Dear Master Gardener volunteers,
Today is Dam Proud Day, and I’m asking you to make a gift of any amount to support the statewide OSU Extension Master Gardener Program.
This year, we are one of only three Extension programs selected to be featured. In our 50th anniversary year, that is both an honor and a powerful opportunity to show how much this program matters across Oregon.
Every gift helps fund the statewide work that strengthens county programs and supports volunteers like you — including the Master Gardener training course, Garden Future, Seed to Supper and the tools, resources and support that help coordinators and volunteers serve their communities.
One great example is Seed to Supper.
This year, we launched a new activity library with updated hands-on learning tools designed for adult learners, along with a new container gardening component in direct response to what participants asked for most. The full curriculum has also been revised and modernized and is now moving through OSU’s peer review process.
Meanwhile, classes are going strong across Oregon.
In Umatilla County, Rocio Arias Hansen volunteered to bring the first Spanish-language Seed to Supper class to her community and recently completed the region’s first Spanish-language course with 15 participants from Hermiston, Umatilla and the Tri-Cities area.
She recently shared with us:
“This is just the beginning of something very important for our Hispanic community. Participants asked for more hands-on classes, more time together and even a second course offering. They also asked if we could offer food preservation classes. They clearly demonstrated both interest and need, which motivates me to continue this work.
To keep the group’s enthusiasm going, we are arranging space in a community garden where participants can continue meeting, practice what we learned and ask questions outside the formal program. In our culture, gathering and spending time together is deeply valued, and this will be a great opportunity to strengthen connection and foster unity within the group.”
That is exactly what this program does best — it creates knowledge, confidence and community.
Across Oregon, Master Gardener volunteers show up. You answer questions, teach neighbors, support local food systems, care for gardens and help communities become more resilient.
Today is our chance to show the broader OSU community what we already know: this program matters.
Dam Proud Day is about collective action. It is about many people giving what they can, all in one day, to support something they believe in. I hope you will join me today by making a gift and helping us continue this work for the next 50 years. Let’s show what Master Gardener volunteers can do when we grow together.
Warmly,
Leslie Madsen
Statewide Program Manager
OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program
