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Mao hau hele
Official State Flower
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National Extension Master Gardener Resources
for UH Master Gardeners
Jayme Grzebik, Coordinator, State Master Gardener Program
Master Gardener programs are active in all 50 states, nine Canadian provinces, and in South Korea. The Extension Master Gardener Program National Committee (EMGNC) published the first nationally unifying mission statement and program standards for Extension Master Gardener Programs at Land-Grant Universities in 2015. The EMGNC facilitates national cooperation, communication, and collaboration among Extension Master Gardener programs.
Although flexible programming is crucial to uphold unique qualities of each state, state and local EMG Coordinators have requested more guidance on program policies. Your local CTAHR Faculty Coordinators may have some experience in
managing and administering volunteer outreach programs. However, traditional training for Extension agents require more horticulture science (botany, entomology, etc.). Thus the need to learn from those that have had experience in volunteer management such as the EMGN Committee members which hold regional leadership responsibilities. Hawai'i is currently in the Northwest Region with Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. We can learn more from the online repository for EMG resources that includes:
- Recruitment, selection and placement of EMG volunteers
- Development and retention of volunteer leaders
- Interpersonal relationships, volunteer interactions, conflict management
- Program evaluation
Recently a social media training resource has been available to all MG programs. Oahu is currently looking at taking this training and using this resource. If your program would like to take the training and have online dialogue about its content between Faculty UH MG Coordinators and UH MG volunteers, please email Jayme Grzebik, Grzebik@hawaii.edu to coordinate.
https://sites.google.com/a/extension.org/social-media-resources/welcome
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SPOTLIGHT on the Kaua'i Master Gardener Program
Expanding Educational Outreach Through Farmers' Markets,
Community Partnerships, and Technology
One of the goals the Kaua'i Master Gardener Program set for 2017 is to increase their public educational outreach efforts. To accomplish this, driven Kaua'i MG volunteers have identified local project opportunities and partnered with groups such as community institutions seeking to promote gardening and the local farmers' market at the Kaua'i Community College (KCC), where the Kaua'i MG hold weekly booths and monthly presentations for the public.
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~~~ UH Master Gardeners GROWING in Hawai'i ~~~
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NEWS FROM O'AHU
Kalani Matsumura, Junior Extension Agent, O'ahu MG Program
- The 2017 Oahu Master Gardener class at Waimanalo Research Station is over halfway done. We are having lots of fun with our projects. These include vegetable planting at Waimanalo, All America Selection herbs, veggies, and flowers at Urban Garden Center, and food waste composting and garden help at Windward Oahu elementary schools.
- Our Second Saturdays at the Garden event at Urban Garden Center has been great. MG Brian Cyr presented a workshop on Organic Pest Management in March, while April featured a workshop on garden planning by MG Lana Brodziak. The events also included our plant doctor booth, plant sales, garden tours, composting demonstrations, and the Medicinal Herb Hui gathering. Join us every month as we have a great lineup this year. May will feature a fruit fly workshop and seed/plant exchange, June will focus on pollinators and honey bees, and for July we will host a large propagation expo featuring many experts from CTAHR and our ag community.
- Some of our other projects underway include a screenhouse demonstration for keeping pests off of vegetables, renovation of our herb garden, pili grass planting, demonstration of UH vegetables, All America Selections garden, food waste composting, school gardens, MG public talks, and more. We also continue to reach the public at our farmers market booths at Waianae, Waimea Valley, Windward Mall, KCC, and Pearl Ridge.
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Lokelani Rose
Rosa damascena
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NEWS FROM MAUI COUNTY
Cynthia Nazario-Leary, MG Coordinator Maui
- April 1, 2017 Maui Master Gardeners participated in the annual Maui Agricultural Festival. We sold UH seeds and honey from our own MMG Apiary that had been recently harvested (see pics) and provided helpful gardening information and resources.
- April 22, 2017 Maui Master Gardeners participated in the annual Ha'iku Ho'olaule'a Flower Festival. We provided gardening information and resources, in particular the most up to date information regarding management of slugs and snails to reduce Rat Lungworm disease.
- At both events, we received over 20 sign up for those interested in becoming a MG. We also had approximately 10 people sign up for attending our monthly fruit fly management workshops held on the last Saturday of every month.
- The Maui Master Gardener Training Class is in it's second half. March and April we had classes in fruit tree management, sustainable and organic gardening principles and techniques, IPM, lawn and turf, native and invasive species, and specialty topics in banana management and setting up a passive hydroponic system.
- Maui Master Gardeners have also been active in attending community informational meetings on Rat Lungworm and assisting in outreach of critical slug and snail management recommendations provided by Cooperative Extension.
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'Ohi'a
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NEWS FROM EAST HAWAI'I
Bill Miller, President, East Hawai'i Master Gardener Association
- Graduated 26 of 30 students
- Plant sale cancelled due to Little Fire Ants in the greenhouses and the surrounding Komohana Complex.
- Extension agent position hiring was paused by Senate and House committees. Funding is being discussed in the State budget. Once discussions are complete, the Dean and Associate Dean of CTAHR will be notified. We are all hoping the positions are funded by the State.
- 50 x 100 foot Demonstration garden was fenced and planted in cover crops (buckwheat and cowpeas) by the 2017 students.
- East Hawaii Island is so big we began a local group concept. Groups are Hilo, North of Hilo, Keaau, Lower Puna, and Volcano. Our hope is to have a booth at each of the local Farmer's Markets.
- Planted 30 native trees at Komohana and removed 60+ cubic yards of invasive species. The invasive plants are on weed mat and being mulched in large piles.
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Ty McDonald, MG Coordinator West Hawai'i
Training: We recently completed the 2017 MG Volunteer Training Program, with 25 trainees currently working on their take-home Final Exams. This year we added more hands-on, participatory activities for trainees that resulted in a very engaged group of folks by the end of the training. Many have signed up for our next two Outreach events.
Outreach:
- March 4 - The 11th Annual Avocado Festival in Kailua-Kona.
- April 28 - The 10th Annual Kona Coffee Expo in Kailua-Kona.
- Coming up in May - the Kona Orchid Society's Annual Orchid Show in Kailua-Kona.
Continuing Education & Demo Garden:
- March: Hands-on grafting workshop. MGs learned how to install side-wedge grafts on avocado seedlings they each grew themselves at home.
- April: Tours & Potluck Lunch - MGers Cheryl C and Stacey R lead association members through tours of their dryland forest restoration project and home gardens in South Kona and Ka'u, respectively.
- April: Vegetable demo garden preparation and irrigation system installation. Led by Ed F., MGs and trainees worked together on a garden "make-over" with compost and formation of fresh, newly formed beds. Ready for the next round of planting just in time for the return of the rainy season!
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