Last April, the Master Gardener Program Coordinator in San Joaquin County, Marcy Hachman, was contacted by a few third grade teachers at Shasta Elementary school in Manteca. The teachers were interested in starting worm composting at their school but had little expertise. Then the Master Gardeners stepped in and taught a series of classes to both the teachers and the children. Two third grade classes started composting their lunch scraps after the MGs talked to the classes about worm composting do's and don'ts and all the benefits associated with it. The San Joaquin County Master Gardener program donated several pounds of worms to the school to get this project going and continues to keep in touch with the teachers involved. As a result of these classes, the kids at Shasta Elementary now understand the biology of worms, how to compost using worms and the Master Gardener Program recived some very nice acknowledgements in the local newspaper about both the program and the impact that Master Gardeners can have in the community. You can read the full story here: http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090405/A_BIZ/904040313
Over a six-month period, six Sonoma County Master Gardener volunteers assisted the program coordinator by securing a grant from the Sonoma County Water Agency and coordinating the design and installation of a large demonstration garden. The garden themes focused on water conservation, pesticide use reduction, and appropriate plant materials for the climate. At the entrance to the facility, the inmates installed a lovely garden that demonstrates the proper use of drought-tolerant plants that need no pest control, that require little maintenance, and that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and numerous beneficial insects. With direct inmate interaction and by providing UC handout materials, the Master Gardeners have significantly improved the skills of the individuals involved. Inmates then provide good science-based information to gardeners who come to buy plants.
The Sonoma County Master Gardener volunteers sought to offer hands-on, practical information to county gardeners by demonstrating specific practices, such as proper plant selection, alternative pest control, home composting and water conservation. Multiple problems in managing previous public demonstration gardens, along with Sonoma County’s size and population distribution, led to the idea of showing home gardeners how science-based concepts were being effectively implemented within Master Gardener’s own gardens. Thus began a series of "Bloomin' Backyard Garden Tours."
