Master Gardener Volunteers Work to Meet the Demand for Vegetable Gardening Information

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report /
Monroe County
963 South Raisinville Road
Monroe, Michigan48161-9754
Phone: 734-240-3170 / E-mail:
Fax: 734-240-3183
Web: msue.msu.edu/monroe
April 2010

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Master Gardener volunteers work to meet the demand for vegetable gardening information

Monroe County Master Gardeners have been essential to meeting unprecedented demand for information on raising food in Monroe area backyards and community gardens through 2009 and continuing in spring 2010. In February and March this year they have already taught and/or assisted in teaching well-attended classes on raising fruits and vegetables for community-ed programs at Monroe High School and Monroe County Community College, garden clubs and a community garden group. The Monroe Conservation District included tree fruit and bramble plants for the first time in their annual tree sale and asked for an instructional workshop to help their clients get started growing fruit. Over 40 people attended that session.

More such classes are scheduled for April including some on intensive garden techniques for a middle school science night, a senior center, and a business-sponsored garden group for people with disabilities. Two parent groups for children enrolled in Head Start, two day-care businesses, the Association of University Women and two church-sponsored community garden groups are scheduled to have Master Gardeners provide vegetable gardening training.

Master Gardeners, as individuals and teams, have committed to prepare food gardening demonstrations and displays for spring events at local library branches, community Earth Day celebrations, an agriculture awareness day for children, and a local horticulture show during April and May. All of these educational opportunities were initiated by community requests to the Monroe MSUE office and Master Gardeners. Many beginning gardeners were reached, encouraged and provided resources such as an introduction to , MSU soil testing services and explanations of integrated and organic weed and pest management techniques.

Contact person: Jennie Stanger

Participants report their actions as a result of Farmers Day

Farmers Day is an all day educational workshop, held annually. The program is planned utilizing input from local farmers from evaluations, conversations, comments made at other meetings and from input solicited from the countyFarm Bureau or Conservation District.

Farmers who participated in the 2009 and 2010 Farmers Day educational program were asked at this year’s program to fill in an evaluation what behavioral changes they had made in relation to learning that took place at the 2009 Farmers Day. The 2009 program had several educational presentations, including:

Michigan State Police regarding farm truck placarding, weights, USDOT numbers, road use and other truck regulations.

USDA FSA Office regarding the new Farm Bill Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) and Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) programs.

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Farmers Day-continued

USDA NRCS Office regarding Conservation Provisions of the new Farm Bill.
MSU Extension regarding the 2008 insect trapping program in southeast Michigan.
MSU Extension regarding soil and plant fertility recommendations.

Of the surveys returned from those who participated in the 2009 meeting, about 40 percent of the participants signed up for one of the new Farm Bill programs. Some signed up for the ACRE program as a result of the information received at the Farmers Day meeting while others signed up for one of the new Farm Bill Conservation programs.

The highest change came as a result of the State Police presentation. About 54 percent of those who responded indicated that they had followed one or more of the State Police suggestions about farm trucks, registrations, weights or licensing.

About 31 percent of those farmers indicated that they spent more time in their fields last summer scouting for insects, weeds or diseases as a result of the scouting report given at the Farmers Day program.

There were several written comments in answer to the question; what was the biggest benefit you experienced by participating in the 2009 Farmers Day program? Farmers indicated a need to have research or demonstration plots locally that they can observe and of cropping issues important to them. During the 2009 growing season research and demonstration plots were located in the county to make them accessible to farmers. About 25 percent of the participants reported that had participated in one or more of the four MSU research or demonstration plots last summer or fall.

Farmers also expressed appreciation for information about the new (2008) government farm programs. This particular Farm Bill had a number of new provisions, some of which are brand new and may be very confusing to some farmers who are not used to having so many choices.

Contact person: Ned Birkey

Meeting the demand for organic vegetable production knowledge

Organic farming has been one of the most rapidly growing areas of agriculture in the United States for the past two decades. Number of acres of certified organic farmland doubled between 1990 and 2002, and acreage doubled again between 2002 and 2005 (Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture). Food produced in organically certified production systems typically provides greater income for organic farmers due to the higher prices consumers are willing to pay for organically produced food. In addition, the majority of consumers in a nationwide food survey believed that organic foods are better for the environment (58%), are better for health (54%), and 57% thought buying and using organic foods supports small and local farmers (Whole Foods Market Survey, 2004). Therefore, there is a large and growing interest, from both growers and consumers, in organic production.

With an awareness of a growing demand for organic vegetable production information, Dr. Daniel M. Pavuk, Extension Educator offered an Organic Vegetable Production Workshop at Cabela’s in Dundee, Michigan. The workshop was co-taught with Vicki Morrone, Michigan State University Organic Agriculture Specialist, and Jennie Stanger, Monroe County Consumer Horticulture Educator. The all day workshop was attended by 18 growers who were seeking information on organic vegetable production. All of these growers that attended are small scale

growers (less than 30 acres).

Topics covered included organic management of arthropod pests and disease of vegetables, cover cropping, organic certification, soil fertility, crop rotations, and weed control methods. Many of the growers indicated that it may not be feasible for them to become organically certified, but that they still would like to incorporate organic production practices in their operations. When asked at the end of the workshop about their perceptions of the day, all of the participants rated the class as an excellent one, and expressed interest in having more indepth workshops in the future.

Contact person: Daniel M. Pavuk