Master Gardener Information

Patriotboy247
You need to check with your County Extension office....Do you know how to find it??? If you need help let me know...it goes by county....and I am sure there is a Extension office in Grand Rapids

Deann

Her'es a link to the Mich MG page.
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/mastergardener/

Huron and Sanilac Counties are exploring the possibilitiy of having a class in the fall. If there is enough interest it will probably start in September somewhere close to the two counties' line. You can call the Huron County extension office to find out more. 989-269-9949.

dd and I finally "graduated"! We start volunteering next week I think and need 40 hours to actually be "certified". WOO HOO!!!!
DD got 100%, I got 99%. Would like to have gotten that 1 right, especially since I said a leek was fruit. (embarrassed smilie here...) what's up with that? How in the world did I mess that up? Oh well. I passed!

Congratulations pj, I think you will really enjoy the fellowship with other Master Gardeners.

Peggy that's a wonderful achievement....hats off to you ^_^

Peggy, don't forget you need educational hours as well to be certified.....Congrats to you and your daughter....

Deann

Good Job!!!

Paul

I will have my certification after 40 hours volunteer work and then the education credits start. At least that's what Shane told us. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm just having a blast and I'll take all the education I can get...or afford. :-)


I will be getting most of my volunteer hours planning, planting and "interpreting" the Master Gardener children's garden and directing the tours for home schoolers and day care groups. What a cool thing! LOL! I'm enjoying it immensely.

I've been certified for several months now, and because of an interview I did with the coordinator, I'm now co coordinating the start up of our ciunty's first Junior Master Gardener program, though we will not be "certified" as we want more freedom as to what we teach, how long we teach it and how much it costs. I will be an advanced MGV by summer. (Ed credits will come from two March seminars, both in Grand Rapids. I'm VERY excited about the one on Garden Therapy! They are both daylong seminars, 5 credit hours each.) I'm having a blast but I hadn't expected to be put in a leadership role. I figure, someone bosses ME and I teach the kids! LOL! But I was needed where I am, and I'm suddenly using skills I forgot I had. And I still love it!

pjadams,
How nice for you that you have time and knowledge to give to kids who need to know how to grow.
It is a wonderful program ( the JR. Master Gardener Program).
I think you will love it!
So Congrats!! And have fun while getting your Advanced Certs!!
From a MG and ADV. MG.
Julie

We've fine tuned and reworked our objectives and dreams, and decided to do something all new and not be connected with JMG. We're writing our own curriculum, and the program will be run by Master Gardener Volunteers but not connected with Junior Master Gardeners.

It will be a pilot program with just 15 students for the first year. I've gotten so many hours in researching and writing our curriculum, I will very soon be an Advanced MGV.
(I wrote homeschool curriculums for my own kids for over 12 years...not so hard, just time consuming.)

Texas has a great JrMG book

Hey let us know how your new program works out..the one you are creating.
Julie

Tell me to BREATHE! LOL!

I am just nearly overwhelmed. I ended up basically writing a book, because we're using many different sources for our text. But it's finally done and ready to snap into notebooks for the kids. The teacher's orientation meeting is this Thursday and classes start mid May. They'll be once a week. I won't be teaching, but will be the one who makes sure that everything is done and provided for each lesson. I think I'd rather teach! We will only have 15 students this year and are calling it as pilot program, meaning nothing is written in stone and nothing is perfected. Sigh.

Keep us informed. It sounds as if you have done something amazing and new to support future
Gardeners and "green" minded kids! What a wonderful thing to do.
I never heard of working in horticulture as a child or I would have chosen it as a career.
Good Luck and I know you are making a difference!
Julie

Thank you. We are refining and growing as we plan, and it does look exciting. I have all the volunteer hours I need, but need about 15 more education hours to reach advanced.

Made it! I love working with the kids and with the adults who are helping!

Congrats

Paul

Congrats PJ, now start working towards your Advanced MG

Deann

Actually what I meant was I am now an Advanced Master Gardener! YAY!!!
And I am about 4 hours from getting my 250 hours pin. By the end of next week I should be there. Not sure when they actually give me the badge and the hours piun.

Here in Wayne County we have a banquet in February where the awards are presented.

I had wanted to take the MG class....but it was put aside.
I had to move all my gardens to a new home and thought the best way to get info on the soil was to visit my local county extension office. I am very sorry to say that they disappointed me greatly !!
It took quite some time to get anyones attention, tho there were 3 or 4 milling about....they seen me, yet just continued as tho I didn't belong there. When I was finally able to talk with someone...they said---what grows on the land now. I answered----pines. The lady laughed, said---grow blueberries and walked away from me.

2 years later....my gardens are coming along, I'm learning by myself........the needs and feeds my plants require.
bought my own soil tester
still have wishes to be in the local garden walk
If all works as planned....I'll make it
The sign out front will say "Co-ops Impossible Dream"

FYI ... I'm not knocking the program and do believe I would benifit from it...... just wont be returning to that office for intelligence ....if I return I'll have pictures or an invite to the garden walk

What county was it located?

LOL I wasn't going to say
then I realized you could look it up on this here Do it All box, so what the hey, Iosco.

I was disillusioned at first when I took the program, and became aware that my training was mainly to learn how to look things up and find the answers to questions. After all, if the info was available, why couldn't they look it up for themselves? LOL!


Then I realized that training was exactly what I need - to know how to find information. Sounds le those in that office hadn't learned well how to help others.

Life changed for me over the last couple years. :-). During my second year with the kids' gardening program my dd and SIL announced a baby was coming. Having a grand daughter totally spun me offline with everything else and focused on my granddaughter. It seems like forever ago that I did those things. Just before my Ruby arrived, our MGV funding was cancelled and I was relieved because I couldn't focus on it anymore. Now they are funded again I've heard but I'm now twice a gramma with little Dempsey, a boy. I've lost all my hours and credits, and don't even care. Oh the joy of one on one in the garden with Ruby!

The Expert Grounds-keeper program, normally presented through colleges in the US and Canada, gives serious agricultural preparation to people who then volunteer as Expert Nursery workers in their networks by giving talks, making gardens, directing exploration, and numerous different undertakings.