The Role of Master Gardeners in Providing Horticulture Education to Marion County, Florida, Residents

Abstract

According to the Miami New Times Florida has the second fewest native residents of any state. Only 36 % of Florida’s population in 2012 are born Floridians. Newcomers to Florida often find it difficult to grow a garden in the sandy soil prevalent throughout the state. This presents an opportunity for Master Gardeners (MGs) to offer educational programs for residents to address identified needs. Among the objectives of this group are to teach residents how to build healthy soils and to explain their role in protecting the environment beginning with practices adopted in their backyard. This is achieved by using multiple venues, for instance, the extension office, garden clubs, homeowners’ associations, and public libraries, and presentation methods are utilized by MGs to teach youth and adult residents topics such as Building Healthy Soil, Composting, Vegetable Gardening, Lawn Care, and Pest Management. A year-end survey of residents participating in horticulture activities offered by the MGs showed 82 % (n-65) never took a soil test before program participation. This number declined to 25 % after the class. A total of 64 % of the respondents adopted to implement up to three gardening practices as a result of participating in horticulture programs offered by MGs and 14 % adopted four to six practices. Participation in educational activities offered by the MGs show an upward trend. For example, the Speakers’ Bureau has seen a 9 % increase in requests for educational talks between January and March 2015 compared to the same time frame in 2014. The emphasis placed on building healthy soil and the tools with which to do it are making the public more aware of the need to understand the environment as it relates to achieving productive vegetable gardens and a beautiful landscape.