Volunteers lend their green thumbs as Master Gardeners

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Friday, December 18, 1998 3:00 AM CST

by Patti Nagai for the Journal Times

The Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program is a national program introduced to Wisconsin in 1977. Since then, hundreds of thousands of hours of volunteer time have been donated in an effort to help people in the community better understand horticulture and the environment. In 1997 alone, nearly 30,000 hours of volunteer time were committed statewide. Our goal is to increase this number yearly, and Racine County will be a vital part of these statistics in the coming years.

As a new horticulture agent, I was delighted to learn that the Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program was active in our county. We have a dedicated group of trained volunteers who perform a multitude of valuable services to the community. Master Gardeners in Racine County have turned in their time sheets to me reporting more than 850 hours of volunteer service for 1998. I expect more to be turned in before the end of the year. By next year, our goal is to match, or better yet, surpass the 7,562 hours turned in by Milwaukee Master Gardeners.

With the successful completion of the most recent training program in fall 1998, we have an enthusiastic group of new volunteers ready to serve their community. There are a variety of projects supported by the expertise and commitment of the Master Gardener volunteers and many new projects in the works.

What do Master Gardener volunteers do in Racine County?

Master Gardener volunteers work around the county on beautification projects, educational programs for youth and adults, children's gardens and community gardens. Their work reaches from one end of the county to the other, and affects the lives of many of our county residents. Examples of their work can be seen at the Racine Zoo, where the volunteers coordinate the design, planting and maintenance of the gardens. Their work can also be seen in Burlington at the Pioneer Cabin's Vintage Garden, a heritage-type garden, which has been re-created in the style and plantings of an 1850 garden in Wisconsin.

Master Gardeners also conduct school programs, educating our youth on the importance of plants in the environment. Interactive hands-on projects help teach children how plants grow, how they clean the air and provide oxygen, and how plants affect our lives in so many ways. Children's gardens provide a summer activity to teach children how to grow vegetables and flowers, and the basics of nutrition.

One of the newest projects that Master Gardeners are participating in is a cooperative program with Project Emergency, a United Way agency, to establish community garden plots to feed the hungry of Racine County. Donations of fresh vegetables and fruits are greatly appreciated by our shelters and food pantries; the gardening skills and expertise of the Master Gardeners are much in demand for this program.

The program is well under way with a tentative agreement with Wisconsin Electric to provide the land for the garden area within the city limits of Racine. We anticipate participation by many volunteer organizations, including Master Gardeners, Earth Service Corps and 4-H. More organizations are needed to help in every single stage of this project. If you or your group is interested in participating in the coordination of volunteers, planting, weeding, harvesting, delivering or in donations of seeds, plants, tools and equipment, please call Patti Nagai at 886-8460 or Tom Berger at 632-2307.

Community gardens are beautiful additions to the city, both in the visual transformation of vacant property into a vital, growing area and in the beautiful spirit that arises when a community works together to help those less fortunate.

Becoming a Master Gardener

Master Gardener training is available in the spring and fall of every year, with additional meetings, educational programs and activities held at regular intervals throughout the year. There is a Racine /Kenosha Master Gardener Newsletter distributed every 2 months, and for those who are members of the Southeast Wisconsin and state associations, additional newsletters and activities are available.

To become a Master Gardener you must complete a 36-hour training program, pass a written exam and volunteer 30 hours of your time to community service during the following year. This community service could be work on a beautification project, a community gardening project, an educational program for children or adults or a multitude of other possibilities. The volunteer service is an ongoing requirement for maintaining Master Gardener status.

There will be a general training class for beginning Master Gardeners Jan. 26 through April 13, 1999 in Racine County. The three-hour class will be held on Tuesday evenings for 12 weeks. This program is designed for the new Master Gardener and will be taught using video tapes, hands-on activities, discussions sessions and presentations by UW specialists. Class enrollment is limited to 20 people, and only those with a serious commitment to volunteer work in the community will be accepted. The class will be held at the Racine County Public Works Office Building, 14200 Washington Ave.

If you are interested in joining the efforts of the Master Gardener volunteers and would like more information, please contact the UW Extension office at 886-8460. Patti Nagai, the horticulture agent for Racine County, will be happy to answer your questions.

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