The Oregon State University Extension Service provides a multitude of programs, education services and information to all Oregonians. One of these educational services is the Master Gardener Program.

One of these people is Signe Danler, who manages the online training program and recommends anyone interested in the program read the Oregon Master Gardener Association website and their page of the OSU Ask Extension site. 

This association aids in the creation and maintenance of community gardens and works to promote gardening in its communities, according to their mission statement. 

Additionally, they aim to educate people on plants, insects and sustainable gardening. This is often done by working at farmers’ markets, helping in said community gardens, and, of course, running the Master Gardener service of the Ask Extension. 

The goal of the Master Gardener Program, according to their website, is to teach the best and most sustainable horticulture practices, encourage the growing of food, help identify and educate people about soil, plants and insects, and work to conserve and protect native species. They are also working to help protect the environment and mitigate climate change. 

This service is headed currently by Brooke Edmunds and takes on many volunteers and staff, including Kendal Johnson, who cites multiple benefits to the Ask Extension over other methods of learning about gardening. 

“The benefit would be locally relevant, scientifically accurate information being distributed vs the randomness that people can find online,” Johnson said. 

The Master Gardeners also run a training program, which teaches about botany, soil management, and other topics beneficial to the processes of gardening and sustainability. 

Anyone interested in joining this program can find the process in their page of the Ask Extension website.