Extension Master Gardener volunteers, trained by the Extension Agent for Horticulture Education in Daviess County, play a vital role in providing science-based, gardening information to the public.  The Green River Area Extension Master Gardener Association (GRAEMGA) Executive Committee took a leadership role in deciding to conduct key community partner interviews as part of their strategic planning process for determining their upcoming projects and programs.  Extension Specialists from the Department of Community and Leadership Development, Dr. Nicole Breazeale and Heather Hyden, trained six Extension Master Gardeners to conduct the interviews with five key community partners:  Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market, Habitat for Humanity, 4-H, and the Daviess County Public Library.

Through the leadership of the Extension Master Gardeners conducting the interviews, Dr. Breazeale determined from the materials they recorded that the most significant takeaway from the interviews was the value placed on the key partner check-in process.   In all the interviews, opening up a direct line of communication led to opportunities for troubleshooting partnership concerns, clarifying roles, improving communication channels, and developing future collaborations.  Some additional key themes included: 1) The Extension Master Gardener program provides a consistent and reliable stream of volunteers that play an integral role in partners’ programmatic success over the long term.  2) Many of the partners have a liaison with significant interest in and passion for gardening, which helps sustain the relationship and value of the partnership with GRAEMGA.  3) The educational mission is one of the most valued aspects of the program, and partners want to enhance this mission by sharing social media posts through partners, such as the public library, and expanding joint programming, for example, educational workshops for vendors and patrons at the farmer’s market.