Home and Consumer Horticulture, Master GardenersPlan of Work

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Daviess County CES

Title:
Home and Consumer Horticulture, Master Gardeners
MAP:
Home and Consumer Horticulture
Agents Involved:
Heisdorffer
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Home & Consumer Horticulture
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Master Gardener
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Urban Environments (water issues)
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Pesticide Safety – Plant Pests
Situation:

The horticultural industry is experiencing the popularity of gardening again. Gardening trend reports indicate that millennials are interested in growing some of their own fruits and vegetables. With the Millennials living in urban areas and the Baby Boomers downsizing, raised bed and container gardens allow them to grow fresh produce in small spaces.

Another trend is to protect pollinators. This was one of the issues identified by the County Extension Council as important and needs to be addressed in our community. When needed, understanding how to use pesticides correctly is a step in the right direction to help protect pollinators and the environment.

Long-Term Outcomes:

- Clientele will make informed decisions in the area of implementation of cultural practices and proper pesticide usage to manage food production and maintain the landscape to minimize environmental impact.

- Extension Master Gardeners continue to be a valuable resource of research based information for the community as volunteers for the Cooperative Extension Service.

- Insect pollinators will be protected and preserved in the community to ensure pollination of flowers to encourage a diversity of species in the community and to maintain fruit and vegetable production in home gardens.

- Pesticides will be used and properly and handled carefully.

- Homeowner will manage storm water on their properties with rain barrels. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

- Pest management decisions will be made to protect the environment.

- Extension Master Gardeners will adopt at least 2 practices from the Master Gardener training in their own garden and landscape.

- Extension Master Gardeners will conduct a soil test and understand the results on the report.

- Participants in programs will protect pollinators in their landscape and garden.

- Individuals will grow plant species that benefit insect pollinators

- Individuals participating in the rain barrel program will build a rain barrel. 

Initial Outcomes:

- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to collect soil for a soil test and will gain knowledge on how to understand the results.

- Extension Master Gardeners will learn how to read and comprehend directions for applying pesticides.

- Participants will recall the different parts of a pesticide label.

- Individuals will learn how to protect pollinators.

- Participants in programs will gain knowledge on how to develop a pollinator garden.

- Individuals will gain knowledge on how to manage plant pests including diseases and insects in the vegetable garden and landscape.

- Participants will learn about the benefits of using a rain barrel and how to make one.

Evaluation:

Evaluation:

Indicator: Initial

Outcome: Participants in programs will gain knowledge on how to develop a pollinator garden and the plants to include in the garden

Method: Pre-post test written survey

Timeline: March 2019


Evaluation:

Indicator: Intermediate

Outcome: Extension Master Gardeners will adopt at least 2 practices from the Extension Master Gardener Training in their own garden.

Method: Self reporting survey, observation

Timeline: May 2018


Evaluation: 

Indicator: Intermediate

Outcome: Over half the reporting participants of the Rain Barrel Workshops will use their barrels. 

Method: Post program survey

Timeline: July/August 2018

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Gardeners

Project or Activity: Managing Disease and Insect Pests in the Vegetable Garden and Landscape while protecting the environment and pollinators. 

Content or Curriculum: UK home vegetable gardening information, handling pesticides safely, reading a pesticide label, and ENTFACTS.

Inputs: Horticulture Agent

Date: Summer/Fall 2018, Winter/Spring 2019


Audience: Homeowners

Project or Activity: Rain barrel workshop

Content or Curriculum: UK publication

Inputs: Specialists, Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technician

Date: July 2019



Audience: Gardeners and Homeowners

Project or Activity: Gardening to encourage and sustain pollinators.

Content or Curriculum: Information from UK entomologists

Inputs: Horticulture Agent

Date: February/March 2019


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: UK Flower Trial Demonstration Garden

Content or Curriculum: UK Information

Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Extension Master Gardeners

Date: May through September 2018


Audience: Home Gardeners

Project or Activity: Home vegetable gardening programs including growing different types of lettuce

Content or Curriculum: UK Raised Bed Gardening information and Home Vegetable Growing guide

Inputs: Agent, Extension Master Gardeners, and Horticulture Technician

Date: January - April 2018


Audience: General Public

Project: Growing vegetable transplants

Content or Curriculum: UK information

Inputs: Use Master Gardener seed library, Horticulture Agent, Extension Master Gardeners

Date: January/February 2019


Audience: Extension Master Gardeners

Project or Activity: Continuing Education on Horticulture topics

Content or Curriculum: UK Information

Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture technician, Master Gardeners, Community Gardeners

Date: July 2018-June 2019



Success Stories

Extension Master Gardeners See Positive Results from Work on Seed Library Project

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Master Gardener

Daviess County has a thriving Extension Master Gardener Program with 60 members contributing 7,181 hours of community service in 2018 by consulting with individuals, conducting classes, assisting agents with programs, and helping to maintain the local botanical garden.  With the expertise of the Extension Master Gardeners, Extension Agent for Horticultural Education, and the Daviess County Public Library, the Seed Library was developed for Daviess County residents.  The purpose of the

Full Story

Participants Learn How to Grow Quality Transplants for Gardening Success

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Home & Consumer Horticulture

     Consumers prefer to have the choice of growing the specific vegetable or flower variety they want.  For example, some heirloom varieties of tomatoes are not available at local nurseries.  This leaves the growing of the transplant to the consumer.  In addition, many seeds are available to Daviess County Citizens through the Seed Library developed by the partnership of the Green River Area Extension Master Gardeners and Daviess County Public Library.  To fos

Full Story

Beginning Beekeeping Classes Serve As a Way to Promote Pollinators and Provide Honey

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Bees/Beekeeping

Honeybees play a vital role in the production of many fruit and vegetable crops by serving as pollinators.  Beekeeping as a hobby has increased due to the awareness of the importance of the honeybee in pollination, to protect the pollinator, and for the honey.  Some people want the benefit of the bees in their own home garden. With the popularity of beekeeping increasing, a “Beginning Beekeeping” class with three sessions was hosted by the Agent for Horticulture Education a

Full Story

Extension Master Gardeners Deliver Science-based Information in the Community

Author: Annette Heisdorffer

Major Program: Master Gardener

Extension Master Gardener volunteers deliver science-based horticultural information to help clientele grow and maintain vegetable gardens and landscape plants. They are a vital part of the outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service into the community.   In addition, the Extension Master Gardeners seek this opportunity to fulfill their goal of helping others in the community through sharing gardening knowledge gained through the program.  A total of 51 active Extension Master Garden

Full Story
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