The Maryville Rotary Club presents ...
WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!
The Rotary Club of Maryville had a wonderful time enjoying the blooms with everyone this weekend!

To all who came out to experience the peonies, thank you for supporting our club's ongoing effort to better our community and the world!

Thank you to Hollingsworth Peonies for allowing us to host the event at your beautiful and truly idyllic location. Without you, this would not have been possible!

OF PARTICULAR NOTE: We saw nearly 300 people from 11 different states join us during the two-day event. 
Thank you for making our club's event a major success. 

Raffle tickets for the two peony packages will be available for purchase through Tuesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. Email Skye Pournazari at [email protected], for information about how to purchase a chance at one of the two packages described below. 
Bloomin' Peony Tour 
Join us on May 18 and 19
The Maryville Rotary Club is proud to offer the 2024 Bloomin' Peony Tour of world renowned Missouri peony hybridizer and grower Hollingsworth Peonies, one of the largest peony farms in North America, located in the heart of Nodaway County, Missouri.

Hollingsworth Peonies is a duly registered peony grower and hybridizer in the State of Missouri. They grow and sell a wide assortment of bare root herbaceous peonies (bush peonies) such as Lactiflora group peonies (Chinese type peonies), hybrid peonies, and Itoh hybrids (intersectional hybrids) as well as species such as Fernleaf peonies and Paeonia species selections.

The farm will only be open to the public this year during this special two-day event. Come enjoy the gorgeous colors at the very height of their blooming season. Take photos with friends and family. Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic lunch with meal options available on site at this working peony farm.

VIP tours will be provided Saturday morning of the event with special experts on hand to discuss peony hybridization, varieties, tips for planting and more. Find out why peonies are only grown in certain climates and latitudes.

Funds from this inaugural fundraiser will help the Rotary Club of Maryville in its year-round endeavors assisting students with college scholarships as well as local food and clothing providers helping those members of our community most in need.
WE ARE 
PEOPLE OF ACTION
Rotary members share a
unique passion for taking
action to improve our
communities and the world.

ONLINE TICKET
SALES ARE CLOSED
General Admission ($35 - adults; $10 - children older than 12) tickets will be available at the gate starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 18.
Location
Hollingsworth Peonies
18411 220th St, Skidmore, MO 64487, USA
Date & Time
VIP: May 18, 7 to 10 AM
GA: May 18, 10 AM to 5 PM
GA: May 19, 8 AM to 5 PM
Flower update!
Hollingsworth Peonies has confirmed the recent storms have NOT impacted their fields. The Maryville Rotary Club's Bloomin' Peony Tour is set to continue as scheduled. We're excited to see you all there among the blooms! Operator Juergen Steininger, left in the above photo, works with Maryville Rotary Club members at the farm. He told the club that the blooms are on schedule for the largest flowers to be at the height of their bloom during this year's tour.
RAFFLE TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE
The Rotary Club will be selling raffle tickets for two peony packages.
Only 100 tickets will be sold! Tickets are $20 each.
Package one
Will include the following Best Landscaper® varieties: “Bethie,” “Lemon Chiffon,” “Kathy’s Touch,” “Pink Tea Cup,” “Minnie Shaylor” and “Early Scout.”
Package two
Will include the following varieties: the 2023 American Peony Society Best In Show “Sonomo YeDo,” “Margaret Truman” and “Old Faithful.”
IMPORTANT NOTES:
NO FLOWERS MAY BE HARMED BY TOUCHING, CUTTING OR DIGGING!
Viewing, smelling, photographing and learning about them is completely allowed!
Tips for visiting a working farm
Wear sensible shoes & BE ready to walk
Consider applying sunblock
Be aware of bees
Do not agitate lIVESTOCK
No Pets allowed
NO FLOWERS WILL BE FOR SALE 
THE DAY OF THE EVENT
Peonies do best with planted in the fall.
Attendees will receive a catalog for ordering.
BRING A CAMERA | BRING A FRIEND | BRING THE FUN
Food and drinks will be available for purchase on site.
If purchasing tickets at the door or planning to purchase food, cash is suggested, due to the remote nature of the location.
The farm location is not entirely handicapped accessible
There is a location to unload attendees who will use a wheel chair.
However, it is suggested that the chair be a power wheel chair with wide rubber tires.
The farm has sloping hills that many wheel chairs may not be capable of traversing.
There are no designated paths at the farm.
For more information, please contact Maryville Rotary Club President Skye Pournazari
at the email address or phone number below.
Special Guest Speakers
Hollingsworth Peonies Founder Don Hollingsworth and Farm Operator Juergen Steininger will be on hand during Saturday's VIP portion of the tour.
Juergen Steininger
Hollingsworth Peonies Operator
Juergen Steininger, operator of the farm, has a Master of Science in horticulture from The Ohio State University where he also received a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and agribusiness.
He will lead the VIP tour of the fields on Saturday morning. Flower Judge Philadelphia Flower Show and the American Daffodil Society. Juergen has operated Hollingsworth Peonies since 2012. He acquired the Klehm Peony Collection in 2019 and is currently growing and hybridizing peonies and curating the largest peony collection in North America.
Don Hollingsworth
HOllingsworth Peonies Founder
Don Hollingsworth, Maryville peony-breeding master and founder of the company, was presented a lifetime achievement award from the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art and the Heartland Peony Society in 2022.
He will briefly be available during the early morning section of the VIP tour.
Speakers
During the VIP portion of the tour, from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. the following speakers will share their knowledge and expertise.
Nathan Bilke
USDA
Natural Resource conservation service
Born and raised in southwest Missouri on a commercial beef cattle farm, Bilke has always had a strong interest in forest and wildlife stewardship. He attended Northwest Missouri State University receiving a degree in geology and soils. Following college and a position as a nutrient management specialist focused on soil testing and nutrient load management, he returned to northwest Missouri as a resource conservationist focused on soils and grazing land management.
He currently serves as Area Resource Soil Scientist for northwest Missouri focusing on soil investigations and educating USDA employees and the public about our nation's soil resource and how to implement site specific practices to conserve it.
Dr. Rod Barr
Northwest Missouri State UnivErsity school of agricultural science director
Dr. Rod Barr, Northwest Missouri State University School of Agricultural Science director, will speak to attendees. He has served the university since 2013.
    On the national-level, Barr is a member of the board of directors of the non-land grant Agricultural and Renewable Resource Universities where since 2017 he has served as the group’s treasurer.
Under Barr’s direction the Northwest ag school has grown in university student population and influence in the agriculture career fields throughout the midwest.
Lois Girton
American Peony
Society Board member &
Retired - Advising Coordinator, BCBio and Genetics Undergraduate Programs at Iowa State University
The American Peony Society leadership is made of a diverse group of peony aficionados that include commercial growers, passionate gardeners, photographers, hybridizers, writers, business people and other occupations.   All are dedicated to supplying a support network for its members and promoting the peony.
Matthew Strueby
USDA FSA and Farm Loan Manager
Schedule
7:00 AM
Saturday, May 18 - VIP Tours will be held from 7 to 10 a.m.
VIP Tours will feature horticulturalist speakers and a personalized tour of the farm by operator Juergen Steininger.

This ticket includes a continental breakfast of coffee and doughnuts as well as lunch provided by Kiss My Grits, of Burlington Junction, Missouri.
10:00 AM
Saturday, May 18 - General Admission
General Admission opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will be open until the event closes at 5 p.m.

Lunch will be available for purchase from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. by Kiss My Grits Kafe of Burlington Junction.

Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase following lunch.
8:00 AM
Sunday, May 19 - General Admission 
General Admission opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday and will be open until the event closes at 5 p.m.

Lunch will be available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and served by Kiss My Grits Kafe of Burlington Junction.

Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase following lunch until the end of the event.

Hotels and Accommodations
Here are some recommended accommodations, hotels and Airbnbs nearby. Let us know if you need help finding a place to stay.
Travel information
AIRPORTS CLOSEST TO THE EVENT

The nearest airport is Northwest Missouri Regional Airport, but it is for smaller planes.
It is located about 15 miles from the event.

International Airports
Kansas City International Airport is 78.3 miles
south of Maryville, Missouri, the largest local town near the event.
Omaha (OMA) is 85.5 miles north of the event.
Des Moines (DSM) is 104.6 miles north of the event.
Lincoln (LNK) is 105.3 miles north of the event.
UPDATE: THE SHUTTLE WILL NOT RUN
ON SUNDAY, MAY 19
Thank you to our sponsors
Gallery: Maryville Rotarians at work in the community
Contact Us
Please reach out to us with questions. Find us on Facebook or contact Maryville Rotary Club President Skye Pournazari by sending us a message at right. Please include your email address, otherwise we have no way to respond to your message.

You may also call or text 660-386-0708 with your questions. Please leave a voicemail and your call will be returned as quickly as possible.
 Join us on May 18 and 19 
We look forward to hosting you!

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