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The Latest Dirt - May 2024

Why Do I Like Working on the Growing Gardener Project?

Article By Ann Ramirez
Photos by Hedwig Van Den Broeck-Claeys

UC Master Gardener Lori Palmquist enthusiastically teaches at a recent Growing Gardeners course.
UC Master Gardener Lori Palmquist enthusiastically teaches at a recent Growing Gardeners course.
Spring is here, and Summer is coming. We had our first group of enthusiastic beginning vegetable gardeners in February and are now beginning our May course.

UC Master Gardener Greg Letts demonstrates various tools used to garden.
UC Master Gardener Greg Letts demonstrates various tools used to garden.
Growing Gardeners has been called a light version of the New Volunteer Training program and has been a steppingstone to becoming a UC Master Gardener volunteer. The program provides student gardeners with the knowledge to identify their growing conditions to optimize their success. By the end of the course, the students will have greater confidence in their ability to start a vegetable garden and improve their skills for better outcomes and volumes. The foundational, evidence-based gardening information planned for our in-person session allows full-circle knowledge to promote a positive vegetable gardening experience. The “Aha” moment, when the students can match the information with the task seen in the demonstration garden, is rewarding.

We are fortunate to have a wonderful team that comes together to provide a valuable resource to our community. This unique program offers 12 hours of gardening education, accessible to the working public, as the classes are held on Saturdays. The Zoom classes have opened up participation to students from all over the county, eliminating the need for commuting and fostering a sense of community.

A line of CoCoMGs volunteer at a recent Growing Gardeners Course held at Our Garden Walnut Creek.
A line of CoCoMGs volunteer at a recent Growing Gardeners Course held at Our Garden Walnut Creek.
 We are incredibly grateful for our group of dedicated UC Master Gardeners: presenters, hosts, support during the Zoom and the in-person session, registration, sending surveys, correspondence with students, advertising for the program, managing teaching materials, collecting money for booklets, sending certificates at the end of the 4 weeks and many other tasks that keep the program rolling. This marvelous group of MG produces a smooth, comprehensive program from which our students are ready to produce, develop, and manage a productive vegetable garden! Their dedication and hard work are truly commendable.

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