Category: Volunteer Recruitment

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Call For Applications: Cohort II of the Master Gardener JEDI Task Force

Applications for the second cohort of Master Gardener JEDI Task Force Members are now being accepted. Click here to submit your application. Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2022. We are specifically seeking applications from Master Gardener volunteers, across the state of Oregon, who are

  1. committed to advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity with in the Master Gardener program.
  2. wanting to deepen their own understanding of inequities, historical racism, and colonialism within horticulture, Land Grant Institutions, and Oregon.
  3. able to make a 12 month commitment (April 2022 – March 2023), of 4-6 hours per month, for Task Force work.
  4. willing to be a bridge between the Task Force, and their local Master Gardener group, to ensure that the work that we do on the Task Force is brought back to county Master Gardener Programs.

JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity. Sometimes, we call ourselves the DEI Task Force. Sometimes, we call ourselves the JEDI Task Force, because frankly, the word ‘JEDI’ is both more representative of what we are trying to do, and is also more fun to say.

You can learn a bit more about the aims and structure of the JEDI Task Force, by visiting this post, from May 2021. Service on the Task Force can be counted towards your volunteer service requirement or recertification requirement.

Quotes from JEDI Task Force Members, Cohort 1

“The DEI cohort work connected me with other Master Gardeners in Oregon and our home OSU organization like nothing I have ever done before, and it opened my eyes and my mind to the reckoning work that needs to be included in my everyday life.” [N., Master Gardener Volunteer]

“As a retired HR professional, who has had a fair amount of DEI training and experience, I thought I had a pretty good grasp.  The work of the task force is important to me, but I assumed that any training involved would be mainly repetitive. However, the breadth of this work and training has expanded my horizons, particularly with respect to learning about indigenous peoples. Any former training I had focused mainly on race, with sexual orientation lightly covered. 

I’m already using my heightened learning in a graduate-level HR course I teach for school administrators and in my personal interactions. Yesterday, I was caught making an assumption about the gender of a person’s spouse – which was an embarrassing moment.  But even apologizing for my error was easier because we’d recently discussed it in the group. 

My main reason for joining the task force is to support cultural growth within the Master Gardener program.  During my six years as an MG, it’s felt too much like an insular, old, white garden club.  It’s time for change.  “Gentle pressure, relentlessly applied.” *   

*Not my quote, but I’ve never been able to find the verified author.  It’s a super mantra when you’re trying to effect change.” [D., Master Gardener Volunteer]

“I went into this cohort with open eyes and heart, hoping to learn some ways to help those with a somewhat exterior of close mindedness to find paths to understanding. I was rewarded with a whole toolbox of great ideas and thoughts, words of wisdom from some incredible tribal elders and POC gardeners from other parts of the country. New resources and great interchanges with other gardeners addressing the issues that we find ourselves in daily. Some of the speakers were challenging, some made us uncomfortable, but all helped us to see, and perhaps walk in the other person’s shoes. My take away was a better understanding and greater sense of empathy to the plight of those that have for so long been underserved and mistreated. I think we all came away with a gift of knowledge and appreciation of our brothers and sisters.” [T., Master Gardener Volunteer]

“The DEI Task Force is what’s needed to help the Master Gardener program reach its full potential of public service. The meetings are a friendly arena to dive into learning about equity and understanding racism if you’ve been curious. If you’re experienced with anti-racist ideas and action the Task Force is a medium for connecting with very place-specific and deep cultural material grounded in how all Oregonians relate to land.

I feel good that I’m helping to craft the traditions of Extension service into a more whole framework for the future. It is exciting to be a part of a group that is transforming itself within a racial justice lens.” [E., Master Gardener Volunteer]

JEDI Task Force Outcomes, from Cohort 1 (April 2021 – March 2022)

  • We adopted a statement equity requirement for Master Gardener training and recertification, beginning in 2022. Culture of Gardening Story Telling Initiative
  • We began building a toolkit that coordinators can use to diversify speakers and curricular content in the Extension Master Gardener Program.
  • In late 2021, we surveyed Master Gardener coordinators and volunteers, to better understand who we currently serve and reach through the Master Gardener program. In order to provide tools and resources to coordinators and associations to do DEI work in their county, it is important that we understand the work that is currently being done, partners we work with, and capturing successes and challenges. The results of the survey will help us to get have baseline data of what we are doing, today, and to determine what types of training or resources are needed to advance our DEI goals.

The 32 DEI Task Force Members and ~10 OSU Extension Home Horticulture working group members participated in a total of 12 hours of engagement across 5 learning opportunities, organized as part of our overall commitment to DEI within the Extension Master Gardener Program.

  • OSU Diversity Strategic Plan (with Allison Davis White-Eyes, formerly of OSU’s Office of Institutional Diversity)
  • Ecological Framework for DEI and Racial Literacy (with Jeff Kenney of OSU’s Office of Institutional Diversity)
  • Bias Intervention (with Jeff Kenney)
  • Pronoun Use (with LeAnn Locher of the Extension Master Gardener Program)
  • 4-week long Indigenous Cultures Field School Training (with Courtney Yilk, Wilson Wewa, Wenix Red Elk, Samantha Chisholm Hatfield, Louise Wilmes, and Heather Gurko, organized by Confluence)

We hosted two special events, open to the general public, in support of our efforts to grow the breadth of our events to include cultural practices and inclusion.

  • “The Work is in Our Hands” lecture, about the history and accomplishments of black horticulturists and garden clubs in the United States (with Abra Lee, who is writing a book on the subject, entitled ‘Conquer the Soil’). A total of 340 people attended the live presentation, via Zoom. Another 130 have viewed the recording, for a total reach of 470 people.
  • A screening of the movie ‘Gather’, with a facilitated discussion with Drs. David Phillips and Samantha Chisholm Hatfield of OSU, following the movie. Over 2,000 people registered for this event on the movie screening platform, Kinema. More than 1,000 people attended the movie screening and discussion, and 63 people have accessed the recording of the discussion.

We launched a story telling initiative, ‘The Culture of Gardening’ as a way to amplify and center the voice of gardeners growing plants to connect with their heritage, culture, and identity.

  • In 2020, we featured 7 stories of gardeners from diverse backgrounds, including recipes.

We hope that you’ll consider joining us. Remember, applications are due February 28, 2022. Click here to submit your application.

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It’s a new day for training to become a Master Gardener volunteer

The OSU Extension Master Gardener program has revamped, revised, and re-imagined training for new Master Gardeners in 2022 to become more accessible than ever. Mixing the best of both worlds, online training will deliver our top-notch university-level gardening education, with localized and in-person hands-on training workshops organized by county-based OSU faculty. 

Why are we doing this?

We’re better meeting community needs: In the summer of 2021, we conducted an extensive community assessment. Findings clearly show the general public wants flexible opportunities to interact, access content and learning on demand, and on their own time. Offering elements of training online and/or in-person will clearly meet that demand in a way we’ve never done before. 

Many of our counties are large and have required distant travel to attend trainings. We’re already hearing from new trainees who are excited to finally be able to become Master Gardeners who have not been able to join due to the distance. 

On-demand education also means that people with busy schedules can fit the training into their schedules in the way it works best for them. 

We’ve lowered the cost, with many counties offering tiered pricing that includes reduced fees and opportunities for scholarships. Tiered pricing includes options for those who want to pay a bit more, to support others who choose the reduced fee option.

COVID is still here: it’s difficult to anticipate what 2022 will look like. Meeting inside, social distancing, and differing county impacts, all make maneuvering with COVID an ongoing challenge. This new model can better meet the need and demand while maintaining flexibility through this changing climate. 

Capacity: We currently have a lack of faculty and staff available to teach Master Gardener trainings. Our “people power” is at an all-time low due to retirements and new hires.

Previously, many of our faculty would travel to teach in person, which is extremely time extensive. With the talented faculty we do currently have, they’re able to provide additional support statewide virtually, actually extending and expanding the reach of experts available to Master Gardener trainees.

Better delivery of adult education means more hands-on workshops, less lectures: Instead of using our in-person time for 3-hour lectures, our hybrid training model uses that time for hands-on, interactive, and experiential workshops. Instead of listening to PowerPoints, trainees instead learn from our expert faculty and Master Gardener volunteers in the garden.

What does it mean to be a Master Gardener?

Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener volunteers are neighbors, friends and family who you can go to for garden advice that is grounded in science and locally relevant. We are garden educators and on-the-ground community scientists. Learn more about our mission, vision, values and priorities of the program.

Are you ready to become a Master Gardener?

Get connected locally with your county Master Gardener program to find out when your county is accepting applications, and when training is scheduled in your area. 

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Report to the Oregon Master Gardener Association Board of Directors (4th Quarter meeting, 2021)

Each quarter, Gail Langellotto (me, the statewide OSU Extension Master Gardener Program Leader) provides a report to the Oregon Master Gardener Association Board of Directors. This blog post is a copy of that report.

Please note that the information referenced on the hyperlinks attached to this report can change rapidly, particularly for COVID guidance from OSU. I am sharing what I know, as of this moment in time. The guidance may very well change, in the near future.

Updates from OSU Extension

  • Dr. Ivory Lyles will start his tenure as Vice Provost of Outreach and Engagement, and Director of the OSU Extension Service, on September 30th.
  • OSU’s vaccination requirement does not apply to volunteers, but to faculty, staff, and students.
  • The COVID-19 Safety Training for OSU Extension offices is being updated. It had been required for volunteers, participating in face-to-face programs and projects. I don’t yet know how it will be rolled out or required, in the future. But, as staying safe in the workplace is a high priority, I would hope that this training will be put to good use within the Master Gardener Program, and across all Extension programs.
  • OSU has updated their guidance for in person events.
    • OSU-managed, indoor, face-to-face programs and activities can proceed, where registration (day of or pre-registration) occurs.
    • OSU-managed, outdoor, face-to-face programs and activities can proceed, where registration (day of or pre-registration) occurs.
  • Where MGs might be participating in events not managed by OSU:
    • employees and volunteers are expected to follow OSU policy and OHA public health recommendations (regarding face coverings, for example), but we can’t impose our guidelines on events and activities that are managed by community partners.
    • we can opt not to participate in community partner events, in the interest of public health and safety. 

2022 Master Gardener Awards

  • Nominations for county and statewide Master Gardener awards are due on May 15th, every year.
  • The 2022 nominations forms will be posted online. This will make it easier to track nominations, as they are submitted. The current system of sending them through email makes it difficult to manage, given the amount of email volume that Gail receives.
  • Please make sure that your county Master Gardener groups knows that they should start discussing potential nominees WELL IN ADVANCE of the May 15th deadline. I would suggest putting it on the agenda in January or February of each year, making final decisions in March of each year, and then using April to write up nominations.
  • Communicate with your Master Gardener coordinator throughout the process. Double check and cross check that everyone is on the same page, when it comes to the name(s) that will be submitted for awards.

2022 Master Gardener Training

  • Counties are currently planning for recruitment of 2022 Master Gardener trainees, and delivery of the 2022 Master Gardener training classes.
  • Many/most counties are planning for hybrid (online and in person) training options, that allow greater flexibility and opportunity for participation. The online options are also a safe option, given instructors’ and students’ (or potential students’) concerns about COVID. Your specific county program can share the details of their training series.
  • New in 2022: the statewide Master Gardener program office is developing:
    • a module that goes over the statewide policies and expectations, related to volunteerism with OSU and in the Master Gardener Program. This module is intended to serve as an orientation for new Master Gardener students, but will also serve as a good reminder/update for continuing Master Gardener volunteers. The module is required for all new Master Gardener trainees, and recommended / required (we haven’t settled on this, yet) every 2-3 years for continuing MG volunteers. This module will include information on:
      • What does it mean to be a MG: Representative of the University; Recognition of advanced training and study; Expectations for superior customer service and support
      • Required Paperwork: Code of Conduct, Conditions of Volunteer Service Form (every year), PD, OSU College of Ag Sciences CAREs document.
      • Our commitments to protecting children.
        • Criminal History Checks (every two years?): Why they are required. What happens during the Criminal History Check Process.
        • Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse: an abridged training from the Office of Youth Safety
      • Volunteer Service Hour Requirements: What counts as volunteer hours? How to record volunteer service hours. Why the volunteer hour reporting is important.
  • A module that grows the community education component of the Master Gardener Program. Master Gardeners learn sustainable horticulture from Oregon State University and extend this information to local communities by serving as volunteers community educators. The Volunteer Community Educator Curriculum helps prepare new and continuing volunteers for this role. It will be required for new trainees, as well as for recertification of continuing Master Gardener volunteers. We anticipate offering a menu of options that individuals can participate in to satisfy this requirement, most of which are one hour or less, in length.
    • Master Gardener volunteers who are active on the statewide or on local diversity, equity, and inclusivity committees can apply their work in these groups towards meeting the training or recertification requirement.
    • OSU Extension’s DEI training for volunteers (4 modules, about 1 hour of total time, in length: Introduction, Equity, Inclusivity, and Conclusion)
    • Recipes for Collaborative Communities course (from the Elevated Skills Training Series that was offered in 2021, through Thinkific)
    • Broadening Outreach with Community Partnerships (from the Elevated Skills Training Series that was offered in 2021, through Thinkific)
    • Abra Lee’s Culture of Gardening Keynote: ‘The Work is In Our Hands’
    • Webinar from OID: to be scheduled by and delivered through the statewide office.
    • OSU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration Keynote or associated events
    • Events organized by the Master Gardener DEI Task Force Events committee

Dates to Remember

  • Ongoing, Second Tuesday of Each Month: Level Up, Growing Oregon Gardeners Series. Remaining classes for 2021 include: native plants (September), climate change (October), and garden soils (November). The series will return in January of 2022.
  • September 12-17, 2021. International Master Gardener Conference: September 12-17, 2021. Registration has closed, but perhaps I will see some of you there?
  • September 25, 2021: Fall Master Gardener BioBlitz: One fall day to document garden biodiversity in Oregon. Join us with your camera on September 25, 2021 to capture the insects, birds, wild plants, and other wild organisms in your garden or a nearby community or public garden space.
  • September 30th: Extension Master Gardener Photo Contest Winners will be announced on October 25th. See our blog for details.
  • Save the Date!: November 10, 2021: The Extension MG DEI Task Force Events Subcommittee is hosting a screening of the film ‘Gather’, at 7pm on November 10th. A 30 minute panel discussion will follow, featuring Dr. David Lewis of OSU. More details will be forthcoming. Please share this Save the Date with Your Volunteers.

May 15, 2022: Master Gardener Awards nominations are due.

Announcements

  • Culture of Gardening Blog. If you and your Master Gardeners have not yet seen the new ‘Culture of Gardening’ blog, please take a look. We have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from diverse communities, who are happy to broaden their understanding of diverse identities and cultures . . . and how these identities intersect with plants and gardening: 
  • Master Gardener Photography Contest: Please make sure to communicate with your Master Gardeners colleagues about the fun opportunity to participate in our first ever photography contest, currently open for submissions, through October 25th. Now is a great time to capture in photos the bounty of the summer harvest, the beauty of our demonstration gardens, and all of the hard work MGs are putting in in the community. 
  • Recruitment Materials: Priorities, Values, Mission, Vision One Pager (double-sided): You can learn more about the Master Gardener Program on our website, and can share this information with prospective Master Gardener volunteers who want to know more.  We also have a one-pager (double sided) that can be used to talk about our program.
  • We will be calling for applications for the 2nd Cohort of the Master Gardener DEI Task Force. The call for applications will go out in early 2022, with new members joining the cohort in April 2022.
Priorities.Values.MissionDownload
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Selecting Prospective Master Gardener Volunteers

It’s volunteer recruitment season!

Every fall, most Extension Master Gardener Programs in Oregon open applications for their new class of volunteers. This might be a good time to take a look at the resources for Recruiting and Selecting new volunteers, on the national Extension Master Gardener Coordinators website.

In general, many Extension Master Gardener Coordinators report increased success with a training class, when they build in time to talk with or interview prospective volunteers. Taking the time to meet with and talk to prospective volunteers provides an opportunity to make sure that each individual understands the volunteer commitment part of the program, and also the general structure and goals of the program.

Our group has developed a list of suggested questions that you may want to ask prospective volunteers. Master Gardener Coordinators can also find the interview questions in the MG Recruitment Folder on Box.

If you have more applicants that you can accept into the program, you may find it helpful to rank each applicant’s answer.  This may help you choose among multiple applicants. 

The questions on the interview sheet are merely suggestions. You may modify these questions to meet the specific needs in your county. You may also want to ask prospective trainees to elaborate on their response to a particular question.

IMPORTANT:  You must not ask age, marital status, children, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Avoid any personal questions other than those on the interview sheet that are pertinent to the candidate’s gardening experience and ability to participate in the program.

If you are conducting group interviews, with multiple Master Gardener interviewers and multiple Master Gardener applicants, a warm-up activity may help to break the ice.  A few ideas for the warm-up:

  • Have the new people take five minutes by themselves and find three things they all have in common and one thing about each of them that’s unique. Similarities can be simple things like the same color hair, all wearing corrective lenses, or have dogs as pets, etc. They don’t have to be garden related. After five minutes have the group share what they found out about each other. While they are doing the activity, take the five minutes to discuss how your group will handle the interviews, such as who will go first, rotation of questions, etc.
  • Ask participants to share their first garden memory? (Grandmother’s flowers, first vegetable garden, etc.)

Wishing you the best for the 2020 training season!