An opportunity for learning and fun OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer class

By Marilyn McKinley

OSU master gardener volunteer

OSU Extension is accepting applications for the 2017 class.

Have you thought about becoming a master gardener volunteer? Want to know about this exciting program?

It was conceived as part of the nationwide extension system. Ohio State University and other land-grant universities and colleges around the country conduct master gardener volunteer classes to enhance local communities.

So what will you learn? The importance of pollinators, what those numbers on the fertilizer bag mean, how plants survive, the difference between heirlooms and hybrids, herbs, perennials and much more.

We get to the basics and help you understand the science of plants in a fun way.

You do not need to be a scientist to understand the material. We work through activities on growing fruits and vegetables, as well as get our hands dirty in the soil while learning the building blocks of a great garden.

Many opportunities await during the training and volunteer service. Got a bad back? Knees ache? Don’t worry. Our motto is, “We are leaders, not weeders!”

With a group in nearly every county in Ohio, we are Ohio State University Extension-trained volunteers empowered to educate others with timely research-based gardening information.

You may choose to help with our community gardening programs, work and learn in our Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, help grow plants with school children, write articles, teach classes, work with bugs affecting local farms, record phenology data on plants and more. Our project list is long and ever-changing.

So what’s in it for you? You’ll gain increased confidence in your gardening and horticultural skills, a sense of pride when you help other gardeners find the answer for common garden questions and fellowship and friendships with other gardeners. You’ll find a new love for gardening while learning something new all the time.

There’s no better time to start than now. We’re offering an information session at 10 a.m. Jan. 27 at the Extension office in Canfield. We’ll answer your questions and share our love of the master gardener volunteer program.

Once you’ve decided this is the program for you, simply complete an application and we’ll help you through the process. The training starts March 14 and lasts nine weeks. After training, we work side by side through the intern process.

We are a group of diverse, community-minded people. If your passion is gardening, please consider joining us. You can download an application at http://go.osu.edu/newmgv.