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Current York County Master Gardener Community Projects

 As a new Master Gardener trainee you may choose to focus some of your of volunteer time (10 hours) on a new community project.  Any Master Gardener may initiate a new community project by submitting a Project Approval Form. 

 The majority of your time (30 hours) in your first year of certification should be in one of our ongoing community projects as outlined below.  Master Gardener Volunteers have found that by working together on shared projects they are much more likely to succeed and have a positive Master Gardener experience. 

Kids Can Grow – Youth gardening program. Master Gardener Volunteers help develop and coordinate the program, teaching, and mentoring children. The series of classes is held on Saturdays, once a month from April – August. Volunteers also mentor participating youth at their home gardens.

Plant-A-Row for the Hungry – Program recruits farmers and home gardeners to donate produce from their farm/garden to area food pantries, shelters and senior housing projects. Master Gardeners can serve on the organizational team to coordinate this county-wide program, networking with the media and shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, etc. or give their time to gleaning/delivering produce.

Laudholm Farm Master Gardener Volunteers – Master Gardener Volunteers serve to manage the native plant demonstration garden and the pumpkin patch on the grounds of Laudholm Farm at Wells Reserve.  In addition volunteers will help coordinate educational gardening displays for the general public at public events such as Earth Day and Punkinfiddle.

Plant Sale and Raffle – Coordinated by 2-4 Master Gardeners with the Master Gardener Association Board and support from all Master Gardener Volunteers. This is a major fundraising event for the York County Master Gardener Association, to support all York County Master Gardener Projects and is usually held on a Saturday in May.

Garden Angel  -  Program links Master Gardeners (Garden Angels) with Recipients who usually are elderly persons with physical or mental and financial limitations who love to garden but need a friend/helping hand/Garden Angel to help them be able to continue gardening.

Caring Unlimited – Master Gardeners garden with residents of a Caring Unlimited Shelter in Sanford, teaching them garden basics and helping them to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables, and care for trees and shrubs.

Workshops – Held once or twice a year, this is a program offered by Master Gardeners, covering many subjects, and open to the public.

YardScaping  -  YardScaping hopes to inspire Maine people to create and maintain healthy landscapes through ecologically based practices.  A demonstration garden in the Back Cove, Portland, utilizes Master Gardener Volunteers to plant and maintain it.

Portland Flower Show – Children’s Discovery Garden – interactive educational display.

County Courthouse Gardens – development of landscape at the historic York County Courthouse in Alfred.  Note: This is pending funding coming from the county.

Examples of “Other Community Projects” - you may choose for the remaining 10 hours in your first year

Jr. Master Gardeners – a curriculum based gardening program for elementary school children; Various town, library, or school gardens; Beautification projects; Community gardens,; Farmers market educational outreach, etc.

 Updated 11/2009

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Last Modified: 09/28/09
These pages are currently being maintained from the York County Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Send comments, suggestions or inquiries to Jon Prichard
Email: jonp@umext.maine.edu

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