ANSFG strikes again!!

Very cool.

The course sounds great - the book? Priceless!

WOW, how exciting.

Sounds like Growing Groceries Mentor is a great way to get information out to your community on gardening in general and still present various views on gardening. Is this part of the Master Gardeners Program?

Furbalsmom wrote:WOW, how exciting.

Sounds like Growing Groceries Mentor is a great way to get information out to your community on gardening in general and still present various views on gardening. Is this part of the Master Gardeners Program?

Because yesterday was the first day, I'm not certain but it was great. I also want to become a Master Gardener and Master Composter. And of course, a Certified SFG Instructor.

I will have to look into this and see if our extension does something like it..

As far as I can tell they just have mentoring programs for beginning FARMERS.

I will get hold of someone and find out. Sounds very interesting!

CindiLou wrote:I will have to look into this and see if our extension does something like it..

As far as I can tell they just have mentoring programs for beginning FARMERS.

I will get hold of someone and find out. Sounds very interesting!

Our extension here, seems to be gearing the Mentor program, at least the present one called Growing Groceries toward us getting out into the community and helping families become responsible for growing their own food. There was a lot of talk at the initial class about educating churches, lower income neighborhoods, single parents and really, anyone interested, more than actual large scale or traditional farms.

EatYourVeggies wrote:

Earlier yesterday (21JAN2012), I was one of approximately fifty students who began a four week, Growing Groceries Mentor training class through the Washington State University Clark County Extension, here in Vancouver.
imagine how excited I was, when we were given our course materials and among them was The newest edition of The All New Square Foot Gardening Book.

Do they have educational prerequisites for this class? - and how much does the course cost? - and where else is it offered, can you find out? Please

LittleGardener wrote:

EatYourVeggies wrote:

Earlier yesterday (21JAN2012), I was one of approximately fifty students who began a four week, Growing Groceries Mentor training class through the Washington State University Clark County Extension, here in Vancouver.
imagine how excited I was, when we were given our course materials and among them was The newest edition of The All New Square Foot Gardening Book.

Do they have educational prerequisites for this class? - and how much does the course cost? - and where else is it offered, can you find out? Please

This one is $25 and the only prerequisite was the ability to eat fruit, muffins and drink coffee or juice. They provided the snacks for the first class and there was a sign up sheet for who was going to bring snacks next time.

This class was originally slated for Heritage farms in Vancouver, but was moved to Brush Prairie due to a green house not having been completed. This was the third time for the event and each time has consisted of approximately 50 students so there's definitely an interest. We don't meet up again until Feb 4th, so I will find out where else they're held for you.

Before I do and if they're okay with it, is there any chance you'd want to join this class? I can’t imagine it would matter, but sometimes the hours spent or logged warming a chair seem to be important to the schools (its all about the numbers). Just a thought. I'll wait a couple of days to see if you reply and then find out what I can for you.

The resources alone (a loose leaf notebook packed with resources and the entire curriculum, a CD containing more resources, a copy of the ANSFG book and some other stuff) is worth the cover charge alone, in my humble opinion. Dave

I have a quesion about what this means: "Washington State University Clark County Extension". I see quite often on this forum the recommendation to call your local extension agency for advice on what grows best in your area, or how to deal with certain pests, and the like. So I finally googled "Clark County Extension" and got a website, and best I could tell by following links I was just supposed to call the Master Gardeners. So is it that the Master Gardener program is an extension of the University? Is that how it is in every state? I just don't get it.

BTW, how did you find out about this class you're doing?

According to this website:

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

"The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes."

The website also has a clickable state map extension office directory.

Hey thanks UnderTheBlackWalnut. That is indeed the website I came to in my search. And that does answer my question. Looks like at least in my county, the Master Gardener volunteers are used as a component of the gardening part of the extension. I wonder if that's always the case?

Right - at least that is the case where I am with U of I (Illinois).

I'm not that versed in it, but my understanding here in this area is that Master Gardeners are trained THROUGH U of I Extension and then need to do 60 hours of internship before they are certified (hence some of the volunteering opportunities). I did find a bulletin that touches on this program in our area at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/cfiv/homeowners/111111.html So I think, at least here, the Master Gardener program is actually run by U of I Extension, thus the use of Master Gardener volunteers.

I'm gonna bet Josh and his family know way more about this in Illinois than I do...

I love my County Cooperative Extension office. I have gone in there with samples of lesions on plants to ID (Blight, etc), they also will ID insects, trees and are valuable to area farmers. The 4-H Youth Program is operated out of out extension office. They do coordinate the Master Gardener
education. They are a fabulous resource. They offer families education in household finance, gardening, canning and cooking too. I love my County Cooperative Extension office.

UnderTheBlackWalnut wrote:http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

"The Cooperative Extension System is a nationwide, non-credit educational network. Each U.S. state and territory has a state office at its land-grant university and a network of local or regional offices. These offices are staffed by one or more experts who provide useful, practical, and research-based information to agricultural producers, small business owners, youth, consumers, and others in rural areas and communities of all sizes."

The website also has a clickable state map extension office directory.

Thank you for this valuable! resource. - some friends in another county are Master-gardners, and when we lived there, we were very active in 4-H as Homeschoolers this may all be tied in together.

EatYourVeggies wrote:

LittleGardener wrote:
Do they have educational prerequisites for this class? - and how much does the course cost? - and where else is it offered, can you find out? Please

This one is $25 and they provided the snacks for the first class and there was a sign up sheet for who was going to bring snacks next time.

I will find out where else they're held for you. - any chance you'd want to join this class?

The resources alone (a loose leaf notebook packed with resources and the entire curriculum, a CD containing more resources, a copy of the ANSFG book and some other stuff) is worth the cover charge alone, in my humble opinion. Dave

Agreed Dave, the nominal fee of $25 is very reasonable.
And I will check our County's Extension office for such a class here closer.
The car needs, no less ($800 Timing-belt, & water-pump) maintenance done on it I was just told, & we have to borrow that. For such & other reasons, such is outa the question.
Thank you.