UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E- mail: okeechobee@ufl.edu
August
4 , 2011
Feature Article -
for immediate release
Wanted:
Friendly Green Thumbs 
People who love plants often enjoy sharing their knowledge and love of horticulture with others. This need to share plays a big part in why I love working as an Extension horticulture agent.
The University of Florida Extension Service responds to requests for good plant knowledge using trained volunteers. These volunteers are known as Master Gardeners. Okeechobee County is now looking for a few friendly folks who would like to receive Master Gardener training and then help this community.
While there are lots of gardening answers out there, many are driven by commercial interests or they may rely on limited experience. The Extension office provides horticulture answers, but with a difference: our answers are backed by research. And when the number of requests exceeds the amount of agent time, volunteers are asked to pitch in to help keep the community green.
Would you or someone you know like to join the ranks of thousands of Master Gardeners from all over the world? Being a Master Gardener will involve completing a comprehensive training program and then providing 75 hours of service back to the local community by next year.
Trained volunteers will receive plenty of handouts and a shirt. The program fee this year is $150, and will cover the cost of training materials. One-third of the fee ($50.00) will be returned when the volunteer provides 75 hours of service.
Class begins September 8
The training class will begin on
Tuesday September 8th and continue for twelve
weeks every Tuesday until November 15th. Classes
will start at 9 A.M. and finish around 4 P.M. We are
currently planning our classes in cooperation with the Indian
River County Extension office in Vero Beach, with the
majority of the classes being taught here in Okeechobee.
Trained volunteers may be asked to answer routine horticultural questions here in our office, or they may be placed with other volunteer groups that need a gardening expert.
Near the top of my list is my desire to get kids and plants together. Our 4-H clubs are very active with animal livestock projects. The need is critical this year for persons wishing to lead community gardening groups and to assist in the maintenance of the downtown butterfly garden. We need 4-H leaders in Okeechobee that can help grow great kids and great gardens.
There is no prerequisite of gardening knowledge for prospective Master Gardeners. However, persons who wish to be volunteers do need good people skills and an enthusiastic attitude.
Get a Sprouting Kit
If you are interested, call me! We can send you the "sprouting kit", or you can view it on-line at this web page: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/Master%20Gardeners/MG.Sprouting.Kit.htm. It has more information about the Master Gardener Program, and includes an application.
Return the application along with the program fee, and schedule an interview. Applications must be received by Monday August 22 in order to be a part of the class that begins on Tuesday September 8, 2011.
If you need additional information
on the Master Gardener program, or to request a Sprouting
Kit and application, call or stop by our office at 458
Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is (863) 763-6469, and you
can email me at indianco@ufl.edu
Go
Gators!
-30-
The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/
affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function
without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service / IFAS /
University
of
Florida.
Millie
Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.
Last
update: 08/04/2011. This page is maintained by Dan
Culbert