Become a certified Master Gardener, make a difference in the county
By Correne Martin
The weather will soon be more frigid and snow will blanket the ground, making winter the perfect time for indoor activities, personal education and gathering opportunities.
The Level 1 Master Gardener training offered through the Crawford County UW-Extension rolls all that into one 10-week course, from Feb. 4 through April 8.
“You’re not going to leave with a PhD in horticulture, but you’ll leave with research-based knowledge of how to find gardening answers and you’ll be excited about new ideas and volunteering around the county,” said Master Gardener and facilitator Donna Teynor.
The entry-level course meets once a week on the second floor meeting room near the Extension office of the Crawford County Administration Building, in Prairie du Chien. Each class starts at 6 p.m. and lasts until about 8:30 or 9. There is a fee, and registration must be done by Friday, Jan. 10, at noon, in order for the facilitators to have needed class materials. Trainees must be at least 18, but there is no expectation of skill level needed to participate.
The Crawford County Master Gardeners (CCMG), which is an all-volunteer group of passionate growers, landscapers and nature lovers, provide a lot of outreach education and free or low-cost events for the public in all communities across the county.
“We do Kids in the Garden, garden talks at Hoffman Hall, Lawn Chair Learning, Ask a Master Gardener at the library and dairy breakfast, and an annual plant sale. We assist with the St. Feriole Island Memorial Gardens,” Teynor said. “We share our knowledge at events at True Value, Tractor Supply, and Seneca and Gays Mills wellness days. We’ve gone to the Soldiers Grove library.”
“We’ve expanded further out into the county more recently and that’s been good for us because we’ve gained some very valuable members further away from just Prairie du Chien,” added fellow Master Gardener and facilitator Julie Hazen.
Essentially, the CCMG focuses on community projects and programs.
“We’re open to new opportunities around the county and are willing to partner with other groups to give educational programs in all of the county communities,” stated Hazen, who became a MG around 2007.
To become a certified-Master Gardener, women and men with a passion or interest in gardening must first complete the Level 1 training, which is available yearly in the county. There are a total of 3 levels and the additional coursework is offered separately. The training is also a way for the organization to gain more members, of course.
Currently, there are about 24 members in the CCMG, hailing from nearly every community across Crawford County. Volunteers represent all ages and backgrounds. With these individuals as well as experts in conservation, horticulture and other fields locally and through the Extension network, the group is starting to develop a nice bunch of resources they can “take on the road,” Hazen noted.
“Gardening is a lifelong skill and hobby,” she added.
Topics broached during the 10-week Level 1 course include an introduction to plants and vegetables, soils, fruits, pest management, entomology, plant pathology, organic gardening, plant problem diagnostics, herbaceous ornamentals, woody ornamentals, weeds and wildlife. Various presenters, most of whom are Master Gardeners themselves, will lead the classes.
In the end, each intern will get together with a mentor, who will take them beyond the course with their hands-on volunteer work. In order to become officially certified, enrollees must complete 24 hours of volunteer service within one year following the classes. Once certified, Master Gardeners are asked to record 10 hours of continuing education, which could involve attending conferences, online opportunities, events and activities.
“Part of the mentorship is to assist the new trainees with projects. They help them decide on a project, give them guidance and help work through it,” Hazen said. “This is one reason why we encourage class participants from throughout the county, because there are projects in other parts of the county that may need our attention.”
During the Level 1 training, the students are asked to do pre-homework before the meeting, including quizzes, reading, puzzles, etc. Then, during class, everyone will review that work with an activity that helps reinforce the topic.
Access to a computer is helpful for those registering for the course; however, participants without such access have the Extension office and libraries available for computer and Internet needs.
Each year, the number of interns for the course varies from about four to 20.
“This is winter, and you can’t be outside doing anything, so why not do this and, when it’s done, it’ll be April and gardening season will be starting,” Hazen shared.
‘Through this Level 1 training, you will also have access to all the UW resources,” commented Teynor, who has been a MG since 1994 and is a super volunteer locally. “It gets you out into the community to do some awesome projects and share your passion with others.”
Hazen emphasized that this program is highly University-based in the research it gives the trainees.
“It’s not just grandma’s recipe for tomato bugs,” she quipped.
“It’s about doing things safely, and a lot of this information applies to a lot of different topics and a lot of different people,” Teynor added.
So, whether you’re a serious beginner or a solid hobby gardener, this would be a worthwhile course to learn from and a great way to become involved in the community.
“Some of the friendships are also awesome,” Teynor said. “These are people with like interests.”
Hazen concluded, “And, each has a different set of skills that improves the Master Gardeners group.”
