Neumann

We meet Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, June, Sept & Nov. We also participate in the AVSM Aug. State Fair show and the Oct. AVSM show/sale.

We start on time and end on time. The first hour is relaxed meeting.  The second hour is a dynamic training program for violet enthusiasts.  It is open to everyone to ask questions and make comments. At the end of the program we have a raffle of $1.00 a ticket prizes supplied by the members.  The funds from the raffle give us the money for our annual Spring Luncheon that is FREE to all paid members.

Yearly dues are just $10 a person or $15 for a household.

We adjourn to a restaurant for lunch and more time together. Our meetings are so much fun and so well attended that people come from as far away as two and a half hours to attend.

Information updated 1/30/2019

Meeting Information: We meet at local restaurants the first Saturday of January, February, March, April, May,  October, and November. We meet the second Saturday in September. Meetings open to the public.

Contact: Carol Semrau, President
City: Ramsey, MN 55303
Phone: 763-421-0242   612-501-0417 cell
Email: carolsemrau@hotmail.com

We welcome visitors to come to our meetings.  Our meetings start with an informative program, followed by a short business meeting. Lunch and social time to follow.  The June meeting is a potluck at a members home. Our club has a AVSA Judged show and sale the first weekend in October.

Information updated 9/21/2021

Wisconsin

Meeting Location:

  • Olbrich Botanical Gardens
    3330 Atwood Ave
    Madison, WI 53704-5808

Meeting Times: First Wednesday each month, September – June, 12:30 p.m.

Contact: Jerry VandeBerg, President

Contact #2: Marlene Green, Vice-president

  • Address: 1127 Fleetwood Ave.
  • City: Madison, WI 53716
  • Phone: 608-222-8578
  • Email: loyd23@charter.net

Notes: We take turns bringing a dessert and enjoy our friendship together. Each month we have a program about some aspect of African violets,
Streptocarpus, and other related varieties.  Members are free to ask questions and get help with growing them. Members bring a leaf for leaf exchange.

Birthdays are celebrated with everyone bringing a leaf for the birthday member. Our Christmas program is a pot luck luncheon at a members home. June
meetings we plan a trip and put together next years program and events.  We have members come as far away as 1 1/2 hour drive.

We meet the first Wednesday of the month except July and August. Dues are $10.00 per year. We hold a yearly African violet sale in May the day before Mothers day at
Olbrich Gardens.

Visitors are always welcomed. We would appreciate if you would call  before coming to the meeting.

Information updated 3/1/2019

Evergreen Retirement Community
1130 North Westfield St.
Oshkosh, WI 54902

Note: Meetings are being held at Perkin’s Restaurant, 9th & I-41 in Oshkosh, until Covid dies down and we can return to our usual meeting venue.

Meeting Times: First Thursday each month, February thru November 6:00 p.m. December Christmas Banquet at a restaurant.

Club Email: kevindegner7@yahoo.com

Contact: Kevin Degner
Phone: 920-426-3764
Email: kevindegner7@yahoo.com

Contact: Doug Kindschuh
Phone: 920-602-1798
Email: dougsoasis@gmail.com

Notes:  Annual show/sale weekend before Mother’s Day, participate in the WI Council of African Violet Club’s annual show/sale each fall, pot-luck picnic in Sept and Christmas banquet in December.

Information updated 11/9/2021

Members’ homes
Meeting Times: Second Tuesday each month, 6:30 p.m.

Contact: JoAnn Marti
Zip: 54494
Phone: 715-421-0087
Email: jmm@wctc.net

Information updated 2/15/2020

Location varies within State of Wisconsin
Meeting Times: Announced in newsletter prior to meetings.  Usually the second Saturday, April, July and November, 10:00 a.m., but dates/times vary.  Call to confirm meeting information.

Contact #1: Doug Kindschuh
Phone: 920-602-1798
eMail: dougsoasis@gmail.com

Contact #2: Marty Anderson
Phone: 262-349-9396
Email: manderson2069@wi.rr.com

Information updated 12/2/2022

Nebraska

Meeting Location:

  • Eastmont Towers Community Living Center
    The Seasons Gallery, 2nd floor
    6315 O St, Lincoln, NE

Meeting Times: Second Tuesday each month, September – November and January – May. Potluck dinners in December and June at member homes as announced.

Contact: Mary Reifschneider
Phone: 402-483-0214
Email: violetmary1@hotmail.com

Contact: Jill Jensen
Phone: 402-430-5040
Email: jilljensen2000@yahoo.com

Meeting Location:

Nebraska Extension Douglas-Sarpy Counties Office
8015 W. Center Road
Omaha, NE

Meeting Times: First Thursday of September, October, December, February, March, and April. Fellowship time 6:45PM. Meeting starts at 7:00PM.

Contact #1: Scott Evans, President
Phone: 712-242-7553
eMail: scott.evans@unl.edu

Contact #2: Randy G. Deutsch, President
Phone: 605-321-0717
eMail: rcjsch@prodigy.net

Facebook – Omaha African Violet and Gesneriad Society

The Omaha club is a great mixture of age groups as well as skill levels. There are members just learning how to grow African violets as well as the Gesneriads. Other members have been growing for many years. The members of this group are fun loving and look forward to meeting and sharing information as well as plant material. We have a raffle at every meeting so many members go home with something new to try or maybe something they have been looking for. The club has an annual combined AVSA & Gesneriad judged show. We also are an affiliate member of the Missouri Valley African Violet Council and we participate in their annual Fall Show and Sale. We can also be found on Facebook. We welcome new members always! We love to answer questions or hear suggestions too.

Information updated 4/27/2023

No Club Near You?

Consider forming a new affiliate club! AVSA can help.