Master Gardener Activities Archives - Oregon Master Gardener Coordinators

August 20, 2018

August 2018 Statewide MG Program Update and Helpful Hints

Developing Best Management Practices for Master Gardener Plant Sales

The Master Gardener Best management practices task force met via conference call, last week. Our task force include Master Gardener volunteers who coordinate their Master Gardener Association plant sale, and have also operated a commercial nursery. The task force also includes the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s invasive species response coordinator, myself (as statewide Master Gardener Program coordinator), and Brooke Edmunds (as county MG faculty). Prior to working for OSU, Brooke worked with the Oregon Department Plant Health group, where part of her work involved certification of nursery plants. Thus, we have a lot of expertise in the group.

We will soon be surveying plant sale coordinators, to find out:

do you apply for an ODA temporary nursery license?
where do you get your plants for MG plant sales?
how and where are they propagated?
what are your concerns regarding changes to plant sale guidelines?

The goal of the survey is to get a general sense of what Master Gardener Associations are currently doing, to identify key areas of risk for invasive species introduction, and to provide guidance on how to transition to lower risk activities. Please keep an eye out for the survey, and share with your plant sale coordinators, when available.

We are also developing a draft list of best management practices for Master Gardener Plant sales, in cooperation with our Extension colleagues, volunteers, and nursery industry professionals. In the next 4-6 weeks, we expect to share this list of practices, as well as case studies of Master Gardener Associations that have successfully transitioned from higher risk to lower risk plant sale activities.

Please stay tuned!

Food Safety for Master Gardener Tasting Events (i.e. Tomato Tasting)

A question recently came in about how to approach an event such as a tomato tasting, to ensure safe food handling and food safety. I consulted with Jeanne Brandt, statewide coordinator of the OSU Extension Master Food Preserver Program, to get her feedback. Below is her response (edited for brevity).

My understanding is that sharing samples is part of educational programming, not food service, so that site or event licenses and food handler’s permits are not required. Those come into play when any products are sold. Providing samples for educational purposes is included in liability coverage offered by OSU, as long as best practices are used to prepare them. We put out a sign that says “Products made/prepared by volunteers in our classroom or home kitchens.” This makes booth visitors aware of where the products came from and that they are not commercial, so they can choose to sample or not.

This resource has guidance for handling produce samples at public events:

https://www.fcs.uga.edu/docs/13_Keeping_Food_Safe_at_Market.pdf

Page 3 has some good guidelines for preparing samples.

Best practices are good hygiene, clean produce, and protection from contamination by the customers. That’s not as easy as it sounds, since we are often places without handwashing stations. Setting up individual samples so that customers can’t handle more than their own sample is ideal.

Clients with Biting Bug Infestations, Without an Apparent Cause

Every now and then, a client comes into the Extension office, wanting advice for how to deal with insects that are biting them, or that have infested their house. After some conversation, or time to examine the sample that the client has brought into the office, you may determine that the client might be feeling a sensation on their skin, but that it is not due to an insect or mite issue. How do you help these clients? The cases are often heartbreaking: a client desperate for relief, with no apparent cause or solution in sight. Colleagues in extension published an excellent article on this topic, a few years ago, that includes a long list of recommendations for working with clients who believe their body and/or environment is infested with insects or mites, despite evidence to the contrary. Please read, and share with your Master Gardener volunteers, as needed.

Kerr et al. 2014. Recommendations for extension professionals and volunteers regarding individuals with delusional infestation. Journal of the NACAA 7(2).

July 3, 2018

Best Practices in MG Plant Sales

Master Gardener plant sales are a major fundraiser for many Master Gardener Associations. However, recent Oregon Department of Agriculture quarantines and restrictions to the movement of plants and soils in Washington County, Oregon have affected some Master Gardener plant sales and have highlighted the role that plants sales may play in promoting invasive species introductions.

In fact, a recent news story reported on the role of a Coos County plant sale in introducing an invasive weed from India. Other news reports show that the sale of invasive plants, or that the introduction of invasive species via plant sales, is neither unique nor isolated (e.g. ‘Invasive species for sale in Kootenay region’).

And, plant trades between gardens are also potential venues for the movement of native plants. In fact, research conducted in the United Kingdom estimates that ~2 million seeds are moved via the movement of garden soils and soils for new housing developments. Further, the researchers found that the risk of introducing invasive plants was far greater from the movement of garden soils, than other soil types.

Robinson et al. 2018. Sweet floRobinson et al. 2018. Sweet flowers are slow and weeds make haste: anthropogenic dispersal of plants via garden and construction soil. Journal of Urban Ecology 4(1): 1-6.

Over the next year, a task force will work to develop best practices for Master Gardener plant sales, in order to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species in Oregon. The task force includes two Master Gardeners, two Master Gardener faculty, and an advisor from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. As we develop specific recommendations, we will post them for feedback and critique. Stay tuned!

March 5, 2018

Guidance for Master Gardener Plant Sales

As we head into Master Gardener plant sale season, it is a good time to remind Master Gardener Associations of the requirements to host a Master Gardener Plant Sale.

1) Master Gardener Associations need to fill out and file the temporary nursery license with the ODA. This will provide the ODA an opportunity to contact plant sale organizers (if needed), for sales in areas of concern.

2) Master Gardener plant sales can not include sale or distribution of (click on the link for more details):

3) Best practices dictate that Master Gardeners DO NOT MOVE SOIL. If plant sale plants are coming from personal gardens, remove the soil, wash the roots, and repot in commercial potting mix. We recognize this may be inconvenient but there are several exotic horticulture pests (snake worm, European chafer ~ see page 18) that currently have limited distribution in Oregon, and that can be moved through soil.

The Master Gardener teaches sustainable gardening. Modeling best practices in invasive species prevention is part of our work.

December 7, 2017October 8, 2019

Volunteer Injured? What to Do?

Over the years, we have had very few instances of volunteer injuries over the years. Due diligence when planning events and working in demonstration gardens can greatly help cut down on accidents and injuries. Due diligence includes:

Forming a safety committee, for Master Gardener demonstration gardens. The safety committee could write short articles for Master Gardener newsletters or host short learning opportunities in the the garden. Topics could include: safe tool use and storage, chemical use and storage, ergonomics.
Doing a safety and risk tour of all sites where programs will be held, such as for tours, public lectures, plant sales. Note potential safety hazards (irregular walkways, decks that have missing boards, etc.), and take corrective action (i.e. drop that site from the tour, cordon off areas where the public should not go, etc.).

In the instance where a volunteer has injured themselves while in the act of volunteering, their supervisor should complete the HR Advocate Public Incident Reporting form, which is available online at http://risk.oregonstate.edu/workerscomp/forms. This form is to be completed by the person supervising/coordinating the volunteer activities to identify what occurred.

In order for this reporting system to be used, the volunteer should have completed the forms required to serve as an OSU Volunteer. These include:

Conditions of Volunteer Service Form (must be filled out and signed, annually)
Master Gardener Position Description
Master Gardener Code of Conduct

More information on the volunteer process and links to the forms for volunteer service from an OSU Risk perspective, can be found online at http://risk.oregonstate.edu/insurance/volunteer.

You can access the required Master Gardener forms at: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/mgcoordinators/forms/

October 25, 2017

EMG Volunteer Service Hour Requirements

I’ve been getting questions about volunteer service hour categories. Thus, I thought it might be useful to write a blog post about the difference between educational service hours (direct and indirect) and support hours.

Volunteer Service Hours which support the educational mission of the Extension Master Gardener Program are given highest priority. Direct and indirect educational hours should constitute at least 50% of a Master Gardener’s required volunteer service hours in their initial year and 50% of a Master Gardener’s required volunteer service hours in their recertification years (i.e. at least 10 hours).

What are Direct Educational Hours?

Master Gardener activities that have the potential to directly increase knowledge, change attitudes or change behaviors in ways that promote sustainable gardening. A Master Gardener must be current on their certification, in order to participate in activities that qualify for direct educational hours.

- Plant Clinic (no matter the venue): plant clinic is the venue through which Master Gardeners receive gardening questions and provide high-quality recommendations to the general public. Typical venues for plant clinic include: the Extension office (walk-in, phone or email), Ask an Expert, farmer’s markets, Master Gardener events (e.g. plant sales, fairs), other community events.
- Instructor (at a conference, seminar series, Master Gardener training, speakers bureau, etc.): includes the time it takes to research, prepare and deliver the presentation.
- Educational Gardens (demonstration gardens, youth garden, school garden, prison garden, garden tour): Teaching a class in an educational garden, leading a tour, preparing signage or educational displays, or other educational activities may count towards direct service hours.
- Writing an Educational Article: in a Master Gardener newsletter, for a local newsletter, or collaborating with an OSU Extension faculty member to write an Extension publication. Includes the time needed to research and write the article.
- Other approved activities: as determined by your local Master Gardener coordination, in the context of current OSU Extension Master Gardener guidelines and policy

What are Indirect Education Hours?

Indirect educational hours is time spent on activities facilitate or support the efforts of volunteer educators. The volunteer is not directly teaching others (via plant clinic recommendations or gardening talks or demonstrations), but is supporting the efforts of others who are serving as direct educators. Examples include:

- Educational Event Planning (conference, seminar series, MG training)
- Master Gardener Training Class Mentor: assisting with the annual Master Gardener training course.
- Educational Garden Maintenance: Educational gardens require basic upkeep in maintenance, in order to be effectively used in educational outreach. Thus, garden maintenance and upkeep activities might qualify for direct educational volunteer service hours if work in the garden supports an educational project or program, and if garden maintenance and upkeep activities are not the major focus of activity in the garden. If garden maintenance and upkeep becomes the major focus of activity, it is time carefully examine the project, and re-calibrate back to the educational mission and focus of the Master Gardener Program. If you do not host at least two public outreach events, annually, in the garden, it likely does not qualify as an educational garden. Volunteer service hours in gardens that are not educational gardens do not count as indirect educational hours.
- Other Approved Activities: as determined by your local Master Gardener coordination, in the context of current OSU Extension Master Gardener guidelines and policy

What are Support Hours?

These are hours spent on Master Gardener activities that are not focused on educational outreach. Instead, support activities help to support the mission of the OSU Extension Master Gardener Program. Examples of support activities include:

- Fundraiser (plant sale, book sales, etc.)
- Extension Office Support: filing, database management, photocopies, or other duties related to the Extension office
- MG Association: including serving as an officer, board member or in an appointed position in a MG chapter or in the Oregon Master Gardener Association
- Other Approved Activities: as determined by your local Master Gardener coordination, in the context of current OSU Extension Master Gardener guidelines and policy