Frederick County

Frederick County MG Program
Annual Report 2005

1. Basic Information
# of active MGs   61
# of interns   20
# of volunteer hours   4227

2. Plant Clinics
# of active plant clinic sites   2 at Farmers Markets and we also consider the Great Frederick Fair a plant clinic (runs 9 days). In addition, MGs volunteer at weekly Help Desk sessions at the MCE office during the growing season. When the horticulturalist is on vacation, MGs also run the Horticulture Help Desk.

# of plant clinics 21 Farmer’s Markets, 9 days at the Fair, 26 Horticulture Help Desk sessions (including 6 while horticulturalist on vacation).

# of residents served at plant clinics 481 at the markets, 4142 at the Fair (20% of 4142 is 828) & approximately 10 calls or visits per Help Desk Session (260). A rough estimate of plant clinic related contacts is 1500. In 2005, the horticulturalist reported the Help Desk contacts as part of office contacts, but in 2006, MGs will be asked to keep track of contacts on their volunteer logs.

3. Bay-Wise
# of new yards certified as Bay-Wise (MGs and other residents)    6 done (5 more ready to be done)
# of total Bay-Wise certified yards (all years combined)    ~ 30

4. Composting
# of composting demonstration sites   1 (2 if include Vermicomposting display at the Great Frederick Fair)
# of residents who received a compost bin   0

5. Classes taught
# of classes/workshops taught by MGs   60# of residents educated   893

6. Awards/recognition
1.   BJ Jones received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Urbana High School Future Farmers of America Program for participation in their plant sale.
2.   Annette Ipsan received an honorarium for speaking to the Garden Club of Frederick.

7. Grants:
1.   Bay-Wise Brochure—Frederick Master Gardener Jim Gallion, the coordinator of the Bay-Wise Program in Frederick County, leveraged a gift from the Frederick County’s Department of Program Development and Management, Watershed Management Section for design and printing of 5000 copies of a new Bay-Wise brochure, with an estimated value of $1550. He also donated spectacular photographs for the project. The brochure has been chosen as the prototype for similar brochures throughout the state due to its clarity and attractiveness.

2.   Native Hedgerow—An innovative Native Hedgerow was planted at the Frederick County Office of the Maryland Cooperative Extension with grant funding and other donations from Frederick County, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service and the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Received $1944.10 from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for plant material and signage; $303 worth of plant material and approximately $400 worth of donated labor from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service; $140 worth of mulch and approximately $416 worth of labor from Frederick County Parks and Recreation; and approximately $300 worth of plant material from a private nursery; with labor from Master Gardeners estimated at about $3,500.

3.   Houghton-Mifflin, Inc.—The Horticulturalist and Master Gardeners decided to try introducing an additional text for the training class, Noah's Garden: Restoring the Ecology of Our Own Backyards by Sara Stein, and approached Houghton Mifflin to inquire about their small grant program. We are receiving a fifty percent discount on this book and additional reference books for the Horticulture Help Desk. Estimated annual value: $200.

4.   Audubon Naturalist Society Bookstore is providing a 10% discount for all books ordered for the Horticulture Reference Collection. Estimated concession through 2005: $30. 7. Partners:
Please list your partners- government agencies, non-profits, schools, etc
Biology Dept., Hood College
Brickman Group
Carroll County MCE
Chesapeake Bay Trust
CMREC
Community Commons
Dutch Plant Farm
Fountain Rock Nature Center
Fred. Co. Dept. of Public Works, Watershed Mgmt.
Frederick County Parks & Recreation
Frederick News-Post
Garden House at Edenton
Home & Garden Information Center
Houghton Mifflin Company
Information & Education Technology, UMD
Kurt Bluemel, Inc.
Lincoln Elementary School
MDDNR Forest Service
North Creek Nurseries
Natural Resources and Wildlife Department, Garrett College
Recycling Office, Frederick County
Thorpewood
Washington County MCE
WMREC

8. Highlights from 2005:

1.   Frederick Master Gardeners talked with more than 4000 individuals and presented more than a dozen workshops during the 2005 Great Frederick Fair. Programs included demonstrations on Pruning, Gardening with Bluebirds, Sunflower Birdfeeders, Vermicomposting, Bog Gardening, and Chicken Tractors.

2.   Master Gardener Jim Gallion, the coordinator of the Bay-Wise Program in Frederick County, leveraged a gift from the Frederick County’s Department of Program Development and Management, Watershed Management Section for design and printing of 5000 copies of a new Bay-Wise brochure, with an estimated value of $1550. He also donated spectacular photographs for the project. The brochure has been chosen as the prototype for similar brochures throughout the state due to its clarity and attractiveness.

3.   New outreach materials were developed including a Bay-Wise brochure mentioned above; a “Bloom Where You’re Planted” bookmark with the Master Gardener mission and Frederick Office of the Maryland Cooperative Extension address and website, and Horticulture Program telephone number; a “Need Gardening Facts?” magnet with the Frederick Master Gardener logo, Horticulture program telephone number and Frederick Office of the Maryland Cooperative Extension website (about 800 of these were distributed at the Great Frederick Fair). The public was invited to attend monthly meeting programs with announcements in local newspaper calendars with the hope of expanding awareness of the program. In planning for 2006, two public events in the Demonstration Garden are planned in order to make use of the garden as a teaching tool.

4.   A Horticulture Help Desk was started, held Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. during the growing season. As part of this program, one or two Master Gardener Interns and one certified Master Gardener work together at the Cooperative Extension office responding to walk-in clientele, and phone and e-mail questions. A Horticulture Help Desk Notebook was compiled with answers to commonly asked questions and other reference materials. The Reference Library was reorganized and enhanced with the purchase of some additional reference materials.

For more information, contact Robin Hessey

Last updated: 02/21/2007