OSU Master Gardener Program
The Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardener™ Program is a voluntary educational program designed to meet the community’s gardening needs. Its purpose is to teach people more about the science and art of growing plants. Specifically, it aims to provide information and technical assistance related to general horticulture and sustainable gardening to the
public through qualified, certified volunteers. There are approximately 3,500 active Master Gardeners™currently working in Master Gardener™ programs in 28 of Oregon’s 36 counties. It was established in 1976 by Duane Hatch, Lane County Extension agent, and Gray Thompson, Clackamas County Extension agent. In 1978, Dr. Ray McNeilan, urban and home horticulture Extension agent in Multnomah County, became the state Master Gardener program coordinator. He developed the Oregon program into a nationally known model. Dr. Gail Langellotto became the statewide coordinator of the OMG Program in 2007, and continues to serve in this role. The program is managed in each county by the Extension agent responsible for horticulture education programs or by a designated program assistant. The focus of the OMG Program remains to help local Extension offices serve members of the community, but county program managers continue to find new roles for Master Gardener volunteers. New programs include community gardening, youth gardening, adaptive gardening, public seminars, civic functions to make communities more livable and enjoyable, and finding ways to use our environmental resources in a sustainable way. Jackson County Master Gardeners
The first graduating class of Master Gardeners in Jackson County was in 1979; today, it is the largest Master Gardener™ Program in Oregon, with volunteers dedicating thousands of hours of their time each year to the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center in Central Point and to the Jackson County community. Master Gardeners staff plant clinics, present evening and weekend programs, teach classes on garden-related topics, organize the Winter Dreams-Summer Gardens Symposium in November, host a children’s summer gardening program, and plant and care for the demonstration gardens on the Extension Center grounds. The Jackson County Master Gardener™ Spring Fair, held the first weekend in May at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Central Point, is the premier gardening event in Jackson County and signals the beginning of the summer gardening season in the Rogue Valley. JCMGA
The Jackson County Master Gardener™ Association was formed in 1982 to promote, assist, and perpetuate the OSU Master Gardener Program. JCMGA provides an annual scholarship for a Jackson County high school graduate who attends OSU to further his or her education in a plant-related field. A non-profit organization, the JCMGA board of directors oversees committees of Master Gardener volunteers who carry out the work of the OSU Master Gardener™ Program. History of the Master Gardener Program
In 1972, Dr. David Gibby, an Extension Service horticulture agent in King and Pierce counties in Washington State, was overwhelmed by requests from the community for gardening information. To solve this problem, he proposed finding gardeners who, in exchange for specialized training in horticulture, would volunteer to answer questions and provide information to the public. Today, Extension Service Master Gardener programs exist in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two Canadian provinces. More than 100,000 people are certified as Master Gardeners in the United States, after completing several weeks of instruction and volunteer service. What makes these volunteers special is that mostly experts associated with land grant universities train them. These experts offer the latest research and technical assistance to Master Gardener candidates, increasing their knowledge and helping them to teach others on horticulture-related topics, such as basic botany, pesticide safety, vegetable, flower, and herb gardening, and integrated pest management. In some counties, such as Jackson County, local professionals and knowledgeable volunteers also teach some of the classes. Trained volunteers then multiply the university’s knowledge and share it with local citizens. The focus of volunteer training is to teach home horticulture and community gardening in a holistic manner. Training emphasizes sound gardening practices that minimize negative impacts on the environment. OSU Extension Service
Congress established the nation's Cooperative Extension Service (CES) in 1914 to distribute information developed by land grant universities and research stations to community citizens. The Oregon State University Extension Service is a partnership involving OSU, local governments, and the United States Department of Agriculture. This partnership cooperates with local governments and citizens to extend information from the university to all Oregonians. The OSU Extension Service is made up of five unique parts, which are called program areas: 4-H Youth Development; Agriculture and Natural Resources; Family and Community Health; Forestry and Natural Resources; and Sea Grants. The OSU Extension Master Gardener Program is part of the Agriculture and Natural Resources program area. Through these program areas, OSU Extension engages Oregon residents with research-based knowledge and education that focus on strengthening communities and economies sustaining natural resources, and promoting healthy families and individuals. Outreach and education are central to Extension Services in Oregon and other states. As stated in the 1914 Smith-Lever Act, the objectives of the Extension Service are to "aid in diffusing among people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture and home economics and to encourage the application of the same." In other words, the OSU Extension Service is here to help people help themselves.
