WSU Master Gardeners supported by non-profit foundation

by Mark Amara Wsu Grant-Adams Master Gardener
| May 10, 2019 3:00 AM

Washington State University (WSU) Master Gardeners (MG) serve as educators and resources on horticulture and gardening.

WSU MGs work with issues in rural or urban yards, gardens or landscaping. Our group holds plant clinics at farmers markets, workshops and county fairs, sets up and manages demonstration gardens, works with schools, and make presentations. Some MGs write articles for a quarterly newsletter, newspapers or other news media.

There are opportunities to help prepare and staff exhibits, displays, booths, and demonstration sites. Our group also co-sponsors an annual gardening symposium with Grant County Conservation District. While we work under the direction of the university, technically and administratively, there is no direct financial support for the MG program in Grant-Adams counties from Washington State University.

Historically, the WSU Grant-Adams Extension office was able to financially support a full time (100 percent) Master Gardener coordinator housed with the other extension agents in Moses Lake. In 2006, support was reduced to 50 percent, subsequently reduced to 10 percent in 2015 and zeroed out at the end of 2017.

The program functions are now managed by a trio of volunteer WSU MG program coordinators who carry out administrative functions, prepare reports, help keep the master gardening program running and serve as a buffer between the university and our master gardening team members.

That is where the Grant-Adams Master Gardener Foundation (MGF) comes into play. The MGF was established in 2006 with a mission “to enhance and supplement the efforts of the WSU Master Gardener program by providing financial support, communication, and education” that benefit the citizens of Grant-Adams Counties.

Our program would not function very well without financial support provided by the foundation. The MGF is primarily made up of WSU Master Gardeners, but anyone interested in gardening is welcome to join the organization as contributing paying associates to bring ideas to the table.

Funds support WSU Master Gardener horticultural and environmental advocacy activities, including demonstration gardens, presentations and classes, an annual public symposium, plus educational materials and references for plant clinics.

For answers to your gardening questions, contact the Master Gardeners at the WSU Grant-Adams Extension office at 754-2011, ext. 4313 or by email at ga.mgvolunteers@wsu.edu.