Author: LeAnn Locher

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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.”

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!

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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.”

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!

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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

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!

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Joe’s story: gardening helps everyone’s physical, mental and spiritual health.

Joe Hodge at a community event, photo by Amanda Woodlee

“I became a Master Gardener to learn to rid my pumpkins and squash of squash bugs. My desire to get the most of my veggies seemed right in line with the Master Gardener program. What I have learned is that you have to have fun in the garden, even making challenging things into a game – turning the squash bug mission into ‘seek and destroy’ can actually be fun. Yes, I’m a little crazy, and my opinion is that most good master gardeners are also.
 
My most proud moment as a Master Gardener was when an article about my gardening career went into the East Oregonian local paper shortly after I received County Master Gardener of the Year award. My mother, who has dementia, was a daughter of an expert gardener whose gardening skills helped them make it through the Depression. Mom still has enough mental capacity to process a newspaper story, and enough love to express to me how proud her Dad would be. Hopefully, I have enough generosity to give to my sons what my parents have given me.
 
Seed to Supper is so important because the skills it teaches are so beneficial for everyone’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. Physically, gardeners stay in shape in the garden. Mentally, you have to use math and science in planning out your garden – your brain can get a good workout. Spiritually, the feeling of giving away fresh vegetables to friends and family is as uplifting as any I know. The Seed to Supper course I’m helping teach now is about 3/4 full of beginning gardeners. If we can teach these folks to embrace gardening, we’ve not only given them an activity they can be happy with, but we will have improved their health immensely. The Seed to Supper course is the most valuable class happening in my town now, by far.”

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!

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Stormi’s story: Master Gardeners are on-the-ground community scientists

Stormi in front of the OSB Pollinator Bed at the Yachats Demo Garden in May 2022

Stormi wanted to up her plant growing game, and maybe make some friends in the process. When she found the Master Gardener program, she says “I feel like I’ve found a community.”

Stormi is heavily involved in her local community work of Master Gardeners working to help preserve the threatened Oregon Silverspot Butterfly (OSB). In a partnership with the Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD) Stormi worked with fellow Master Gardeners “to conduct very small-scale “tests” that could help increase the adult OSB’s feeding area and determine how far adult OSBs will travel. I took this on as my Apprentice project last year and led the incorporation of OSB Pollinator beds in our Lincoln City and Yachats Demo Gardens. When this opportunity came up in my own county, it spoke to me, and I raised my hand. It was a meaty project for me to get into. We live in a beautiful area of Oregon and want to preserve what we have. Anything I can do to keep the OSB alive and thriving is a very good thing.”

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!

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Julie’s story: Master Gardeners are a community who value service to others

This photo was taken by fellow MG, Bonnie Coulter, and accompanies my byline when I write periodically for the Roseburg News Review in the Ask a Master Gardener feature. 

“I have been a gardener since my grandmother first cupped her hand over mine to tuck pansies into her flowerbeds, showing me the sweet face in each blossom.”
 
Julie is most proud of “Being part of a community of people who value service to others, who share a love of continually learning and applying new things, and who dig gardens as much as I do. Master Gardeners are some of the most supportive people I know. They love sharing freely what will help other gardeners succeed.”
 
“Our world is changing, and with that change comes the need for new and sustainable practices. Master Gardeners serve as a powerful and accessible liaison between University research and academia, and community practice. Master Gardeners are our neighbors, our friends, the one down the street who will help us repair our garden tools, or share a plant or a tip, or help us find resources for our gardening issue of the moment. They are the ones who will be there to laugh (and sometimes cry) right along with us at every stage of the gardening process.” 

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!

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Exciting opportunity to support the Master Gardener program

woman in sweatshirt holding in her gloved hand a large onion that she just harvested from a large raised garden bed of onions. Beavs Dam Proud Day Believe it. 4/26/23 OSU Extension Master Gardeners Let's Show Up!

One day, everyone together.

On April 26, 2023, Master Gardeners and supporters will come together to show our belief in the Master Gardener program and Oregon State University’s Dam Proud Day. This 24-hour period is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of the Oregon State community, including supporting Master Gardeners, and stretching ourselves toward our aspirations.

As a featured fund on Dam Proud Day, we have a special opportunity to raise money to support our work.

On one day, can you imagine what we could do together?

Here’s how Master Gardener volunteers, past and present, can help NOW.

1.     Help us tell the Master Gardener story. Share your story by participating in our storytelling campaign. Reach out to LeAnn at leann.locher@oregonstate.edu to receive 3 questions for you to answer, and to send in a photo. We’ll be sharing these over the coming weeks to highlight all that Master Gardeners do. Your stories tell the story of the Master Gardener program!

2.     Follow OSU Extension Master Gardener on social media. www.facebook.com/OSUMG and @mastergardenersOSU on instagram. Share our stories and posts about Dam Proud Day with your friends and followers.

3.     Show up on April 26th and make a donation online signaling your support for the Master Gardener program. It’s all online, all on one day.

On one day, we can show up for gardening and Master Gardeners in Oregon!

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An exciting opportunity for Master Gardener demonstration gardens and volunteers: Master Gardener Grow-Along

Master Gardeners and their demonstration gardens are invited to participate in a “grow along” event this growing season. “Grow along” with thousands of Oregonian households who are participating in the Grow This! Gardening Challenge, an initiative of SNAP-Ed and Food Hero. (Last year 93,138 Oregonians participated!) These beginning gardeners can learn from you, see the same plants they are growing in your demonstration gardens, and discover the incredible resource they have with local Master Gardeners and the educational gardens you care for.

What you’ll do:

-Grow one or more of the following plants (preferably by seed) in your local Master Gardener demonstration garden.

  • Kale
  • Tomatoes
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce
  • Zinnias

-Share via email 2-3 updates a month of the progress, including photos, tips, challenges, and/or advice for growing these plants.

-Offer Grow This! participants the opportunity to drop by during your garden work days to talk with Master Gardeners, and visit your gardens.

Some examples of updates shared in 2022:

What you’ll receive:

-Your growing updates and open garden opportunities will be shared through the Grow This! Newsletter, the Food Hero social media channels, as well as the OSU Master Gardener social media channels.

-Recognition of participation on our statewide demonstration garden page (this is a much-visited resource to the public).

-Increased recognition of the value and assets of local demonstration gardens.

-Connection to a local audience eager to learn how to grow their own food and begin gardening, many for the first time.

Other ideas:

-Some demonstration gardens may want to plan special open house events around growing these five types of plants, such as “learn how to plant your new seedlings” or “how to build your own tomato cage out of recycled materials.”

-Share a video how-to from your garden, demonstrating how your team direct sows zinnias.

-Share photos of your educational signage for growing these plants, or growing in containers.

We are excited to highlight the many demonstration gardens across the state to an eager and large audience seeking to grow healthy food on a budget.

Apply here: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2g9jL9phEboAGkS

Please apply to participate by March 31.

About Grow This!

The Grow This! Garden Challenge is a call to action to families, schools and other groups to garden together and eat what we grow. Participants receive free seeds, a monthly garden newsletter with new, simple ideas for growing; tips on harvesting, seed-starting, seed-saving and pollinators; recipes; and more. This is a project of Food Hero, whose mission is to help low-income Oregonians improve their health by increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables, and is an initiative of Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program, developed by Oregon State University Extension Service and funded jointly by OSU Extension Service, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. 

P.S. Visit all of our gardening content at Food Hero: wonderful resources for beginning gardeners!

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Call for nominations: this year’s Oregon Master Gardener Awards

We are excited to celebrate the good work of OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Please remember that May 15th is the due date for all Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA) awards. You can learn more about the awards on the OMGA website. (Check back as links are added). All awards should be submitted electronically.  

This year, there is also a new county and statewide award, recommended by the MG Growing and Belonging Committee and approved by the OMGA Board of Directors at the November 2022 meeting. This new award, called the Growing and Belonging Award, will recognize volunteers who have significantly contributed in advancing diversity, inclusion, access, and/or equity among Master Gardener volunteers and clientele. Examples and more information about the Growing & Belonging Awards are here.

Ready to get started nominating? Here are the nomination forms:

 Statewide Master Gardener of the Year
 https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71UXaVGtcCsthm6

Statewide Behind the Scenes Award
https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_damejozOzM8XNgG

Statewide Growing and Belonging Award
https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6LFVVIPLXKOJijs

County Master Gardener of the Year
https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0rIxSLXdYCzyQv4

County Behind the Scenes Award
https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5c3kpLSNC5IBT5I

County Growing and Belonging Award
https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6LGFSL1tOt1IcZM

Remember that all award nominations must be COLLABORATIVELY prepared, working with your local Master Gardener Association and your local Master Gardener Program staff.

County Master Gardener awards are decided upon at the local level. This includes County Master Gardener of the Year, County Behind the Scenes, and County Growing and Belonging awards. Once nomination forms are submitted to the statewide office, we use this information to prepare certificates, press release announcements, and posters that are displayed at that annual Master Gardener statewide conference, known as Mini-College.

Note that County Master Gardener award winners are not automatically advanced to consideration for statewide awards. A separate nomination form is needed.

Statewide awards are nominated by county Master Gardener Programs and Associations. This includes Statewide Master Gardener of the Year, Statewide Behind the Scenes, and Statewide Growing and Belonging. Nomination forms are then distributed to the OMGA Awards committee for review, scoring, and discussion, to ultimately determine a winner for each award. This year, the awards committee consists of past winners of the Statewide Master Gardener of Year, including Jane Moyer (2022), Susan Albright (2021), and Chris Rusch (2021). Committee members also include past winners of the Statewide Behind the Scenes Award, including Sherry Sheng (2022) and Sue Ryburn (2021). The Statewide Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Gail Langellotto, serves as committee chair.

We are looking forward to receiving your nominations, and reading about the wonderful work you have done across the state, by supporting aspiring, novice, and experienced gardeners.

Please submit your nominations before or on May 15th deadline! 

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Introducing a new award: Growing & Belonging

What does it mean to grow our work inclusively? To create an environment where everyone belongs? Let’s find out, together, with our new Growing & Belonging County, and Statewide Awards.

In addition to our Master Gardener of the Year, and Behind the Scenes awards, 2023 marks the first year recognizing and celebrating the volunteers who have significantly contributed in advancing diversity, inclusion, access, and/or equity among Master Gardener volunteers and the communities we work with.

Unlike our longstanding awards of Master Gardener of the Year, and Behind the Scenes awards, these awards do not recognize the length of time served as a Master Gardener, but instead, the impact their work has made in creating a belonging environment, inclusive of diverse communities such as race, ethnicity, culture, abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or growing our volunteer work in traditionally under-invested communities. The best of these projects are co-created with the individuals being served, listening to their needs, and responding with a project that meets those needs.

Some examples:

  • Launched a new Seed to Supper course at a local low-income housing community.
  • Organized a seed swap with the organizers of Juneteenth and helped on site.
  • Introduced a training for fellow volunteers around the importance of the use of pronouns and supporting our transgender community.
  • Created a partnership with a local day-hire advocacy group to provide plant identification training in Spanish to day laborers.
  • Worked with the organizers and clients of a local homeless services center for the best way Master Gardeners could help or partner together to create a community garden.
  • Identified needs for ensuring accessibility for all attendees when attending in-person, outdoor events. Developed a checklist of accessibility options to be used by Master Gardeners in planning these events.

All of these examples center work in partnership with other organizations that have trusted relationships with their communities.

What: County, and Statewide Growing and Belonging Award

Why: This award comes as a recommendation made by your Master Gardener Growing & Belonging Committee. It was approved by the OMGA Board of Directors at the November 2022 meeting.

How:

Deadline: May 15th, 2023

What about the other awards? Same deadline, same process. Information about all of the awards is available here.

Does nominating someone for a county award automatically put them in a pool of nominees for the statewide award? No. That is a common misconception. Like our other awards, separate nominations are needed. County nominations are automatically awarded. Statewide nominations go on to a committee for review. You can enter the same person for both county and for state.

We are excited to introduce these new awards and to celebrate the good work of OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers.