Hi,
I've really enjoyed the many experiences and points of view shared on
this subject. I'd like to offer a few comments about moving community
food production to a higher place on the Extension priority list.
First, it's surely a good sign that so many MGs are on the ACGA
list-serv. Wheteher you think of yourself first as a community
gardener or Master Gardener makes no difference. The big message is
that there is potential for a lot more interaction.
I empathize with those who have had negative experiences with MG
programs or the Cooperative Extension Service in their locale. A lot
of good practical observations were related to explain why MGs and
county agents were not receptive. Other community gardeners reported
solid support. Clearly, there is wide variation from state to state
and county to county. Some of this is based on individual agent
interests and blind spots and some can be traced back to Extension
leadership and the major program initiatives that drive a lot of
Extension work.
Some older Extension agents may still see food production as either
occuring in a backyard or on a large commercial farm. But the majority
of field and campus faculty understand that there is growing interest
in all the food production that occurs between these two poles- CSAs,
organic market gardens, youth entrepreneur micro-enterprises, school,
prison, and community gardens, etc. Growing or finding local food is
the topic of many media articles and reports (not to mention the
interest in ethnic and heirloom foods). All of this food production-
whether for individual profit or community betterment- is part of the
community food system.
In many states, Extension has been able to transition to a more
wholistic, environmental/sustainable approach to horticulture. And
many of us now use the term community horticulture (rather than "home
horticulture" or "consumer horticulture") to include all green spaces,
public and private. Isn't it time that CES and the MG programs see the
big picture when it comes to food production? It's up to all of us to
make this an issue and push for change. Extension will have a much
brighter future if it can make the leap.
Jon
Adam36055@aol.com wrote:
Friends,
This from Monica Cox, Master Gardener and Compost Specialist, Lane
County, Oregon. Looks like the quality and committment of Master
Gardeners to community is like politics in the good old USof A - LOCAL.
So, I guess it's something we all have to work on locally - get all of
those nice shoulders to the wheel.
Monica, thanks for sending this to me. I forwarded it to the listserv
to make sure that your voice was heard.
Best wishes,
Adam Honigman
Subj:
Re: [cg] Master Gardeners as a CG resource
Date: 12/1/03 5:49:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Monica_Cox@msn.com
To: Adam36055@aol.com
Sent from the Internet
Wow- what a bunch of stereotyping! I recently ran into this
misconception about MGs at a local garden symposium. One of the
speakers made some offhand comment about the Master Gardener volunteers
being inadequately trained or ignorant about the importance of compost
tea and the soil food web, the unwillingness of Extension agents to use
non-chemical solutions to ag problems, etc. I was dumbfounded - where
did this self-righteous ignorance come from? I have lived in Oregon
for 30 yrs. and have been directly involved with the Master Gardener
program and as well, have known ag professionals [personally,
professionally, academically] during this time. Granted, Oregon is
progressive both environmentally and in addressing humanitarian causes
so perhaps the MG program here reflects that orientation. Lane County
has an MG program that promotes sustainable practices and the
composting segment is linked to a specialty program jointly taught by
Extension and the City of Eugene's Waste and Recycling program. There
are eight local community gardens, many started and maintained by
Master Gardener volunteers. Projects like these are encouraged as a
demonstration of the ability to apply what the training has provided.
There is a schoolgarden project, Latino families garden program, a
healing garden, an at-risk youth CSA, several community gardens
sponsored by the local food bank but managed by Master Gardeners and
permaculture guild members. Master Gardeners range in age from 18 to
70+; they are students, professionals, unemployed or under-employed,
housewives, and retirees. I guess the program is only as "good" as the
program design and the opportunities that the individual MGs choose
themselves. The program is meant to be the volunteer arm of the US
Extension Service, like 4-H but is educational in mission, as we serve
as adjunct faculty for Oregon State University's Horticulture
Department, providing science-based information to the public. Just
because the information is science-based doesn't mean that it does not
promote organic practices. We have soil testing done of our compost
and compost tea trials so we can educate ourselves as well as the
public on this emerging science. Sure, composting is ancient practice
but now science can explain it better. Just as our approach to herbal
and alternative medicine becomes acceptable to the mainstream, organic
gardening practices also become readily accepted when the science
behind it can be explained. It is a matter of education. When I
invited this garden lecturer over to our Extension booth at the garden
symposium, he was embarrassed to admit that he had no idea how well
trained we were and he could find nothing wrong with the information we
were providing to the public on compost tea making and the soil food
web. He had just assumed that we were as he had been led to believe: a
bunch of middle class white women more interested in rose varietals
than in growing vegs. organically or with interest or involvement in
community efforts. So he got an education that day. And that is why
we're out there, in the public eye, teaching, demonstrating, creating
community gardens, and hopefully reversing stereotypes about the MG
program and the Extension Service. I sometimes perceive a
defensiveness from gardeners who are self-taught and seem to resent the
term "Master" Gardener; we simply have the advantage of academic
training, which it is our mission to share. What we need are gardeners
who are willing to learn and to teach and to use all available
resources in meeting community needs, without prejudging the resources
available to them.
Monica
MG and Compost Specialist, Lane County, Oregon
Wow- what a bunch of stereotyping!
I recently ran into this misconception about MGs at a local garden
symposium. One of the speakers made some offhand comment about the
Master Gardener volunteers being inadequately trained or ignorant about
the importance of compost tea and the soil food web, the unwillingness
of Extension agents to use non-chemical solutions to ag problems, etc.
I was dumbfounded - where did this self-righteous ignorance come from?
I have lived in Oregon for 30 yrs. and have been directly involved with
the Master Gardener program and as well, have known ag professionals
[personally, professionally, academically] during this time. Granted,
Oregon is progressive both environmentally and in addressing
humanitarian causes so perhaps the MG program here reflects that
orientation. Lane County has an MG program that promotes sustainable
practices and the composting segment is linked to a specialty program
jointly taught by Extension and the City of Eugene's Waste and
Recycling program. There are eight local community gardens, many
started and maintained by Master Gardener volunteers. Projects like
these are encouraged as a demonstration of the ability to apply what
the training has provided. There is a schoolgarden project, Latino
families garden program, a healing garden, an at-risk youth CSA,
several community gardens sponsored by the local food bank but managed
by Master Gardeners and permaculture guild members. Master Gardeners
range in age from 18 to 70+; they are students, professionals,
unemployed or under-employed, housewives, and retirees. I guess the
program is only as "good" as the program design and the opportunities
that the individual MGs choose themselves. The program is meant to be
the volunteer arm of the US Extension Service, like 4-H but is
educational in mission, as we serve as adjunct faculty for Oregon State
University's Horticulture Department, providing science-based
information to the public. Just because the information is
science-based doesn't mean that it does not promote organic practices.
We have soil testing done of our compost and compost tea trials so we
can educate ourselves as well as the public on this emerging science.
Sure, composting is ancient practice but now science can explain it
better. Just as our approach to herbal and alternative medicine
becomes acceptable to the mainstream, organic gardening practices also
become readily accepted when the science behind it can be explained.
It is a matter of education. When I invited this garden lecturer over
to our Extension booth at the garden symposium, he was embarrassed to
admit that he had no idea how well trained we were and he could find
nothing wrong with the information we were providing to the public on
compost tea making and the soil food web. He had just assumed that we
were as he had been led to believe: a bunch of middle class white women
more interested in rose varietals than in growing vegs. organically or
with interest or involvement in community efforts. So he got an
education that day. And that is why we're out there, in the public
eye, teaching, demonstrating, creating community gardens, and hopefully
reversing stereotypes about the MG program and the Extension Service.
I sometimes perceive a defensiveness from gardeners who are self-taught
and seem to resent the term "Master" Gardener; we simply have the
advantage of academic training, which it is our mission to share. What
we need are gardeners who are willing to learn and to teach and to use
all available resources in meeting community needs, without prejudging
the resources available to them.
Monica
MG and Compost Specialist, Lane
County, Oregon
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, December 01,
2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: [cg] Master
Gardeners as a CG resource
Jean,
Master gardeners are a mixed bag, for sure - and am quite partial to
uppermiddle class folks (of any hue) who can stand a bunch of
volunteers to an adult beverage after a day of do-gooding!
The idea, and this is central, is to get more master gardeners to be
engaged in food producing and neighborhood centered projects, and to
get more community gardeners to become master gardeners. Your work
sounds absolutely lovely and a credit to your trowel. We just need to
encourage more folks to follow in your footsteps or explore cloning!
Best wishes,
Adam Honigman
Volunteer,
Clinton Community
Garden
Subj: RE: [cg] Master Gardeners as a CG
resource
Date: 12/1/03 2:50:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: grayj@ottawa.edu
To: skyprice@iserv.net, jimcall@casagarden.com, community_garden@mallorn.com
Sent from the Internet
I am a Master Gardener in Phoenix, Arizona, and am
also a student working toward a Master’s degree in Professional
Counseling as well as being employed full time. I am using
horticultural therapy in my internship with developmentally disabled
dually-diagnosed clients in a day treatment center and group homes. I
have studied botany and horticulture during my undergraduate program.
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru working in agricultural extension
with the support of the USDA. I’m also a community garden supporter,
and interested in ecopsychology and in healing gardens. (We’ll be
building a Medicine Wheel garden at one of the group homes.)
In my Master Gardening classes in Phoenix, and
other extension classes I’ve taken over the years, I’ve met a variety
of people from all walks of life, all colors, all income levels, and
with many interests. I wouldn’t put them in the narrow category of
white, upper middle class, and they definitely had a range of interests.
Jean Gray
Graduate Programs Advisement Coordinator
Ottawa University, Phoenix
--
Jon Traunfeld
Regional Specialist / State Master Gardener Coordinator
University of Maryland
12005 Homewood Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Tele: 410.531.5556
Fax: 410.531.5567
jont@umd.edu
www.hgic.umd.edu
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