Extension Master Gardener Programs and Impact by State

ALABAMA

The Alabama Master Gardeners Expand Our Public Information Services

Island of Hawaii

Following in the footsteps of Master Gardener programs on the other islands, the newly established East Hawaii Master Gardener program has completed its fourth year of programming. Sixty-four active volunteers have staffed the HelpLine in answering gardening questions from throughout the island. They have assisted the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at biennial Open Houses where over a thousand people participate and were guides for almost 400 5th graders at a 2006 Ag & Environment Awareness Day. With a growing critical mass of volunteers, Master Gardeners are expanding programs into grade school and senior gardens, and community events. The Master Gardeners have seamlessly integrated into extension activities and the expectations bar for them has been raised. I mua (go forth) Master Gardeners!

IDAHO

The Idaho Master Gardener Program makes important contributions to the University of Idaho’s Extension Service. The Master Gardeners are a diverse group that help the county extension offices meet local gardening needs. Since 1995, the population in Idaho has grown 22%, and many of the new residents have moved to the state from some other area of the country. The new people are unfamiliar with Idaho gardening conditions, particularly since the state has four hardiness zones and varying amounts of precipitation that are location-dependent. County extension offices are increasingly contacted for reliable, unbiased gardening information, yet overall extension resources have diminished over this period of time. Therefore, Idaho Extension relies on volunteer Master Gardeners to answer the increased number of gardening questions.

The Idaho Master Gardener program was first offered in 1976 and is operating in 32 of the 44 counties in the state. Because the state lacks a statewide organization for the Master Gardener program, four state districts (set by geographical regions) and individual counties within districts establish a unique framework for Master Gardener education in the state. Idaho programs are organized and supervised primarily by county extension faculty members, but 12 counties have full- or part-time Master Gardener coordinators.

The number of people who have completed Master Gardener education courses in Idaho is around 5,500 with over 800 of these Master Gardeners remaining active in their county programs from year to year. Each year 275 to 350 people complete the required education course (minimum 30 hours – and up to 80 hours - of class time) and finish their volunteer hours (minimum 30 hours but up to 50 hours) to become certified Master Gardeners.

Each year Master Gardeners donate at least 14,000 hours of volunteer service to Idaho citizens for an estimated dollar value of $213,500 (volunteer rate of $15.25 per hour). Master Gardeners also volunteer to conduct plant clinics in 15 counties from late spring to early fall. In nine counties, Master Gardeners make occasional home visits for diagnosing plant problems. Installing or maintaining community gardens and landscapes are a large part of the volunteer service in all counties. Gardens are maintained at libraries, assisted living facilities, hospice homes, senior centers, nursing homes, county and city buildings, and cemeteries. Many Idaho Master Gardeners are involved at their county fairs by helping with floral and vegetable produce displays and staffing horticulture informational booths. Master Gardeners also provide educational services including classes for garden clubs, homeowners, and 4-H members, authoring gardening articles (reaching an estimated audience of 115,000 people), and hosting local radio shows.

The University of Idaho Master Gardener Website was well used last year. Within an 11 month period (Nov. 04 to Sept. 05), the average recorded monthly use of the MG Website was 1,539 sessions. The files downloaded most frequently from the MG Website was from the handbook or its individual chapters. In a 10 month period (Nov. 04 to Aug. 05), 35,349 downloads were recorded for the handbook or its chapters. In addition to English speaking participants in the Master Gardener programs statewide, 340 Spanish speaking citizens participated in the beginning Master Gardener programs in southeaster Idaho. This program has been offered for the past two years. This specialized course has succeeded due to development and use of selected chapters for a Spanish Master Gardener Handbook.

INDIANA

Purdue Master Gardeners Helping Others Grow (10/2004-09/2005)

Issue/Need: The demand for gardening information by the general public far exceeds available staff time.

Program/Impact: The Purdue Master Gardener volunteers (MGs) have been representing Purdue throughout the state via many activities. For example, MGs answer yard and garden questions from the general public at the Plant Info to Go Booth at the Indiana Flower & Patio Show and the Indiana State Fair and at numerous county events. MGs presented educational programs to audiences of all ages and have volunteered at community and demonstration gardens. MG groups have donated produce to local food banks, helped new Habitat for Humanity homeowners landscape their properties and taught them landscape maintenance, provided opportunities for elderly and at-risk teens to garden, and have made Indiana communities more beautiful.

Impact Summary: Purdue Master Gardener Volunteers help to address the huge demand for gardening and landscape information. Throughout Indiana, Purdue Master Gardeners volunteer more than 88,000 hours annually through varies educationally based activities. These statewide volunteer efforts valued at more than $1.5 million.

Purdue Trains Volunteers to Help Address Growing Thirst for Gardening Information (08/2003-09/2005)

Issue/Need: According to the 2003 National Gardening Survey, approximately 78 %percent of US households participated do some type of lawn or gardening activity. If these figures are extrapolated, then approximately 1.8 households in Indiana do some type of lawn or gardening activity on an annual basis and are consumers of horticultural goods and services, generating a high demand for unbiased lawn, garden, and landscape information. In addition, Bruce Butterfield, National Gardening Association Research Director, reports that "A majority of U.S. households followed only 3 out of 12 recommended environmentally friendly lawn and garden practices." Therefore, there is a need for increasing the awareness, understanding and adoption of proper lawn, garden, and landscape practices.

Program/Impact: According to the 2003 National Gardening Survey, approximately 78 %percent of US households participated do some type of lawn or gardening activity. If these figures are extrapolated, then approximately 1.8 households in Indiana do some type of lawn or gardening activity on an annual basis and are consumers of horticultural goods and services, generating a high demand for unbiased lawn, garden, and landscape information. In addition, Bruce Butterfield, National Gardening Association Research Director, reports that "A majority of U.S. households followed only 3 out of 12 recommended environmentally friendly lawn and garden practices." Therefore, there is a need for increasing the awareness, understanding and adoption of proper lawn, garden, and landscape practices.

Impact Summary: There is a need for increasing awareness, understanding and adoption of proper lawn, garden, and landscape practices. Purdue trains about 850 new Master Gardener interns annually throughout the state. Students increased their comprehension of subject matter by an average of 27% and 92% of students are better environmental stewards and 90% changed or intend to change their gardening practices as a result of taking the course.

ILLINOIS

2005 Illinois Master Gardener Impacts In 2005, 3,475 active University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners donated 151,269 hours of volunteer time to their communities. At the Independent Sector wage of $18.04/hour, this amounted to a contribution of $2.72 million. Master Gardeners are active in 74 of 78 Extension units in the state and in 2005- 649 new volunteers were trained.

The following are some statistics on the program Outcomes for 2005: • 45,784 client questions were answered on Hotlines or office walk-in visits • 15,989 client questions were answered at answer booths located in public arenas such as libraries or county fairs • Master Gardeners reached over 13,000 citizens at educational presentations • Therapy gardening reached 4,986 elderly, handicapped or incarcerated individuals • 191, 575 pounds of produce were donated to food pantries and homeless shelters. Using Plant-A-Row guidelines of 4 persons fed per pound- this food reached 766,300 hungry people in Illinois • 12,661 children participated in gardening classes taught by Master Gardeners • 969 youth participated in Junior Master Gardener clubs

2005 Tri-County/ICC Demonstration Garden (Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties) IL. Central College provided a spot near the arboretum & vegetable garden. Master Gardeners created a garden with areas for annuals, perennials, roses, fruit tress, ornamental grasses & vegetables. The Boy Scouts added a bench & gazebo & helped to install brick paving. Volunteers started plants in the ICC greenhouses. Funds for the project came from local businesses, garden clubs, ICC, & the proceeds of an annual MG Fall Plant Sale. The volunteers have labeled the plant material in the garden & handouts are available on site. The garden is the site for community workshops and a Q & A booth. Every fall, ICC hosts a public Garden Day with an attendance of more than 2,000.

2005 Vandalia’s Little Community Garden (Clay/Fayette Unit) Prior to inception of the community garden, there were no resources for fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income residents. This project began in 2002 with the City of Vandalia’s donation of 3 acres. Over the past three years volunteer hours have grown to over 425. Besides fruits and vegetables, the project includes an herb garden; a native tree area; blue bird houses; and an arbor area. The community garden has provided over 2500 pounds of organic produce for area food pantries and100 flower arrangements for local hospitals and nursing homes. The garden was used by junior high school students from the local alternative school who were involved in planting and fence building. Coordination with the Dept. of Corrections provided workers to do tree clearing.

2005 Evergreen Park Library Victory Garden(Cook Co. S. Suburban Unit) To celebrate Evergreen Park Library’s 60th anniversary, a victory garden was created. The Master Gardeners researched Victory gardens, designed the garden and planned educational activities. The left side of the V-shaped garden featured heirloom plants common to gardens in 1944. The right side featured modern hybrids of herbs, vegetables and flowers. The Hort classes grew seedlings in the school greenhouse and the Woods club created signage for the garden. Local businesses, a nature center, Public Works and a local contractor all donated materials. The garden has been the site of many educational and community programs and has sparked intergenerational sharing of personal reminiscences.

2005 St. Joseph’s Horticulture Therapy (Sangamon-Menard Unit) The Master Gardeners led nursing home residents (called “Garden Angels”) in a host of weekly activities such as seed starting, outdoor gardening, pumpkin decorating, flower arranging, garden bingo, & memory gardens. Volunteers and staff members have taken residents to Washington Park Botanical Gardens and to a private 20-acre estate where they were escorted via golf carts to view the estate gardens. Master Gardeners assist the nursing home groundskeeper with shrub, tree and plant selections and with care of the residents plantings. Each volunteer in this project, receives “Walk in My Shoes Training”- a 4-H program which teaches participants what it is like to lose eye site and coordination skills. 2005 Rose Care Skit (Edgar County) This project began as an HCE lesson given by three Master Gardeners. The presentation gained popularity and the skit was shown to seven HCE units, the Business and Professional Women, the Altrusa Garden Party and a local sorority group. The skit revolved around the three volunteers dressed in whimsical garden hats and clothing. They educated and entertained their audiences with entertaining conversation about the care of roses. The skit focuses on an accidental meeting of the three at a local store where one had purchased a pretty rose with no knowledge about roses or rose care. The humorous rendition helped participants retain information. The program has resulted in increased interest in roses & in the Edgar County Master Gardener program.

2005 Master Gardener Scoop (Washington County) The Washington County Master Gardeners write and submit weekly articles for six newspapers and two radio stations. Articles cover a wide range of gardening topics such as the history of plants; advice on growing specific plants; saving seeds; gift ideas for gardeners; pests; attracting butterflies and coping with pets (to name just a few!). The volunteers spend many hours researching their topics and each one writes an average of 4-5 articles per year. The articles currently appear in Nashville News, Centralia Sentinel, DuQuoin Evening Call, Ashley News, and the Mount Vernon Morning Sentinel– reaching a total circulation of nearly 27,000 citizens.

KANSAS

Trees for South Central Kansas, Sedgwick County Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners have increased the emphasis in tree related issues with advanced training programs, development of an arboretum and outreach programs. We have distributed thousands of the “Preferred Trees for South Central Kansas” a publication that was originally developed as a Kansas Urban Forestry publication. Clients appreciate the publication, but often ask “What does the tree look like?” The tree committee decided to investigate writing a tree book in 2003 and brought in community representatives from Botanica Arboretum, Wichita Parks and those who put input into a previous book 20 years ago. Master Gardener Sandee Francel offered to publish the book based on the “Preferred Tree List”. Goals –Our goal was to publish a book that would be useful to individuals, tree boards, and commercial horticulture people in the selection of adapted trees for our region. Each tree would have distance and close-up color photos and information on leaf and flower color. Master Gardeners paid for the printing of 8,000 copies. Free copies were sent to all public libraries in central Kansas and all school libraries in Sedgwick County. Most Sedgwick County garden centers are selling the book, as well as Botanica and at the Extension Office. Results: We are getting reports of people carrying the book into garden centers to make their tree purchase. The book was widely used following the January ice storm to show strong trees for the region, small trees for planting near utility lines and species for new plantings. When printing costs are recovered, profits will go to help fund future Master Gardener outreach projects in Sedgwick County.

KENTUCKY

The Purchase Area Master Gardener Program is administered through the McCracken County, Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office. In 2005 over 30,000 contacts or a horticultural nature were made with area citizens, a majority through Master Gardener assisted programs. Master Gardeners contributed over 2,626 hours of volunteer service and raised over $8,000 to support their programs. Examples of projects include demonstration booths at the local Farmers Market and McCracken County Fair, flower trials and a public-accessible demonstration garden, monthly garden newsletters, monthly ‘Hot Topic’ garden classes, horticulture consulting, and an annual event, ‘Garden Gurus,’ that hosts nationally-recognized horticultural speakers, workshops, and a plant auction. A recent survey of these Master Gardeners determined their motivation for contributing to the County Extension program resulted from a combination of sharing their knowledge with others, ongoing opportunities to continue to build their knowledge of horticulture, and the opportunity to strengthening friendships with other volunteers.

MARYLAND

Community Gardens of Baltimore City Situation: Baltimore City residents are very proud of their city and their communities. But many areas are plagued with vacant lots. These are often eyesores that serve as illegal dumps. Studies show that low-income residents have limited access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables and low-income children are more likely to suffer from obesity.

Actions Taken: The Baltimore City Master Gardeners along with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, Baltimore City Housing Authority, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks and various community Organizations develops community gardens for sustainable urban food production. In 2005 and 2006 Baltimore City Master Gardeners played a pivotal role in this program’s success: • Helped design and organize 11 new community gardens and 4 new school/youth gardens. • Technical assistance for 39 fledgling and established gardens- soil sampling and lead testing, obtaining water permits for using fire hydrants, raised bed construction, and organic pest management. • Introduced community gardening to 150 middle and high school students. • Completed a pilot bioremediation study using kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) to remove lead from city soils. 20 home and community garden participants. • Developed and executed Community Garden tours for the public and for City Council and Extension leadership. • Received over $30,000 in grants, and donated seeds, services and supplies to support the program. • Organized community garden and vegetable judging contests as part of City Farms celebration (32 community gardens participated). Impacts: These community-wide impacts include direct help, financial assistance, advice, and community outreach. • Master Gardeners contributed 1450 hours valued at $26,000 for community garden efforts. • The program saved the city $23,000 in property maintenance costs (reclaimed vacant lots that did not require cleaning or mowing). • 110 community gardeners learned new gardening and pest management techniques through direct consultations with Master Gardeners. • Community gardens supported by Cooperative Extension amount to 11 acres throughout Baltimore City. • Community Gardeners raised over 12 tons of produce, saving gardeners $31,000 in food costs.

MINNESOTA

The Global Garden "Gardening is something I've always done," says Hilde Manuel, a Master Gardener with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. And this summer is no different. Manuel is helping the Riverview Specialty School in Brooklyn Park, Minn., build a community global garden. The 1,008-square-foot garden located near the main entrance of the school will feature plants and vegetables that mirror the school's 425 students. When viewed from above, four distinct shapes stand out in the garden: the United States, Mexico and Central America, Asia, and Africa. They circle an oval plot of land that is divided by stepping stones into the Native American and European cultures. "One of the goals of having this garden is so the students can have a better appreciation of plants from other countries," says Manuel, who designed the garden and wrote the project grant on behalf of Riverview--an environmental science and mathematics specialty school. The garden is an offshoot of the school's three-year-old junior master gardener program, which is part of the science curriculum for fourth and fifth graders. "The Master Gardeners are really valuable to us--they advise us on everything, from selecting plants to planting techniques," says Margaret Williams, University of Minnesota alum and Riverside curriculum integrator. "We were thrilled by the [global garden] idea because it offers a learning opportunity for both our children and the community. We will use that site as an outdoor classroom where the children will study phenology, growing techniques, and international perspectives."

Program Numbers Since 1977, the University of Minnesota Extension Service has trained and certified more than 5,000 Master Gardeners to teach horticulture throughout Minnesota. In 2005, over 2,300 Master Gardeners volunteered 90,000 hours in Minnesota working in schools, nursing homes, plant clinics and community gardens.

MISSOURI

PROGRAM IMPACT In 2005, 608 new Master Gardeners were trained in Missouri. The training materials for the Core Course Curriculum were completed in 2001, which include Powerpoint presentations, handouts, and hands-on materials for each of the Core Courses. This has had a tremendous impact on the growth of the program and it has allowed the regional specialists and Master Gardeners to take more ownership in their individual programs. This has also decreased the road time and travel budget demands of the State Specialists that were previously doing the training exclusively.

In Missouri 1,116 active Master Gardeners contributed 106,410 hours of volunteer service in 2005. The total number of contacts of Master Gardeners throughout Missouri was over 400,000 for 2005. The average number of contacts per individual Master Gardener is 196, with some Master Gardeners recording over 2,000 contacts per year. The Master Gardener volunteers with the largest number of per individual contacts are serving the public in the more rural communities. These contacts took place through events such as presentations to community groups; field days; booths at fairs, farmer's markets, earth day events, and garden shows; organized garden tours; short courses; speaker's bureaus; hotline answer services; and youth events such as the Junior Master Gardener programs, 4-H events, and boy and girl scout events.

In St. Louis, Master Gardeners assist about 35,000 homeowners in dealing with their landscape problems either through calls to the Master Gardener answer service or directly bringing the sample to the Plant Doctor Desk at the Missouri Botanical Garden. In Kansas City, 2,785 gardening calls were answered and 2,036 guide sheets were mailed in response to these calls.

A Master Gardener hotline during the growing season is operated in local University of Missouri Extension Centers in Greene, Stone/Taney, Jasper, Barton and Christian Counties to answer the public’s gardening questions. Two hundred hotline users were randomly surveyed by the Greene County Master Gardeners. The report indicated that over 95% of those surveyed followed Master Gardeners instructions and were pleased with the results. Many responders indicated they were regular users of the University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener hotline for they were confident they would receive non biased and research based information.

NEBRASKA

Horticulture Program for Detained Youth Caring for a living thing can help young people learn responsibility and purpose. A University of Nebraska-Lincoln horticulture education program teaches youth in a juvenile detention center about horticulture. The program began at the Lancaster Youth Services Center in Lincoln in 2004 and expanded in 2005. Program organizers designed the program to give students a positive outlet for managing their stress, to increase their knowledge of horticulture and horticultural practices, and provide information about potential career/education opportunities in horticulture. An evaluation of 2005 participants showed the program was helping youths cope with their situation and learn about horticulture. For example: • 83% of students indicated working in the gardens helped them manage their stay at the detention center. • 95% said they had learned at least one new thing related to plants. Student comments included: • "Helped me deal with my anger problem." • "Working outside helped me deal with stress." • "Helped to see that outside people wanted to come in and work with us." Topics included vegetable garden design and management; butterfly garden design and management, houseplant propagation and care, plant identification, seed germination, and floral design. Teaching involved hands-on activities, including development of vegetable and butterfly gardens. Ninety-seven students at the Lancaster Youth Services Center participated in horticulture activities once a week for 26 weeks. Three grants totaling over $16,700 funded this program.

Nebraska MG State Program Information In 2005, there were 483 active Master Gardeners in 52 of Nebraska's 93 counties. They contributed more than 20,000 volunteer hours and made 57,100 educational contacts. Their volunteer hours are equivalent to almost 10 full-time equivalent positions. Volunteer hours and contacts were made through various activities including: planting and maintaining demonstration gardens, collecting data on research projects, helping with county and state fair activities, speaking to community groups, leading garden tours, collecting plant samples, answering phone questions and teaching children’s programs. Not included in the 57,100 contacts are hundreds of educational contacts made through media, including radio, television and newspapers.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

“Kids Can Grow” is a youth gardening program modeled after the York County, Maine Program and the first to be developed in New Hampshire. In its second year, the five-month comprehensive gardening program began in May and will end in September, it involves youth ages 8-14. 24 youth signed on to learn how to grow nutritious vegetables, herbs and beautiful flowers. Six 3x5 raised garden beds were constructed at the Strafford County Complex for demonstration purposes and each youth was given all materials to construct a 3x5 bed at home using the square foot gardening technique. Seedlings and seeds were also given out to complete their project at home. Each youth was assigned a Master Gardener Volunteer to mentor them with the planning and planting of their home beds. Monthly sessions were held at the county complex and instruction was given on soil, compost, seeds, insects, worms, transplanting, maintenance, harvesting, nutrition, exhibiting vegetables and flowers at fairs. This year the concluding session will be held at the Atlantic Culinary Academy at McIntosh College where the nutrition chef who is also a Master Gardener intern, will instruct the participants on how to prepare their vegetables for healthy eating.

NEVADA

The cash value of Master Gardener volunteer time was reported at $17.55 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics data), thus in 2005 alone, these volunteers contributed the equivalent of 338, 656 to the community.

There are currently over 220 active Master Gardeners in Southern Nevada.

The program started in order to provide assistance on telephones, and they staff the phone help line five days per week, 8 am – 5 pm. There are also 30 other projects in which they can volunteer. They teach classes at community centers and libraries. For ten years, a team of MG’s have run a demonstration fruit orchard (with over 450 fruit trees and vines), which is open to the public twice per week.

They help to run the Corrections Horticulture program by working as administrative assistants to this project (which has taught basic horticulture for job readiness to nearly 200 inmates in six prisons).

They work with “Food for Thoughts” school gardens program. This includes running a Junior Master Gardener Project, staffing the annual Las Vegas farm festival, assisting schools to operate individual school gardens.

They are also serving as docents at several Desert Demonstration Gardens as well as at the Red Rock National Recreation Site visitor center. Nevada MG have created a healing garden at the local hospice, and run a community garden through one of Las Vegas’ senior centers. This garden provides food for the low income senior gardeners, and contributes over 2,000 lbs of produce to the Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign. Formally and informally, they provide information and instruction to several thousand residents and visitors each year.

NEW YORK

In 2005, nearly 2,300 active Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) spend more than 100,000 hours working to bring gardening success to New York State citizens and communities. That volunteer time is equal to 55 FTEs (full time equivalents) and is estimated to be worth more than $1.7 million to the outreach effort of Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE).*

Through their service MGVs helped CCE make more than 150,000 direct citizen contacts. That averages out to about 68 direct citizen contacts per MGV.

What work did Master Gardener Volunteers do in our communities in 2005? 36% of MGV hours are spent in public service gardening to create and maintain educational demonstration gardens or community public green spaces.

26% of MGV hours are spent researching and answering inquiries or advising community members via phone, email or face to face in the office or at public events or settings.

12% of MGV hours are spent preparing and leading or co-leading educational garden-related programs targeted at adults; including talks given through a speaker’s bureau to local community groups as well as workshops/ presentations/tours associated with community events such as a garden show or fair.

10% of MGV hours are spent in CCE public communication by assisting with community activities associated with county fair, garden events, fundraisers (e.g. plant sales) and other public relations events.

9% of MGV hours are spent supporting CCE community horticulture programming by assisting with the organization and implementation of educational garden-related programs for the community in general or other Master Gardener Volunteers; including meeting with others to plan educational activities, registering program participants, helping with office work.

4% of MGV hours are spent preparing and leading or co-leading educational garden-related programs targeted at children, youth or families; including programming in schools or informal settings like 4-H Youth Development programs (e.g. Junior Master Gardener clubs) or those associated with a larger event such as a fair or family day events.

3% of MGV hours are spent researching, preparing and providing educational gardening material via TV, radio, newspaper or other mass media.

Where did Master Gardener Volunteers directly reach citizens in our communities in 2005?

61% of MGV direct citizen contacts occur during the hours spent answering inquiries or advising community members via phone, email or face to face in the office or at public events or settings.

24% of MGV direct citizen contacts occur during the hours spent leading or co-leading educational garden-related programs targeted at adults.

15% of MGV direct contacts with citizens occur during the hours spent leading or co-leading educational garden-related program targeted at children, youth or families.

• FTE means Full Time Equivalent. 1.0 FTE works 228 eight-hour days per year for a total of 1824 hrs of work per year. The Value of MGVs was calculated by multiply hours of service by $17.18. This hourly value of Master Gardener Volunteer service was determined by reviewing the CCE Program Family Job Profiles, selecting the Extension Program Educator II position as the one most equivalent to the Master Gardener Volunteer position, determining the average minimum hourly earnings paid for this position and adding a fringe benefit package of 33% to get a total compensation package.

NORTH DAKOTA

Master Gardener volunteers assist in many ways with Extension meetings: registration, setting up displays, providing treats, giving away plants, etc. Volunteers help in display/extension gardens across the state: Fargo, Dickinson, and Williston; and they answer questions at Farmer's Markets around the state. The program has helped to build good community relations between the citizens of the state and the University system, making Master Gardeners an integral part of higher education.

RHODE ISLAND

2006 Spring Gardening Seminar University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners along with the Cooperative Extension Education Center co-sponsored an annual all day Spring Seminar in late March that had an audience of 120 people. The seminar was held on the Kingston campus in the southern part of the state. Attendees came from across the state. A team of a dozen Master Gardeners organized the registration, speaker keepers and break-time activities.

Topics covered included Rain Gardens for Water Quality and Conservation, Composting, Interpreting your Soil Test Results, Drip Irrigation, Organic Vegetable Gardening and Design and Care of Water Features. Several other design topics were also offered. Every topic was taught by a URI Master Gardener volunteer. Rosanne Sherry, the state MG Coordinator was the only staff member presenting a topic. Soil testing was also offered by trained Master Gardeners. Displays were set up showing composting and rain barrel designs. Attendees left our seminar with many new ideas to start this spring in the garden. Many indicated they came specifically to hear the presentations on rain gardens, drip irrigation or composting and now felt confident in setting up a successful system.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aiken County Master Gardeners in South Carolina have a unique approach to educating residents. They not only assist homeowners with their lawn and garden problems but also help eligible students go to college who would not otherwise be able to afford to do so. The program is called "Rent-A-Master Gardener" which started in June 2005. For a $50 donation a four to five person team of certified MGs will make a "house call." The hour-long visit involves an analysis of the landscape to determine existing and potential problems, an interview with the client to answer their questions and to evaluate their expectations for their lawn and landscape, and a soil test.

At the end of the visit the team submits their "information sheets" to the team captain, who prepares the final report. The client receives a customized report that includes research-based recommendations and environmentally sound management practices. Supporting materials include Clemson Extension publications and soil test results. Often colorful photographs are included in the report, for example, to showcase alternative plant materials. Home visitations are limited to 50 per year. Proceeds from the "Rent-A-Master Gardener" program support a Master Gardener Scholarship Fund, which is given to undergraduate students majoring in Horticulture at Clemson University. A portion of the funds are also donated to 4-H programs and to support elementary school gardening programs.

Virginia

2005 Program Statistics: • Approximately 4,000 active certified volunteers • More than 309,000 volunteer hours contributed • More than 501,000 contacts made • Economic value of volunteer time greater than $5.59 million

Program Summary of Nutrient Management Projects Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener volunteers have been working with homeowners for more than fifteen years on proper weed and insect control, integrated pest management and lawn care to positively impact water quality. At least five of the fifty-three individual VCE Master Gardener units in Virginia have taken a proactive approach to reducing nutrient loads in the streams of Virginia and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay which receives input from approximately seventy-five percent of the state. While the program titles vary considerably from Turf Love, to LawnKnowers, to Green and Clean, to GreatScapes, their premise and purpose are nearly identical: decrease inputs of nutrients into Virginia’s streams by helping homeowners learn the appropriate ways to manage their home landscapes and more specifically their turf. Specially trained VCE MG volunteers make site visits with homeowners and measure the square footage of turf and take at least one soil sample per household. Once the results are back from the soil test, nutrient management plans are written and customized for each participant. Educational material is shared with the homeowner on appropriate application rates of fertilize and the appropriate timing of that application(s) based on the turf species present on site. In 2005, nearly 200 VCE MG volunteers contributed more than 4,300 hours on nutrient management projects serving 1,500 homeowners across the Commonwealth of Virginia. They collected nearly 2,000 soil samples and generated 1,500 nutrient management plans. Through these volunteers’ work, more than 16.6 million square feet of turf came under nutrient management in 2006 alone. This is equivalent to 382.1 acres of turf. Beyond the numbers of acres of turf and the numbers of homeowners involved in this program, work has been done to follow-up with these participants to determine the degree to which behavior change occurred relative to the application of fertilizers on their home lawns. Measuring the homeowners’ change in attitudes and actual behaviors or home landscaping practices illustrate the true impact of this program.

WASHINGTON

Summary WSU Master Gardener Programs are now active in 36 of our 39 counties. There were 3,885 active Master Gardener Volunteers working on behalf of WSU Extension in 2005, contributing 204,593 hours of volunteer effort toward WSU Extension projects. That equals $3,537,413 in donated time, about the same as having an additional 60 county faculty positions. WSU Master Gardener volunteers in Washington gave an average of 62 hours of volunteer service during the year, serving over a quarter of a million people with science-based horticultural information and programs. The WSU Master Gardener Program also includes a network of 167 "Plant Clinics" operating in 105 communities that offered plant, insect, and disease diagnosis to the public. Impact Areas Water Conservation Sixty percent of counties provide education to address water conservation. Methods used included seminars, workshops and tours. There was an average of 83% increase in knowledge, with 67% of participants indicating an intention to change their water conservation practices. Water Quality Fifty-four percent of counties provide education to address water quality issues. Of those who participated in these educational events, 81% indicated an increase in knowledge about protecting water quality, with an average of 100% indicating perceived personal benefit. Seventy-six percent of participants indicated an intention to change their water quality practices. Reduction of the economic and ecological damage by invasive species. Seventy-seven percent of counties provide education to address the issue of invasive species. While evaluation data was collected by only 30 percent of reporting counties, available data from participants indicates a 60% increase in knowledge about invasive species, with 82% indicating an intention to change their practices regarding this subject. Increased application of sustainable management practices to home and public landscapes. Eighty-one percent of counties provided education to address sustainable management practices. Eighty-three percent of participants indicated an increase in knowledge on this subject with 99% indicating a perceived personal benefit. Approximately 75% of participants indicated an intention to change their practices and 50% of those who had participated in previous events on this subject had actually changed their management practices. See also: http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/summary/summary.html

WEST VIRGINIA

Outputs:

Master Gardeners

? Volunteered 33,104 hours to Extension programming and community service ? Made 9,237 adult and 2,543 youth contacts ? Spent 5,231 hours presenting educational programs ? Conducted 216 advanced training programs Outcomes: In 2005 agents from around the state reported ? 360 clients were trained with the Master Gardener curriculum ? 319 clients became Certified Master Gardener Volunteers ? 223 Master Gardeners were placed in leadership roles in their communities ? During training Master Gardeners increased their knowledge, as determined by pre/post tests, by an average of 26% ? 1,249 active Master Gardeners contributed 33,104 hours to WVU Extension Service and their communities at a value (at $14.00/volunteer hr) of $463,456.00

Purple Loosestrife Taskforce – 2005; Morgan County In 2004 the Morgan County Master Gardeners collaborated with local interest groups and agencies and developed a comprehensive strategy to educate the public about the invasive species, purple loosestrife and to eradicate the plant from Morgan County. In 2005 the project moved forward by following the steps previously developed in the "Concept Paper" to control this invasive species along Warm Springs Run. These steps included; information collection and analysis, development of our plan of action, map the presence of purple loosestrife, identify and secure permission from property owners, expand collaborations, initiate an educational program for the public, seek external funding, conduct control practices, monitor results, and review results and plan for next year. Ninety five percent control was achieved in the treated area in 2005.

WV Industrial Home for Youth Master Gardener Program Harrison County West Virginia University Extension Service, WVUES, programs are to find unique and creative ways to reach diverse client groups. The goal of this program is to reach youth who are confined to a maximum security institutional setting because of various substance abuse problems. The program will use the horticultural framework of the MG training program to provide them both vocational and therapeutic training with an emphasis on a non-chemical approach to horticulture. Project Team meetings were held with West Virginia Industrial Home for Youth, WVIHY, staff, warden, and MG volunteers to determine scope of project and limitations in a maximum security prison setting. Research was done on prison horticultural programs throughout the country. WV Master Gardener materials were screened for compatibility with program geared towards participants with an 8th grade reading level. WVUES state horticulture faculty were also consulted on the program. The 2005 program was adjusted to include more hands-on instruction. Faculty and volunteers developed 10 units of classroom instruction. Outside activities included planting a vegetable garden on the prison grounds and an ornamental landscaping project for inmates. This provided hands-on experience about vegetable production, soil preparation, landscaping, and the use of perennials. The vegetable garden promoted community service through the donation of 400 pounds of vegetables for the Clarksburg Mission and to other WVIHY inmates and staff.

WISCONSIN

Getting the Word Out: Compost! Home composting is a great way to reduce garden and yard trimmings and gain a valuable soil amendment. This was one of the messages Columbia Co. MGs communicated to 300+ people during three workshops and interactive displays at eight public events. Eight members who participated in the Master Composter training led several efforts to teach others about composting. They appeared on local radio shows, and wrote articles for the news media on composting. The county association purchased 54 compost bins to sell to homeowners and gave out plans for building other types of bins. A display about composting and examples of items that can and cannot be composted were used to teach at flower sales, garden events, and farmer’s markets. Members staffed a display for six days during the Columbia Co. Fair, and answered many questions about composting. Twenty to forty people stopped at the display each day and picked up brochures and plans about composting and yard recycling. For workshops, members constructed hot and cold piles in bins, and learned that hot piles really get people excited about composting! Getting the Word Out: Rain Gardens To encourage good environmental practices and increase awareness of water quality issues, West Central MGs promoted the use of rain gardens. Rain gardens help protect streams and lakes from pollutants carried by urban stormwater — lawn fertilizers and pesticides, oil and other fluids that leak form cars, and other substances that wash off paved areas. The centerpiece of the project was 2 demonstration gardens in their "Ideas Garden,"a landscape demonstration site at the Eau Claire Co. Exposition Center. The Rain Garden Team collaborated with the Beaver Creek Reserve and their annual Native Plant Sale to acquire some of the plants for the gardens that were installed this spring. Several informational meetings on rain gardens were offered to MGs and the community. MGs will continue to educate the public about the benefits of rain gardens. Developing a Community Garden In Sauk Co. In January 2005, Sauk Co. MGs began the process of developing a community garden in an area with a high population of Hispanic and apartment dwellers without access to garden space. The Village Board in Prairie du Sac was very receptive to the idea; the Village Administrator suggested several possible sites, and a section of unused land at the cemetery — with enough space for more than 300 plots — was chosen. Village engineers brought in a water supply and installed six faucets and the Village of Prairie du Sac provided the liability insurance.The new community garden was promoted in flyers written in both English and Spanish. A $28 charge per 20’ x 20’ plot covered water usage; discounts were offered for those who could not afford the full price. As this was the first year of the project, only 22 plots were plowed; all but two were rented. Some of the participants had never planted a seed in their lives, yet grew wonderful gardens!MGs grew vegetables on the remaining two plots, with all of the produce donated to the Prairie du Sac Food Pantry. With the success of this initial year, plans for 2006 include plowing enough space for 44 plots and getting a community shed and tools. This fall a load of elephant manure (from nearby Circus World Museum) was plowed into the plots to prepare them for next season. Lifelong Gardening From a simple request for advice on how to construct a raised bed for wheelchair-bound gardeners at the Columbia Health Care Center, the Lifelong Gardening project has evolved. During discussions with nursing home staff, we realized that the right plants would be vital to the success of the "tabletop garden" the MGs were designing, and other aids such as easy-grip tools or extended handles would help the residents use the gardens. Members formed committees and developed five different handouts including plant selection for shallow beds and containers; tips; tools and resources; and detailed plans for constructing the beds. Plans for the beds underwent several revisions in response to feedback from staff and residents at the nursing home. The final version is a beautiful, sturdy structure that can be adapted to home and community gardens as well as being used in residential facilities. MGs realized this would be of interest to the whole community and looked for ways to share their plans and information. Presentations were given about Lifelong Gardening at a community health fair, a local garden show and at the county fair. The group purchased a doll and wheelchair and then constructed a scale model of the design, and planted it with miniature flowers, herbs and vines they created. This allowed people to see how the wheelchair can fit under a tabletop garden, enabling the gardener to reach much more of the garden area. A second scale model was constructed for the Hancock Agricultural Research Station, where the Lifelong Gardening project will be continued next year. At the county fair, a full size tabletop garden was displayed. Committee members grew plants in containers and placed them in the garden so fair-goers could see and smell our recommendations, while they sat in a wheelchair and watered the plants. Tools and helpful devices were also displayed. One attention-getter was the arm protector