OSU Extension Master Gardener Program News

“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.”

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!

“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!

“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!

“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!