LeAnn Locher

April 25, 2023

Deb’s story: Master Gardeners educate and rally for firewise gardening

“I’m the tall one with white hair in the orange-y sweatshirt. This was my neighborhood’s first fire fuel reduction event and a great opportunity to talk about firewise gardening.”

“Obtaining Master Gardener certification was my goal for a long time. While I’d gardened most of my adult life, I’d done so in climates much less daunting than that of Central Oregon. While I had learned a lot along the way, I wanted to deepen my understanding of horticultural science. Retirement gave me the time and high desert gardening challenges the impetus to finally pursue it.

My neighborhood is in the wildland interface on the outskirts of Bend. I have taken what I’ve learned about firewise gardening in the past two years and rallied a group of neighbors into working toward Firewise USA certification. We have worked with our county forester, local fire department and city code department to bring about significant changes in how our common native areas are managed and are educating neighbors on firewise best practices in the design, plant selection and maintenance of their own landscapes.

Several factors related to climate change and drought complicate how any of us should approach gardening. Master Gardeners are increasingly aware of the numerous inconvenient contractions between best practices associated with water-wise, firewise, pollinator-friendly and native plants gardening. In addition to these new gardening challenges many homeowners are first-generation gardeners, eager to create a landscape without the benefit of having had a relative mentor to give them basic guidance. Master Gardeners play an essential role in helping our neighbors and community leaders make good, safe decisions that will help rather than hurt Mother Nature.”

—Deb Goodall, Central Oregon Master Gardener

This is but one of the many stories of the OSU Extension Master Gardener program we’re sharing this month in honor of Dam Proud Day. On April 26, Beavers everywhere will come together to support the things we do best: transformative educational experiences and life-changing research.

We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26th!

April 25, 2023

Dennis’ story: strengthening community through sustainable gardening, food security and resiliency, and environmental health

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“I’ve been a Master Gardener since 2010. I started about 10 years before I retired and have continued in retirement because it’s a way to give back to and strengthen the community. The Master Gardener program is a good outlet for my technical and professional skills. Professionally I was a manager of environmental projects for an engineering firm for 25 years. Academically, I have degrees in horticulture and the plant sciences. I use both skill sets as a Master Gardener.

I work with historically underserved populations who have an interest in sustainable gardening, food security and resiliency, and environmental health. I’ve helped several organizations obtain grants to develop and provide sustainable gardening education programs. In some cases that involved helping an organization establish a garden and subsequently use it as an educational resource.

I lead a team of five Master Gardeners delivering monthly Horticulture for Life classes at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center in North Portland. The classes follow OSU’s Seed to Supper program. The Hope Center serves homeless men, women, and families with children and is operated by the Helping Hands Re-Entry Outreach Centers, which offer access to trauma-informed, data-driven, person-centered homeless services for the Portland Metro Area. VetREST, a non-profit whose mission is to mentor veterans while providing farming opportunities in safe and supportive environments, established a Victory Garden at the Hope Center in 2021. The Victory Garden encompasses about 3 acres of vegetable garden, orchard, blueberries and native plants. We created a Learning Garden in one part of the Victory Garden for the purpose of holding the Horticulture for Life classes.

There was increased interest in gardening during the pandemic and many people have maintained that interest. Sustainable gardening is a great way to help people understand and appreciate how their thoughtful actions can help maintain soil health, water quality and environmental quality in general.

I facilitated the Seed to Supper program when it was part of the Oregon Food Bank and brought the program to a community of immigrants, houseless and veterans. We also use it as the basis for our Horticulture for Life classes at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. The Seed to Supper program is a great way to deliver information about low-cost gardening techniques.”

—Dennis Brown, Multnomah County Master Gardener

April 25, 2023

Jack’s story: fighting food insecurity in Oregon one garden at a time

“I grew up having to help my parents in a garden and for many years saw gardening as a source of drudgery and boredom. In young adulthood, I finally saw the positives of gardening when a garden with a friend actually fed us when we needed the food. Over the years I learned many joys of gardening and informally helped many friends and neighbors in various places with gardening challenges. After retiring from a teaching career, I took the MG course because I thought it would help me be a better gardener. I sort of ignored the part about being a Garden Educator. Once I got involved, I found being a Master Gardener meets many of my physical, intellectual, and social interests.”

I am most proud of…”Increasing my ability to help many people solve gardening challenges using research-based methods and knowledge. I also feel proud of the work we do through the county Demonstration Garden where we have grown and distributed thousands of pounds of food over the years to many people for who it makes a significant difference.”

“Food insecurity continues to grow as a serious issue in Oregon. Through playing a part in helping people develop the ability to feed themselves, we are a resource in addressing this serious concern.

In this era of changing climate, the need for research-based gardening advice that adapts to changing conditions will continue to be useful.”

April 24, 2023

Sharon’s story: Gardening helps us make sense of the world.

“I became a Master Gardener because of my own passion to garden. I wanted to learn more about plants and gardening. I had seen the Master Gardener booths in the community, and regularly attended the Spring Garden Fair in Canby. I was impressed with the organization and wanted to join that community.

I take pride in being able to tell the stories for the organization through my photos, my work with the chapter as Clackamas County Master Gardener Association webmaster and social media admin. And also, being on the planning committee for the Spring Garden Fair, running publicity and taking photos of the event. It’s a source of pride to know that I help spread the word about our organization to so many in our community.

Information and education are the keys to success for just about any worthwhile endeavor. With so many changes happening around us many are turning to gardening to try and make sense of all this. Some want to grow food, and some just want to make the world a more beautiful place one plant at a time. (like me!) The Master Gardener organization provides so many tools for success, from free classes – in person and online, to hands on workshops, and programs that support community gardens. Events like our Spring Garden Fair, Incredible Edibles, and Gardenfest Plant sale all bring the public together with tools to get started in the garden from plants to free advice. The diversity of the demonstration gardens in our Metro area are just one more way we are reaching out and educating the public. It’s hard to imagine our community without these programs and events.”

April 23, 2023

Jack’s story: advocating for inclusion and diversity through gardening

“I became a Master Gardener in 2006 after I retired from teaching with Portland Public Schools. I wanted to continue working in my community using my teaching skills with environmental organizations since I had a history of working years earlier in the summers with the United States Forest Service as a Field Technician and with Oregon State Department of Forestry in Fire Suppression. I had always been interested in ecology, gardening, and environmental issues.

I am most proud of being able to share information about all manner of issues related to composting, native pollinators, native plants, lawn alternatives and Indigenous Peoples management of land resources. I do this with the general public including garden clubs and libraries and fellow Master Gardeners as well.

Master Gardeners are needed now more than ever to be tuned in to other members of the public who have been underrepresented in our organization. There is an ever-widening group of gardeners from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds who are very interested in learning more about growing their preferred plants and herbs in Oregon and to share their own garden expertise from growing plants native to their various countries and used in their daily meal preparations.

There are also other groups from the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities that are interested in becoming or already are Master Gardeners who deserve to have their interests represented and shared with current members and they may be tentative in sharing their experiences. I am an ally for trans and non-binary members of the community so I represent their interests in the Master Gardener organization as well.”

April 23, 2023

Hope’s story: Master Gardeners teach ways to create resilient landscapes that are adapted to our changing climate

“I became a Master Gardener in 2019 when I retired. I had wanted to be an MG for years but couldn’t attend class while I was working. Today, with online classes, that wouldn’t be a problem. I became a Master Gardener to learn more about plants and planting and I wanted to be part of a like-minded community. I’ve always had a scientific bent and I knew the Master Gardener program was based on science, not anecdote.

I think what I’m most proud of is that we share fact-based information with the public. I work on the helpline and am pleased that answers/help I give comes from reputable, authoritative sources, much of it from OSU.

I think as our climate changes, it’s critical that the public and Master Gardeners learn sustainable gardening practices to deal with new threats (extremes of wet and dry, cold and heat, invasive plants and insects). I am very glad to be surrounded by people who feel the same way I do.”

April 22, 2023

John’s story: Serving the public while always learning

“My Master Gardener story began in 1998 when I retired and moved to rural Lake County, California. wanted to make the best of the land I lived on by educating myself about growing things. Joining the California Master Gardeners started my training which has continued to this day. Working the Help Desk suited me as I enjoy contact with the public and in every 4-hour session I research something new and learn about it in the doing.

In 2013 I moved to Salem, Oregon and immediately looked up and joined the MG program here. I needed to take the basic training over again because the growing environment is so different here in the PNW, but I enjoyed that too. Over time I have lost much of my hearing but I am lucky to have a Hearing Service Dog from Canine Companions and the Extension Office has provided accommodations including a captioned phone in the MG office.

My first love is still the Help Desk and I have learned so much from working it over the years. In the early days both in California and Oregon we had a huge library of horticulture books. Over time the library has shrunk as we use PCs more and more in our research. And I am full of admiration for the OSU professors we hear on a regular basis.

I am most proud of the fact that over the years I may have helped a few people sort out growing issues and plant problems. It is also my hope that I have made a small contribution to preserving the environment. “

—John Eells, Marion County Master Gardener Volunteer

We are excited to be raising support specifically for our Seed to Supper program and updating our foundational resource, the “Sustainable Gardening Handbook” to reflect current knowledge. Please join us in gathering your friends and colleagues to give to support the Master Gardener Program on Dam Proud Day, at any donation level. See you (online) April 26^th!

April 21, 2023

Eric’s story: Master Gardeners teach horticulture principles grounded by research

“I originally became a Master Gardener during an early period in my career where I was feeling a bit stuck and looking for an opportunity to gain some new professional experience that could help me find work in the nursery or sustainable landscaping businesses. I fell in love with the program and found a strong community in the Washington County chapter, and as I’ve made my way back into the ecology career I’d always dreamed of, being a Master Gardener has felt like an important part of my professional practice. The opportunities it has provided me to learn best practices, share knowledge, and build professional and community partnerships have been invaluable, and I continue to lean on the connections I’ve made in the program in the work I do far beyond my Master Gardener service.

We live in a time of mis- and disinformation, and the world of gardening and landscape care is no exception. At the same time, we’re now also called to be humble and open-minded to other traditions and ways of knowledge, and seeing those welcomed into the MG curriculum has been powerful and refreshing to witness. What keeps me engaged is the opportunity to help people support native plants and wildlife in their landscapes, to steer homeowners away from hazardous chemicals and live more gently on the land, to help people provide for themselves with productive food gardens, and to nurture an appreciation and care for the life around them. I also deeply value the professional and personal relationships I’ve made during my time in the program, and count some of my fellow MGs among my closest friends.”

April 20, 2023

Donna’s story: Master Gardeners connect community

“There are so many families struggling with food insecurity. Master Gardeners can help by learning from these families and sharing their own knowledge and passion for gardening, to help everyone put food on their tables and build a supportive community of gardeners.
So many people of all ages are becoming more and more disconnected from nature and the land. Instilling and/or nurturing a love of plants and of gardening can help bring about greater appreciation and respect for the natural world, more personal balance, and mental as well as physical health.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been interested in issues of social justice. I was really pleased to know that the OSU Extension Master Gardener program has been focusing on creating greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in its membership and the communities served. I’ve spent the last year involved with the Statewide Growing and Belonging Committee working with the Curriculum Workgroup. I am proud to know that OSU and the Master Gardener program, in particular, is making an effort to serve our diverse communities more effectively, such as with promoting the new Spanish translation of Growing Your Own/Su Propio Cultivo. And I’m glad that OSU seems to be making an effort to not only acknowledge the source of the land “granted” to it, but is also making some respectful connections with Indigenous people.

Also, our land and soils in many parts of the world have been seriously damaged, and the rapidly changing climate is bringing environmental chaos, in one form or another, pretty much everywhere. I hope that if Master Gardeners can not only help others learn how to adapt their gardening practices to a changing environment, but also learn restorative gardening practices and share that knowledge and passion widely, it can make a difference. And I think there is a growing acceptance in the OSU Extension community of the value of much-needed indigenous perspectives and traditional, as well as scientific, knowledge. I hope Master Gardeners can learn from Indigenous people who are sharing some of that traditional knowledge and wisdom, and can work with them to disseminate it without it becoming cultural appropriation.”

April 19, 2023

Sharon’s story: becoming a better gardener while helping our neighbors

Photo of Sharon surrounded by native bear grass in the Cascades.

“I became a Master Gardener as soon as I could when I retired to Oregon. I had been a gardener for many years and was lucky enough to garden in a couple of very different climates, but I knew I wanted to be a better gardener and I wanted to share what I knew with others. I am particularly interested in gardening with native and edible plants so I knew I needed to learn about gardening in the Willamette Valley to be successful in my own garden and to help others. The MG program provided excellent training and an opportunity to be of service.

What I appreciate most as a MG is the opportunity to share my knowledge of and my enthusiasm for gardening with others. I’m very proud to work with a group of people who care so much about providing excellent advice to people about their garden problems. It’s very satisfying work.

So many people are aware of the changing climate, they want to use native plants in their gardens and they want to be better gardeners, but they don’t have the access to the information they need or the time to find it. MGs provide a way to help them access the information they need and achieve their goals. We’re urban and suburban gardeners too so we understand their problems and I think that provides a sense of community with the folks who call us. We help our neighbors and our larger community become better gardeners. I hope too that MGs remind people of the value of volunteering and contributing to our communities.”

—Sharon Roberts, Lane County Master Gardener