Direct Education Projects
Hood River Extension Office Plant Clinics:
First year Master Gardeners are encouraged to work with their mentor at 1-2 clinics their first year, but a majority of your plant clinic experience will come the second year. At your first clinic, you will be shown how to answer phones, use the computer to access gardening information and how to fill out plant clinic forms correctly. Plant clinics that are open to the public are held at Hood River Extension Office on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. There will be a closed plant clinic on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to allow volunteers to answer questions uninterrupted. Due to COVID-19 closures, all 2020 plant clinics are currently being conducted virtually.
ACE Hardware plant clinic, Weekend Markets and Festivals:
Volunteering at these plant clinics as an OSU Master Gardener give you the opportunity to interact with visitors and community members and answer many different types of gardening questions. Due to COVID-19 closures, all 2020 plant clinics are currently being conducted virtually.
GARDENS
FISH Food Bank and Spirit of Grace Garden:
A community garden located on the Spirit of Grace Church grounds next to the FISH Food Bank. The community garden is designed to produce highly nutritious and staple vegetables that go directly into the food bank distribution. The garden also provides educational opportunities for both food bank clients and community members interested in learning more about vegetable gardening. Project Leader: Kathy McGregor
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND VIDEOS, CLICK HERE
Hood River Library Waterwise Garden:
Garden plots at the entryway of the Hood River County Library were designed and are maintained by Master Gardeners as an educational project for the community highlighting drought-tolerant plants. Project Leader: Norma Benson.
The Learning Garden:
Several garden features make up this demonstration garden around the OSU Extension office at the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River. The Learning Garden currently consists of these projects: Compost Demonstration Area, Herb Garden, Fountain Garden, Hellstrip or Curbside Garden, Native Plant Garden, Bioswales, EcoLawn, Japanese Heritage Garden, Ornamental Grasses and Raised Beds. Project Leaders: Joanne Willis.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND VIDEOS, CLICK HERE
Japanese Heritage Garden:
This garden is part of the Learning Garden. The design plan for the Japanese Heritage Garden was completed by Sadafumi Uchiyama, a Japanese garden designer, in Summer of 2007. The garden honors the Japanese American community in an ongoing way and provides a cultural opportunity to explore a unique style of gardening that exhibits both spiritual and physical aspects. For more information, please visit “Japanese Heritage Garden in Hood River” in the World Database of Japanese Gardens. Project Leaders: Sandi Rousseau
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND VIDEOS, CLICK HERE
Parkdale Memorial Garden:
This bi-centennial community garden is located in Parkdale. Project Leader: Nancy Slagle.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND VIDEOS, CLICK HERE
CLASSES/WEBINARS
Seed to Supper: A comprehensive, 6-week beginning gardening course that offers novice, adult gardeners the basic gardening knowledge they need to successfully grow a portion of their own food on a limited budget. It was originally developed as a joint effort of Oregon Food Bank (OFB) and the Oregon State University Extension Service, Seed to Supper is offered in collaboration with host agencies around the state. Project Leader: Christie Bradley
Summer Gardening Seminar Series: Please check back soon for details about our 2021 Community Gardening Series.
Indirect Education and Support Projects
Central Gorge Master Gardener Association Mentor Program: The mentor program is designed to provide a welcoming atmosphere for new Master Gardeners from the time they sign up for the Master Gardener classes until they become well established in the program. Veteran Master Gardeners volunteer as mentors and are committed to assisting new members. Project Leader: John Stevens.
Garden Visits: Visits to the gardens of fellow Master Gardeners occur 3-4 times per year. These informal events allow us to enjoy new gardens, get ideas (and sometimes plants), eat good food, and have fun socializing with our friends. Project Leader: Kathy McGregor.
Holiday Greenery Event: Scheduled for early December, Master Gardeners, friends and family gather to create swags and wreaths primarily as a service project for the local food pantries and some for personal use. Project Leader: Shari Bosler.
CGMGA Greenhouse: The Greenhouse is maintained and operated as a facility to support the projects of the Central Gorge Master Gardener Association. Funded in large part through the generous contributions of the Dorothy Metcalf Charitable Trust and built by our chapter members. This facility is dedicated for the use of our chapter to further our mission of community outreach and ongoing education in Home Horticulture. Project Leaders: Eric Bosler and Sandi Rousseau.
Graduation Banquet: The Graduation Banquet held in October or November is a time to recognize our new Master Gardeners that have completed their first year of training/volunteer hours and to honor the years of service and achievements of all Central Gorge Master Gardeners. There are opportunities to assist with organizing the banquet as part of your service hours Project Leader: Sandi Rousseau.
Hospitality Co-chairs: Facilitate coffee and tea, room arrangements for Master Gardener classes in the winter, and organize volunteers to assist with hospitality. Contact: Cheryl Moore.
FUNDRAISERS
Spring Plant Sale: The annual plant sale is held in May on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. It is a fundraising event for the CGMGA and community projects. All Master Gardeners are asked to participate by providing plants, helping to pot plants or volunteering during the sale. Project Leaders: Laurel DeTar and Christie Bradley.
Garden Tour: This tour of private and public gardens in the community is open to the public and conducted as both an educational event and fundraiser for the program. All Master Gardeners are asked to volunteer during the garden tour. Each garden on the tour has Master Gardeners working to guide folks through the gardens and answer questions. Educational spots are displayed in the gardens and refreshments are provided. The next tour is planned for summer 2021. Project Leader: Karen Jenkins.
