Our Mission:
We prepare volunteers to be peer educators who build relationships with community audiences to integrate local experience and research-based knowledge in planning for and initiating steps to manage gardens, lawns, and landscapes with an emphasis on food security and environmental stewardship.
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July 15th Horticulture Update -
The Time in Ripe: Creating an More Inclusive MGV Program
Many of you have contacted me over the last few weeks, concerned about how our MGV programs reflect our communities, and interested in ways that we can change this. There are many ways CCE MGV programs can create a more inclusive environment for volunteers through recruiting and connecting to other beginner gardening programs we offer and using multi-media outlets to reach new people. Here are some ideas to recruit people from all backgrounds and experience levels to your next MGV Training:
1. Taking Stock of Your Audience: What partnerships with diverse community stakeholders do you already have, and how are you already reaching out to racially diverse, economically diverse and age diverse audiences? Where are these diverse audiences consuming media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram)? Here is an article to get you thinking about promotion of your programs in the digital, COVID-19 age: The Influencers of Pandemic Gardening
2. Removing Barriers to Access: This includes reducing volunteer hour requirements, scheduling training sessions on weekends, promoting a pre-college "gap year" MGV service option, or offering scholarships for volunteers who can't pay for the MGV training, and/or scholarships for young adults to attend a Horticulture undergrad or community college program. While we are not a top down system like other states, each county can adopt policies and practices that appeal to people from all walks of life. See our recommended minimum Program Standards for ideas on hours requirements in COVID-19 and potential MGV candidate characteristics to look for.
3. Telling Our Story: Many CCE staff were involved in this conversation with Professor John Trybus about the importance of storytelling in our CCE culture. This is more true now than ever, with our increased online presence and the opportunity to reach new audiences. From having a "hook" to grab people's attention, to highlighting one person in your online channels (videos, presentations or newsletters) that can tell the story of their community and gardening with CCE, there are many creative ways of recruiting diverse volunteers. We have to look at who we are and who we want to be, so that we make our program welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities, with a common purpose to learn, volunteer and advance our mission. Follow this workbook on Strategic Storytelling to really promote your MGV training and volunteer efforts across your community in meaningful ways.
A Few Success Stories from our Network:
- In Suffolk County, Roxanne Zimmer has pivoted their in-person Speakers Bureau to online Zoom offerings in partnership with local libraries - so far 82 gardening programs have reached a far wider audience of county residents! Reaching out to participants in your recent online classes is one way to recruit.
- Monroe, Dutchess, Orange, Cattaraugus, Tioga, Suffolk and Tompkins County offer part or full scholarships for adults, as well as payment plans for those interested in the MGV program
- Ontario County, Erie County and Putnam County all offer scholarships to young people looking to pursue horticulture degrees, a great way to potentially recruit college-age students to the MGV program.
- The Sustainable Landscapes and Horticulture PWT will be creating clonable website pages to be used by all CCE Horticulture Programs, to help tell our story statewide and promote our focus on community service, food security and environmental stewardship resources from Cornell - stay tuned!
- We've added content to our Cornell Garden-Based Learning Library all about working with Seed to Supper and Group Gardens, focused on equity and gardening resources, and Gardening with Youth! Interested in learning more about our course offerings all about the library? Contact alm443@cornell.edu
Building Inclusive Organizations and Gardening Programs - Inspiration For Volunteers and Educators:
The first installment of the series focuses on the history of systemic racism. Join Cornell faculty Verónica Martínez-Matsuda, Riché Richardson, and Tony Byers, who discuss the historical significance of this moment and the importance of taking actions that will move our country forward.
Utica's One World Garden Project with Cornell's Rust 2 Green Program:
In 2012 Cornell’s Rust2Green Utica’s university-community partnership worked with Utica’s Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees (MVRCR) to secure a planning grant from the Open Spaces Sacred Places (OSSP) Program of Baltimore’s TKF Foundation. This was the first step towards transforming 3 vacant City-owned lots on Park Avenue into a new public space dedicated to multi-cultural diversity, inclusion and creative expression.
Please send your newsletter stories, ideas and professional development opportunities to:alm443@cornell.edu.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATORS & VOLUNTEERS
eCornell Keynotes: Daily Webinars from Leaders on Sustainability and Food:
Recent Cornell Garden-Based Learning Recorded Webinars (MGV Continuing Education Hours):
Seed to Supper Webinars:
Vegetable Varieties Trial Garden Webinars:
Sustainable Landscapes Lunch and Learn Webinars:
All Other CCE County Gardening Classes Listed below and at:
A few highlighted CCE educational opportunities include:
CCE Tompkins - ZOOM Virtual Class: Tried and True Tips for a Flourishing Flower Garden
Wednesday, July 15, 2020, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Looking to have lovely flower blooms all through the growing season? Master Gardener, Teresa Craighead joins us to share "Tips from Master Gardeners: What we know now that we wish we knew when we were beginning ornamental gardeners". She will dive into ways to increase production, longevity, and repeated blooms. Her tips can help you develop a flower garden that will be a treasure for you and everyone in your neighborhood!
***A confirmation email goes out after you register (coming from jrc10@cornell.edu). PLEASE look for this email after you register, as it has important links to attend the class. If you DO NOT find the email, please email Margaret Royall at mr2285@cornell.edu asap.***
Fee: $0-$30 solidarity sliding scale, pay what you can
Register Here
CCE Putnam - Backyard Chickens for Beginners
Tuesday, July 14th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
The Beginning Chicken class will cover everything you need to know about raising your own chickens for fun or profit including housing and feeding needs, health management, weather and predator concerns, using mobile chicken tractors and egg mobiles, and caring for other poultry breeds. The presentation will be an hour long with a question and answer session to follow. Additionally, we will provide a digital packet with all the resources you need to be a successful poultry grower!
CCE Putnam - Summer in the Vegetable Garden
July 21st, 7:00 -8:00 PM
Join CCE Educators and Master Gardener Volunteers for an update on what to do in the vegetable garden this time of year. We will talk about insects and diseases to scout for, what you can plant in the coming months, and how to harvest and store your veggies to preserve their quality.
Register Here: Events Page
CCE Chemung - Zoom Virtual Class: Perennial Gardening
Wednesday, July 22, 2020; 3:00 – 4:00 PM. There is nothing more beautiful than a perennial garden that blooms from late spring to first frost. Join two of our Master Gardeners as they discuss some common perennials for USDA Zone 5 gardens and give tips and hints for maintaining a successful perennial garden.
Speaker: Ken Wida and Chris Gagliado, Chemung County Master Gardeners
Fee: Free, but $3 donation helps support CCE Chemung Master Gardener Program. Please make your check payable to CCE Chemung, and mail to:
425 Pennsylvania Avenue
Elmira, NY 14904
Register Here
CCE Broom - Zoom Virtual Classes
Meet the Beneficial Insects
Wednesday, July 29th, 6:30 pm
Beneficial insects are nature’s pest control. Get an introduction to the beneficial insects you may find in your own backyard and plants they need for survival. We’ll go beyond the pollinators and meet some predatory and parasitic insects and other arthropods and learn ways to attract them and keep them working in your yard. This class will be presented online via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.
Fee: The cost is $10.00/per email address.
Register Here
Planting Fall Vegetables –
Wednesday, August 5th, 6:30 pm
August is the time to plan and plant certain cool season crops for a fall harvest. Learn succession cropping and season extension techniques in this online class offered via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.
Fee: The cost is $10.00/per email address.
Register Here
Growing Great Garlic -
Wednesday, August 19, 6:30 pm
Soon we will be seeing “seed garlic” for sale at markets and farm stands. Learn what it takes to grow great heads of garlic in your own garden. Planting, growing, harvesting, curing and preserving techniques will all be discussed in this online course offered via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.
Fee: The cost is $10.00/per email address.
Register Here
Healing Gardens –
Thursday, August 13th ,6:30pm
Learn first-hand about the many therapeutic aspects of gardens and the development of the Healing Garden at Lourdes Hospital from one of its designers Broome County Master Gardener, Jenna Cook. We’ll review information from the American Horticultural Therapy Association (AHTA) We’ll review how a healing garden works, different types of healing gardens, how you can use a healing garden and how it can benefit you. This online course will be offered via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.
Fee: The cost is $10.00/per email address.
Register Here
For more information about this class please call 607-772-8953 or email Dan Cargill – dec24@cornell.edu
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