Posts Tagged: benefits of Master Gardeners

What the Statewide Master Gardener Program Does for Us: Part II

This is is the second in a series of short articles on the benefits we receive from the Statewide Master Gardener Office. The Office coordinates a Statewide Master Gardener conference every few years, with the last one being in Santa Rosa in 2011.  Conferences have previously been held at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, San Jose, and Sacramento. They are always stimulating, informative, and enjoyable.  They also are a tremendous amount of work, and the state office is essential in making it happen.

The next conference will be in 2014. The results of a statewide poll are now in, and the preference for location was heavily in favor of the Tenaya Lodge near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park. The Tenaya is a beautiful facility in a gorgeous location, and I'm certainly looking forward to spending a few days there when 2014 rolls around!



What are some of your favorite memories from past conferences? Will you attend Master Gardener Conference 2014? 

What the Statewide Master Gardener Program Does for Us: Part I

This is the first of a series of short articles about the

benefits Alameda County Master Gardeners have received from the establishment of a statewide office and the hiring of a statewide coordinator in 2006. We were very fortunate to be able to hire Pam Geisel, a longtime farm dvisor and local MG coordinator in Fresno County for this role.  She has been excellent-- knowledgeable, politically savvy, foward-thinking and very competent. I have had the privilege of serving on a state advisory committee to Pam the past four years and have been able to see from the inside just how she and her office work to support and improve all county programs.

Of the many benefits that can be credited to the state office and coordinator, I think the one that has directly impacted me and all ACMGs the most has been the creation of the Volunteer Management System (VMS).  There are still a number of us who remember what it was like pre-VMS.  It seems now that our previous recordkeeping system for hours and contacts, our ability to schedule events and activities and our ability to commuicate with one another was like something out of the Stone Age.  And the VMS, thanks to our statewide office, keeps improving to meet our needs even better.  Currently they are working on version 3.0, which should be done in the next 3-6 months.

Anyone else remember our Stone Age past? Are you looking forward to the new VMS system?

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