About the Master Gardener Program
Learn more about OSU Extension Master Gardener program and what a Master Gardener volunteer does. Find out about the impact we make in local communities, and how you can support the program.
Mission
Cultivating resilient and healthy communities throughout Oregon through sustainable horticulture education and gardening projects that are rooted in science and that are supported by OSU Extension volunteers.
Vision
We provide accessible and equitable education programs that nurture life-long learners and volunteers who can expand the reach and impact of science-based sustainable gardening practices to benefit all Oregonians.
Program priorities
Sustainable gardening skills
Teaching horticulture principles and practices that are grounded by research or recognized as best practices.
Plant and insect identification and education
Serving as a public resource for diagnosing plant and insect problems of our region.
Local food
Encouraging the use of sustainable techniques for successfully growing local food, food access and food security.
Native species
Promoting native species conservation and addressing concerns regarding invasive species and invasive species management, promoting ways to help native bees and other pollinators thrive in home and community landscapes.
Adaptive and accessible gardening
Promoting and educating ways to ensure access to gardening for all ages, abilities and communities.
Climate change
Teaching ways to create resilient landscapes that are adapted to our changing climate, promoting water-wise gardening practices to conserve water and minimize polluted runoff.
Cultural connection
Partnering with local community groups to create access to plants for physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing, and honoring and uplifting cultural practices and beliefs.
Soil health
Growing knowledge, care and protection of the amazing ecosystem of soil health and its value to our personal health.
Guiding Values
We are connected to Oregon State University, and use both science and local knowledge to inform our community engagement, educational outreach, and horticultural expertise. We strive to make the resources of Oregon State University accessible to all and inspire and encourage lifelong curiosity and learning through continued scientific exploration and discovery.
We are connected to our local communities, and their needs drive the work of our program. We are inclusive, where everyone is welcome, respected, valued and supported. We know that collaboration and partnership with our communities, community organizations, and neighbors make us stronger and that together, we create positive change.
We are connected to our earth, and strive for stewardship and sustainability through horticultural best practices and a conscientious approach to volunteer work in alignment with our program priorities. We aim to improve not only the lives of the people within our communities, but also the land which sustains us, and future generations.
We are driven by a sense of fun, wonder and curiosity for the natural world and a commitment of service to our local communities.
What does a Master Gardener volunteer do?
Volunteer educator
Master Gardener volunteers are community educators. Some of the ways they serve in their communities, both online and in person, include:
- staff information booths about gardening at local farmers markets
- answer questions on county Master Gardener hotlines related to plants, insects, weeds
- research answers to gardening questions sent in via email to county extension offices
- staff community events and answer gardening questions to the public
- develop online training workshops for local gardeners
- speak at community events and give training on gardening techniques
- develop and distribute community outreach materials for local gardening initiatives
- use social and traditional media to deliver gardening tips to neighborhood community groups
- demonstrate sustainable gardening techniques at county fairs, home and garden shows
- manage and work in demonstration gardens with fellow Master Gardener volunteers and community members
- support school gardening initiatives with educational components and hands-on activities
- manage and mentor in community gardens
Training
In their first year, all Master Gardener trainees complete a university-taught course about gardening. Typical topics include:
- botany essentials
- soil management
- plant nutrition
- pest identification and control
- diagnosis of plant problems
- growing vegetables
- sustainable landscape design
- fruit trees
- pollinators
In years following their first, Master Gardeners take continuing education courses to keep current on new and regionally relevant gardening information. These courses may include webinars, hands-on workshops, and online or in person classes and lectures, for example.
Are you interested in becoming a Master Gardener?
There are several different paths to becoming an OSU Extension Master Gardener volunteer.
Our impact
For more information about our yearly impacts, read our 2022 Impact Report and more about the impact we make in communities across Oregon.
Our partnerships strengthen communities
We work with community partners across the state to teach gardening skills in:
- school/youth gardens
- community gardens
- library gardens
- food bank gardens
- senior center gardens
- prison gardens
- educational/demonstration gardens
Oregon Master Gardener Association
Through our partnership with the Oregon Master Gardener Association, we work in conjunction with 23 Master Gardener associations throughout the state of Oregon. These partnerships combine research-based information and practices with real-world and on-the-ground knowledge of gardening in local communities. Associations work in coordination with county extension staff and support local programming.
Food Hero
OSU Extension Food Hero helps low-income Oregonians improve their health by increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Master Gardeners work in support of the Grow This Challenge providing education and encouragement to beginning gardeners through this educational campaign.
Thank you for supporting the Master Gardener program
The OSU Master Gardener Program Endowment is funded by grassroots donations, volunteers, family, friends and the Oregon Master Gardener Association.