Category: 50th Anniversary

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Meet the Coordinator—Erica Chernoh 

Associate Professor of Practice based in the Lane County Extension Office 

Since joining Oregon State University Extension in 2019, Erica Chernoh has worked with Master Gardener volunteers in Lane County to support sustainable gardening education and community outreach. Before coming to Extension, her career included teaching at a community college, working with farmers overseas, and supporting agriculture through the organic industry. 

I spoke with Erica Chernoh about her path to horticulture education, what makes the southern Willamette Valley a great place to garden, and the volunteers who make the Master Gardener program possible. 

Quick Facts 

Position: Associate Professor of Practice in Horticulture 

Region: Lane and Linn County 

Years with Extension: Since 2019 

Favorite insect: Syrphid flies (hover flies) 

Beginner plant recommendation: Zucchini, radishes, beans, or peas 

Background 

Erica’s interest in gardening began at home, where she helped care for fruit trees with her dad. 

“I just remember always having fruit trees and… working with my dad, pruning them.” 

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical geography, but while in college she found herself drawn toward agriculture. Working at her university’s student farm and taking soil science classes inspired her to pursue horticulture. 

After college, Erica joined the Peace Corps and served in Guatemala in an agricultural program, working as an integrated pest management (IPM) volunteer. She later worked in the organic industry before earning a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of California, Davis. 

Throughout her career, education has remained a common thread. Before joining Extension, she taught at a community college and worked with farmers through international development programs. She says the Master Gardener program offered another opportunity to share her enjoyment of gardening and horticulture with others. 

Gardening in the South Willamette Valley 

The southern Willamette Valley offers gardeners a long growing season and some of Oregon’s most fertile soils. According to Erica, the region avoids some of the challenges faced in other parts of the state, such as the harsh winter freezes common in Central Oregon or the persistent coastal rainfall. Those conditions allow gardeners to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, making the area an excellent place for home gardening. 

Favorite Garden Lesson 

Like every gardener, Erica has had her share of setbacks. 

Living in the South Hills of Eugene, she says deer are one of her biggest gardening challenges. She also remembers unsuccessfully trying to grow passion fruit while living in California. 

“We all have garden fails every year, right?” 

Whether it’s deer, slugs, cabbage moths, or simply trying a plant that isn’t suited to the location, she says gardening always provides opportunities to learn. 

Supporting Volunteers 

Erica says she’s continually impressed by the dedication of Master Gardener volunteers and the time they invest in serving their communities. She especially appreciates their curiosity and willingness to keep learning. 

“They’re lifelong learners.” 

Whether researching a new plant problem at the plant clinic or learning about an unfamiliar species, volunteers bring an enthusiasm that she says is contagious. Erica also values how connected volunteers are within the community. 

“I learn from our volunteers a lot of times.” 

Community Partnerships 

Erica highlighted several long-standing partnerships that help expand gardening education in Lane County. 

One is with GrassRoots Garden and Food for Lane County. GrassRoots Garden, an urban farm that grows food for the local food bank, was started by Master Gardener volunteers about 35 years ago. Volunteers continue to support the site by maintaining compost facilities and herb beds, while Extension also teaches pruning classes there. 

She also recognized the City of Eugene as an important community partner. Together, Extension and the city maintain compost facilities at community gardens and use those spaces to offer composting workshops for the public. 

Quick Questions 

Favorite insect 

Erica’s favorite insects are syrphid flies, also known as hover flies. She appreciates them because they’re pollinators, beneficial insects, and often mistaken for bees. 

“They’re kind of like a Swiss army knife of insects in a way. And they’re just really cute”

Plant recommendation for beginners 

In midsummer, Erica’s first recommendation is zucchini. She also suggests radishes, beans, and peas as good options for beginning gardeners, noting that they’re generally easy to grow, provided slugs don’t get to them first. 

This is part of a series of stories we are featuring about the people of the OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program in celebration of our 50th anniversary. With +1,800 amazing volunteers and 30 faculty and staff we hope you are as inspired as we are by their dedication joy and impact that they make across the state. 

If you’d like to share your Master Gardener story, we’d love to hear from you! Submit your volunteer story here: https://beav.es/mgstory 

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Meet the Coordinator—Nicole Sanchez 

Nicole smiling outside in front of a tree, with a yellow flower in her hair.

Associate Professor of Practice in Horticulture serving Klamath, Harney, and Lake counties 

For the past 10 years, Nicole has served gardeners across Klamath, Harney, and Lake counties, providing research-based horticulture education for home gardeners, commercial growers, and Master Gardener volunteers. Her career in horticulture spans decades, from floral design and botanical gardens to Extension, where she continues to help gardeners adapt to the unique challenges of south-central Oregon. 

I spoke with Nicole about her journey into horticulture, what makes gardening in her areas unique, and why she enjoys working with Master Gardener volunteers. 

Quick Facts 

Position: Associate Professor of Practice in Horticulture 

Region: Klamath, Harney, and Lake counties 

Years with Extension: 10 

Favorite insect: Big-eyed bug (Geocoris punctipes) 

Beginner plant recommendation: Leafy greens for vegetable gardens; iris for perennial gardens 

Background 

Nicole’s interest in gardening began by following her grandfather through the vegetable garden, asking questions as he worked. 

“I just had a really special affinity for my grandfather… if he was doing it, I wanted to be doing it too.” 

She credits those early experiences with inspiring her career in horticulture and even dedicated her graduate thesis to him. 

Her path into horticulture wasn’t traditional. While in high school, she attended a vocational horticulture program, where she discovered a talent for floral design and began working in the industry at just 16 years old. By age 19, she was managing the floral department of a garden center. 

Rather than attending college immediately, Nicole spent years working in horticulture before earning her bachelor’s degree in horticulture and master’s degree in entomology from the University of Tennessee. 

Looking back, she says waiting to attend college was the right decision for her. 

“It’s different for everybody. We all have our own different paths.” 

Gardening in South-Central Oregon 

Gardening in Klamath, Harney, and Lake counties means learning to work with a challenging climate. 

According to Nicole, gardeners commonly face: 

  • Short growing seasons and late spring or early summer frosts 
  • Cool nighttime temperatures, even during the hottest part of summer 
  • Large swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures 
  • Low humidity and limited summer precipitation 

Many warm-season vegetables struggle under these conditions because cool nights repeatedly slow their growth, even when plants appear healthy. 

Nicole says this is where Master Gardener volunteers make an important difference by helping gardeners understand local growing conditions and sharing practical strategies, such as season extension techniques and watering in the morning. 

“There’s just so many pressures on being successful in some kinds of gardening, and actually, you know, that’s one of the important ways that Master Gardeners can help in my community, is by sharing that information.” explained Nicole. 

Because many new residents have gardened successfully elsewhere, she often helps people adjust their expectations for gardening in south-central Oregon. 

Favorite Garden Lesson 

Even experienced horticulturists learn by trial and error. Shortly after moving to Klamath Falls, Nicole filled her new garden with plants purchased at the local Master Gardener plant sale. While she was away at a meeting in Corvallis, a mid-June freeze killed the tender plants. Earwigs finished off many of the survivors. 

“$200 worth of my very first plants that I planted here.” 

The experience quickly showed her why gardening in the region has a reputation for being challenging. 

Supporting Volunteers 

For Nicole, one of the most rewarding parts of the Master Gardener program is seeing the different strengths each volunteer brings. She enjoys learning from volunteers’ diverse backgrounds and perspectives and says the educational experience goes both directions. 

“It’s not a one-way street with the trainings in the Master Gardener program. We all learn from each other.” 

She also values the long-term relationships that develop through volunteer service and says people who are passionate about gardening and willing to volunteer their time have become some of her favorite people to work with. 

Community Partnerships 

Nicole works with several community partners to expand gardening education throughout the region. This year the program began offering plant clinics at independently owned local garden centers, meeting gardeners where they’re already shopping for plants. 

She also highlighted long-standing partnerships with the local museum, which shares space for classes and research projects, and the local Native Plant Society. According to Nicole, collaboration with the Native Plant Society has strengthened both organizations.

Quick Questions 

Favorite insect 

Nicole’s favorite insect is the big-eyed bug (Geocoris punctipes), a generalist predator that was the focus of her graduate research. She studied whether the insects could be reared successfully on an artificial diet and compared their ability to control aphids with insects collected from the wild. 

“I call it the insect that put me through grad school.” 

Plant recommendation for beginners 

For beginning vegetable gardeners, Nicole recommends starting with leafy greens because they are generally more reliable than fruiting crops, which often drop their fruit when stressed. 

For ornamental gardens, she recommends iris, which she says performs consistently well despite the region’s unpredictable weather. 

When it comes to trees, her advice is less about species and more about care. Gardeners should plan to water newly planted trees thoroughly for their first three years, she says, because the region receives too little growing-season precipitation for trees to become established without consistent irrigation. 

Nicole has created some helpful resources which are available to gardeners for free online, including the YouTube series Pruning With The Pros. This video series walks the viewer through a variety of challenges common in mature landscapes and offers suggestions on how they might be remedied.

With it being the hottest part of the summer in Oregon right now, the OSU Extension catalog publication Heat wave in the garden: How to identify and prevent heat stress in plants is another notable resource from Nicole.

This is part of a series of stories we are featuring about the people of the OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program in celebration of our 50th anniversary. With +1,800 amazing volunteers and 30 faculty and staff we hope you are as inspired as we are by their dedication joy and impact that they make across the state. 

If you’d like to share your Master Gardener story, we’d love to hear from you! Submit your volunteer story here: https://beav.es/mgstory 

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Meet Amy Howes, Master Gardener volunteer 

One of the reasons Amy Howes joined the Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener Program was to become more connected to the Central Oregon community while learning more about horticulture. What Amy didn’t expect was how quickly those connections would grow. In just a few months, the program has opened doors to new friendships, mentors and opportunities to serve, reinforcing that being a Master Gardener volunteer is about much more than plants. It’s about building stronger communities through shared knowledge, relationships and a love of gardening. 

Finding community through gardening 

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be part of the 2026 Deschutes County Master Gardener trainee cohort,” Amy said. “One of the reasons I joined the program was to become more connected to my community while deepening my horticultural knowledge, and I never imagined how quickly those connections would begin to grow.” 

In just a few short months, Amy has met educators, horticulturists, volunteers, nursery professionals and community leaders who all share a common goal of helping Central Oregon become a healthier, more resilient and more connected place. 

“What has been especially rewarding is seeing how willing people are to share their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm with others,” Amy said. 

That spirit of collaboration has already led to opportunities Amy never expected, including becoming involved with the High Desert Horticultural Center and learning more about its vision for expanding horticultural education and creating a future native botanic garden in Central Oregon. 

“The experience has reinforced something I suspected when I applied: that the Master Gardener Program is about much more than plants,” Amy said. “It’s about people, relationships and finding meaningful ways to contribute to the community.” 

Creating opportunities to connect 

Amy says the program has expanded the sense of what’s possible. 

“I joined hoping to learn more about gardening, but I have also found mentorship, inspiration and new opportunities to serve,” Amy said. “The connections I’ve made through the Master Gardener Program are already opening doors I never expected, and I’m excited to see where those relationships lead.” 

Why Master Gardener volunteers matter 

Amy believes the need for Master Gardener volunteers continues to grow because people are looking for meaningful ways to connect—with nature, their communities and one another. 

“We live in a world where so much of our time is spent indoors and online, yet some of the most meaningful learning still happens when people get outside, get their hands in the soil and share knowledge with others,” Amy said. 

Whether answering questions at a plant clinic, supporting a demonstration garden, teaching a class or simply talking with a neighbor, Master Gardener volunteers help make research-based horticultural knowledge more accessible while encouraging stewardship of the places people call home. 

“Small actions, multiplied across a community, can have a remarkable impact.” 

Share your story 

We’d also love to hear from you. 

Whether you are currently volunteering or were part of the Master Gardener Program in the past, your story matters. What has this program meant to you? What are you proud of? How has gardening, volunteering or being part of this community shaped your life? 

Share your Master Gardener story with us. beav.es/mgstory 

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Meet the coordinator—Amy Jo Detweiler

Horticulture Professor and Extension Horticulturist serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program, we’re featuring stories about coordinators and volunteers. Let’s get to know Amy Jo Detweiler and hear about her path to Extension, what makes gardening east of the Cascades unique and the volunteers who continue to inspire her. 

For more than 27 years, Amy Jo has helped gardeners across Central Oregon navigate some of Oregon’s more challenging growing environments. As the Extension horticulturist serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties, she works with Master Gardener volunteers to answer gardening questions, maintain demonstration gardens and provide research-based education throughout the region. 

Quick facts 

Position: Horticulture Professor and Extension Horticulturist 

Region: Central Oregon—Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties 

Years with Extension: 27.5 years 

Favorite insect: Western swallowtail butterfly 

Beginner plant recommendation: Lettuce or carrots for vegetables penstemons for perennials and crabapples for ornamental trees.

Background 

Amy Jo didn’t originally plan on a career in horticulture. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology with a human health emphasis and initially considered a career in healthcare. That changed after spending a summer working as an outdoor adventure guide. 

“After being outside for a couple of months… I realized I really wanted to be working more in an outdoor environment with something related to nature and biology.” 

She returned to school to study landscape horticulture at Colorado State University, where she also worked in a nursery and gained firsthand experience helping home gardeners. When an Extension position opened in Central Oregon, the similarities between Colorado’s high desert climate and Central Oregon made it an ideal fit. 

Although she hadn’t previously managed volunteers, she was excited to combine horticulture education with community engagement. 

Gardening in Central Oregon 

Gardening in Central Oregon comes with unique challenges. The region sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, receiving a very small amount of rainfall especially during the growing season. 

According to Amy Jo, gardeners contend with: 

  • Short growing seasons (as little as 90 days in some areas) 
  • Sandy, volcanic soils that drain quickly 
  • Irrigation needs throughout the summer 
  • Frost that can occur nearly any time of year 

“We can get frost any day of the year. There’s been snow on the Fourth of July.” 

These conditions make plant selection and water management especially important for local gardeners. 

Favorite garden lesson 

Even experienced horticulturists have garden failures. One of Amy Jo’s favorite trees, the Vanderwolf pine, refused to thrive after being planted in one of the demonstration gardens. Despite multiple attempts, the tree never established successfully. 

After the original tree failed to establish, another Vanderwolf pine was planted in a different location. This time, it thrived.“It’s all learning.” 

The experience reinforced one of gardening’s most important lessons: sometimes success depends as much on the site as it does the plant. 

Supporting volunteers 

After nearly three decades with Extension, Amy Jo says one of the most rewarding parts of her job is watching volunteers dedicate their time to helping others learn. Some Master Gardener volunteers in Central Oregon have served alongside her for more than 25 years. That is much longer than the average volunteer commitment. 

Just as meaningful are the friendships that develop through the program. 

“I didn’t anticipate the relationships that come out of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program.” 

Over the years, she’s watched volunteers become lifelong friends, creating connections that extend well beyond the garden. 

Community partnerships 

Amy Jo highlighted two long-standing partners with City of Bend Water Conservation Program and the Bend Park & Recreation District. According to Amy Jo, the partnerships have helped support the Water-Wise Gardening in Central Oregon  publication and provided land and infrastructure for demonstration and community gardens, including fencing and irrigation. 

Quick questions 

Favorite insect 

“The western swallowtail butterfly just really does bring me joy to see that in the garden fluttering around”

Amy Jo also enjoys observing the wide variety of native pollinators that visit demonstration gardens, from tiny native bees to flies and other beneficial insects. 

Plant recommendation for beginners 

For beginning vegetable gardeners, Amy Jo recommends starting with lettuce or carrots because they’re easy to grow from seed and give gardeners a good chance of harvesting something successfully. 

For gardeners interested in perennials, she recommends penstemons, noting that many native species perform well in Central Oregon and help attract native pollinators. 

For those looking to plant an ornamental tree, Amy Jo suggests crabapples, which she says establish well and perform reliably in the region. 

This is part of a series of stories we are featuring about the people of the OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer program in celebration of our 50th anniversary. With +1,800 amazing volunteers and 30 faculty and staff we hope you are as inspired as we are by their dedication joy and impact that they make across the state. 

If you’d like to share your Master Gardener story, we’d love to hear from you! Submit your volunteer story here: https://beav.es/mgstory 

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Meet Pat Patterson: 50 year OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer

Pat tending to her cucumber plant
Pat Patterson was one of the original OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers when the program started in Oregon in 1976. Photos by Lynn Ketchum.

From chance to legacy: original Master Gardener marks 50 years

When the Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener Program launched in 1976, Pat Patterson wasn’t the one in her family who planned to sign up.

Her husband, Robert, was.

“He was going to take the course,” Patterson said. “We were both graduate assistants at the University of Oregon and his classes conflicted, and so I just walked in and took his place. Talk about fate.”

That moment set Patterson on a path that has spanned five decades. Now 87, she remains the program’s longest-serving volunteer — still answering gardening questions from her home on a 10-acre farm near Noti.

The Master Gardener Program educates Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants. Operating in 27 counties, Oregon State University Extension Service trains thousands of volunteers who serve as educators, neighbors and on-the-ground researchers in their communities.

Master Gardener volunteers provide science-based, sustainable gardening information through plant clinics, workshops and community projects — helping Oregonians grow food, steward natural resources and make informed decisions in a changing environment.

The program began in 1976 in Lane County and the Portland metro area with just a few dozen participants. Today, it is a statewide network connecting university research with communities across Oregon.

From the start, Patterson said, the program was different than a garden club.

“A garden club is a social club basically made up of gardeners who swap their stories, do garden sales and so forth,” she said. “Ours requires constant retraining every year. We must recertify, because science changes. It was like going to college. So, it was a very, very deep learning curve, even though I had been gardening for most of my life. I had not been gardening scientifically.”

Early days: meeting a growing need

Patterson was part of a cohort of about 20 volunteers in Lane County. There were no fees, and much of the instruction came from university faculty as OSU Extension built the program from the ground up.

After training, volunteers didn’t staff formal clinics. Instead, they set up wherever they could.

“We would go to any venue that would give us a table,” Patterson said. “We’d sit there with our manuals, and people would come ask us questions. It was kind of scary at first.”

At the time, demand for reliable gardening information was high.

“There was a huge amount of information out there that was not good,” she said.

That need continues today, Patterson said, as gardeners navigate misinformation online, climate variability and evolving best practices.

Inside the Extension office, the program quickly formed strong connections across disciplines.

“It became a very close family,” Patterson said. “We were connected to forestry, to home economics and 4-H — everything.”

From generalists to specialists

As the program evolved, so did its approach to education.

“What we are now is a club of specialists,” Patterson said. “That wasn’t before. We were all generalists before; now we’re all specialists.”

Patterson’s own role expanded over time. After completing the program, she was hired as a horticulture assistant in Lane County, a position she held until 2006.

“I retired being in the office as a paid person,” she said, smiling.

Her volunteer work never stopped.

Through the online “Ask Extension” service, Patterson has answered more than 23,000 gardening questions — part of what she estimates are tens of thousands of volunteer hours.

That kind of service, replicated by volunteers across the state, represents a significant public value: extending university expertise into communities, often at no cost to residents.

“Pat is an amazing person and has always been a joy to work with,” said Erica Chernoh, OSU Extension horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for Lane County. “She has jumped into just about every volunteer role out there, from teaching classes to leading committees to hosting a radio show.

“She has a wealth of horticultural knowledge, and her commitment to teaching and community building has strengthened our program and built long-lasting partnerships that continue to this day,” Chernoh said.

Gardening for everyone

One of Patterson’s most lasting contributions has been her work in adaptive gardening.

A longtime member of the Lane County Master Gardener Association’s adaptive gardening committee, she has helped make gardening more accessible to people with a wide range of abilities — from physical limitations to time and space constraints.

“I felt it was really important to allow people to garden no matter what,” she said. “No matter what their physical abilities were, no matter what their mental abilities were, no matter what their time abilities were — there was a way to get around it.”

Her approach reflects broader changes in gardening science and practice, including a shift toward sustainability and working with natural systems instead of relying on chemicals.

“I’m happy to say that science has changed,” Patterson said.

Instead, she emphasizes practices that support soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience.

“Garden smarter, not harder,” she said.

A lifelong connection

Patterson’s knowledge of plants stretches back decades, shaped by a lifetime of gardening and learning. She has taught classes, contributed to plant clinics and remained active in the gardening community even in retirement.

“Gardening is so great,” she said. “There’s always something you don’t know.”

Of the original Lane County cohort, Patterson was one of three who remained active for decades. She and fellow volunteers Juanita Manley and Phoebe Staples referred to themselves as the “Three Musketeers.”

Today, Patterson is the last surviving member of that original group — and the Master Gardener with the most years of service in the program’s history.

Why it matters now

As the Master Gardener Program marks its 50th anniversary, its role continues to grow in importance.

Across Oregon, residents are turning to gardening for food security, environmental stewardship and personal well-being. At the same time, they face new challenges — from climate change to invasive pests — that require reliable, science-based information.

Master Gardener volunteers help meet that need, serving as a bridge between university research and everyday practice.

For Patterson, that mission has been deeply personal.

“This has been my life and my family,” she said.

“I’m amazed at how much Extension has changed over those 50 years,” she said. “It has grown in ways that we would never have guessed.”

Still, the core remains the same: helping people succeed, one garden at a time.

From her farm outside Noti, Patterson continues that work — answering questions, sharing knowledge and staying engaged.

“Use it or lose it,” she said. “The more you’re challenged, the better chance you have of staying engaged.”

Today is OSU’s day of giving: please support the OSU Extension Master Gardener program by making a donation of any size. You can give online until midnight April 29th.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program. If you are or ever have been a Master Gardener volunteer, we’d love to hear from you. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory

This story was first published on the OSU Extension Service website. Photos by Lynn Ketchum.

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Meet Colleen Rockwell, Master Gardener volunteer 

Note: early giving is open for Dam Proud Day! Please help support the program today, but first, be inspired by Colleen’s story….

When Colleen of Milwaukie became a Master Gardener, she found more than a community of fellow plant lovers. She found a way to partner with her community — connecting with local groups, city leaders and neighbors around a shared purpose. What started with learning about native plants grew into something bigger: helping launch the Milwaukie Pollinator Pathway and advocating for Milwaukie to become a Bee City USA affiliate.

“I would not have started the Pollinator Pathway and Bee City journey without the Master Gardener program.”
Photo by Kelby Whittington

“The best part of being a Master Gardener is the people I meet and the community I have come to know.

Starting the Milwaukie Pollinator Pathway and advocating for the city of Milwaukie to become a Bee City USA affiliate is something I am especially excited and proud of.

Through that work, I have connected with local gardening groups, neighborhood district associations, the Rotary Club of Milwaukie, City Council and city staff, as well as the city of Beaverton.

I became a Master Gardener in 2019, and 2020 became a time to delve more deeply into the resources available to us. I kept coming back to the benefits of native plants. It was also a time to get outdoors for the sake of my physical and mental health, both of which I greatly needed.

Our hikes strengthened our family bonds. They gave us a greater appreciation for the land around us and the trees and plants that grew there. Those hikes strengthened us, both physically and mentally.

Growing plants and food gives us a sense of accomplishment and ownership. It grounds us, so to speak. It is peaceful and satisfying to see something grow.

I would not have started the Pollinator Pathway and Bee City journey without first being introduced to the Master Gardener program. In that first year, we were encouraged to participate in different volunteer activities so we could learn what interested us. For me, that interest was native plants.”

P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program— and giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory

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Something special is coming for Master Gardener volunteers and gardeners in Oregon

Something special is coming this week for Master Gardener volunteers, and we cannot wait to share it with you!

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, we have been looking for new ways to honor the people, stories and shared pride that have shaped this program across Oregon. Later this week, we’ll be sharing something created especially with this community in mind.

You are not going to want to miss it.

In the meantime, early giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. That means you do not have to wait until April 29 to make your gift.

This year, the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program was selected as one of only three Extension programs featured for Dam Proud Day. That is a big honor — and a big opportunity to support the statewide work that helps Master Gardener volunteers serve communities across Oregon.

Your gift helps support the program behind the volunteers: training, coordinator support, statewide resources, Seed to Supper, Garden Future and the trusted, science-based gardening education people rely on in every corner of the state.

So here is your Sunday nudge:

Give early.
Watch this space.
And get ready — something really good is coming.

P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program. We’re collecting and sharing stories from volunteers across Oregon. If you are a Master Gardener volunteer — or ever have been — we would love to hear from you. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory

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Meet Linda Sellheim, Master Gardener volunteer

After a career in tech that took her all over the world, Linda Sellheim retired in Dundee and found herself looking for local connection. She joined the Master Gardener program toward the end of the pandemic, hoping to learn and volunteer. What she found was a community — one that would become a source of friendship, learning and support as her husband faced a rare blood cancer diagnosis.

four Master Gardener volunteers outside of greenhouses
“The friendships I’ve made through being a Master Gardener have helped me learn so much — not only about gardening, but about the community.” —Linda, Dundee (in black hat)
Photo credit: Debbie Warner

“The best part of being a Master Gardener volunteer has been meeting fellow gardeners with similar interests and making new friends.

One thing I’m most proud of is the community of learning we have created around our propagation group.

I applied to the program right after I retired, toward the end of the pandemic. I had not been in the area very long, and after coming off a career in tech with lots of travel, I realized I had friends all over the world, but not locally.

The friendships I’ve made through being a Master Gardener have helped me learn so much — not only about gardening, but about the community. Within our propagation group, we have started a book club where we read gardening novels. We go to local restaurants and wineries, celebrate holidays and events, and do seed exchanges. Those are just a handful of the things that have grown out of this group.

While I was taking the Master Gardener course in the first few months, my husband was diagnosed with a very rare blood cancer. Having the Master Gardener community there, and having a place to go to work and clear my mind, was a lifesaver.

I’ve always believed that in times of change, learning and volunteering can help you make a transition. You never know who you will connect with who can alter your life in a good way. My husband has been through a stem cell transplant, CAR-T therapy and some deadly emergencies, and my Master Gardener group has been there.

I think Master Gardener volunteers are needed now more than ever because of climate change, the need to help people make good decisions and the importance of growing food.”

P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program — and early giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory

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Meet Joe Hodge, Master Gardener volunteer

For Joe Hodge, the best thing about being a Master Gardener volunteer is “I feel like I’m giving back to my community. I’m not super involved with leadership or charitable organizations in my hometown, but with Master Gardeners, I feel like I’m a part of so many people learning. I know that I’m a valuable person who can help others live their lives better.”

Coaching and cheering on new volunteers is what Joe is most proud of: “I remember Master Gardener training as being a bit stressful with the huge amount of information coming our way (like drinking out of a firehose). So when our local chapter does Master Gardener training for new volunteers each year, I make sure to join our weekly Question and Answer Zoom meetings, hoping I can get across to the trainees that they really are special.

The friends who I have who are also Master Gardeners are the kinds of friends who you stay friends with.

I’m lucky enough to garden in a community garden, and when you see the others gardening alongside you, it always brightens up your day. The physical benefits of gardening are fairly obvious, but we sometimes forget about how talking to others about how your garden is growing, or about your plans for next year’s garden, can be so beneficial for your mental state.

It feels like the world is more divisive than ever, and Master Gardener volunteers do the opposite of that – we bring people together, people from all different backgrounds become closer once they start gardening.

Being a Master Gardener has not only allowed me to help others, but it has sharpened my own gardening skills.

A fun part of gardening is giving your excess away. I will list them into categories, starting with FAMILY. My nearest family member is 180 miles away, and you would think that might make it extra challenging, but not so in this day of efficient coolers.

Next, NEIGHBORS. I live in a good sized apartment complex, and it’s very rewarding and easy to give away vegetables to my neighbors so that they do not go to waste.

Also, FRIENDS. At my age, I go to a lot more meetings than parties, so during harvest season I hope to bring some produce to a meeting to give away – very easy.

Lastly, and for me this category is not so common to give away but just as rewarding as any, is BUSINESSES. The employees at the businesses are just as appreciative and smile just as much as anybody. It’s become a habit for me to drop extra tomatoes to the office workers of my property manager’s office. When a certain employee there sees me in late summer or early fall, she is always smiling when I walk in because she knows I am bringing in tomatoes, and she absolutely loves tomatoes. Only one time has she not shared with the rest of the office, because that year my tomatoes were absolutely gorgeous.

My garden is next to the hospital, and when I have zinnias I like to take them next door. The receptionists in the ER department have a stressful job and I think the flowers make their day better.

I know the library employees well, and I like to bring them kale and other yummy, healthy vegetables.

Going to our local food bank to make a drop-off is important, and I leave feeling good every single time.

It might sound like I’m trying to make giving things from my garden away my only focus each year, and I while that would be great, it’s not quite true. It just happens to work out that every year, when you plant your garden, you don’t realize that a certain vegetable or flower is going to produce way more than you thought it would. The very last thing in the world that I want to do is let something go to waste. Giving it away becomes incredibly easy to do, and really quite rewarding. It’s a part of gardening that I never could have envisioned when I first started. And now, it’s become an integral part of each season. Being a Master Gardener has made all of this possible – thank you, OSU Extension, for improving the lives of so many!”

P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program — and early giving is now open for Dam Proud Day. If this program has shaped your life, your garden or your community, consider making a gift today to help support the next 50 years. We’re also collecting stories from current and past Master Gardener volunteers. Share your story with us: Beav.es/mgstory 

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Meet Jean Dion, Master Gardener volunteer

For Jean in Salem, being a Master Gardener volunteer has opened up conversations about food, climate and what it means to feel more secure in your own garden. She thought she might be helping people with lawns and roses. Instead, she’s found herself talking with families who are trying to grow food and adapt to a changing world.

Jean in the garden holding a giant bouquet of mixed red/white roses

“I’ve learned a lot about how to be successful in my own garden, and that’s been very rewarding. No one likes dying plants! But the best part has been helping people in the community learn how to grow their own vegetables.

I thought the Master Gardener program would be largely about helping people grow green lawns or keep roses alive. Instead, many of my conversations have been with families who are worried about food prices. Helping them feel more secure is quite a gift.

I’m very proud of some of the programming we’ve shared with the community, including the Garden Future series. Being able to discuss climate change with a large group of folks at the state fair, without having any arguments or hurt feelings, was just an amazing thing.

“Helping people feel more secure is quite a gift.”

I’ve met several people who have talked with me at two or more tabling events here in Salem, and they’ve told me about how an idea or two I shared helped them in their gardens. Those have been pretty great conversations!

I think it’s easy to keep our heads down in times of stress and strife. Connecting with people always helps, and I find that gardening is one of those universal conversation points. Talking about gardening has been really good for me over the last year.

Climate change is shifting what people can grow successfully, so some of the lessons people learned as kids are no longer applicable. Master Gardener volunteers have access to science-based information that can be useful as people reimagine what they can grow, including food.

I’m grateful I was selected as a trainee last year. I look forward to participating for many years to come.”

P.S. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program, and these stories remind us what we’re celebrating. On Wednesday, April 29, Dam Proud Day gives us one day to show up for the statewide program that supports Master Gardener volunteers across Oregon. In fact, you can join in early giving and actually give now! And if you are a Master Gardener volunteer — or ever have been — we’d still love to hear your story at Beav.es/mgstory.