Masters of the Garden: County cultivators reap award for excellence
The Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardeners are cultivating a reputation for distinction with their latest award.The Master Gardeners in the county won the 2020 David Gibby Search for Excellence Award in the workshops/presentations category.The award was announced via a Zoom meeting Tuesday, said Lisa Marie Bernardo, a registered nurse and a Master Gardener in Butler County since 2003, who submitted the prize application.The David Gibby Search for Excellence program recognizes outstanding work of Master Gardeners throughout Pennsylvania.The recognition program includes six categories in which Master Gardeners can demonstrate outstanding contributions to their communities: youth programs, demonstration garden, innovative projects, workshops/presentations, special needs audience, and community service projects.That win in the presentation category specifically means a series of columns local Master Gardeners have published in the Butler Eagle.According to Bernardo, “we have dedicated news space to write about gardening-related topics of interest to the more than 187,000 residents of Butler County.
“The goal of our column is to provide timely, science-based horticultural information that residents can apply in their home gardens and landscapes,” she said.Bernardo said the column satisfies the outreach mission of Penn State Extension by publishing unbiased research-based information to educate the community on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship.While the Master Gardener column in the Butler Eagle has been in existence for years, the years 2018 to 2020 have seen a strong surge in publications.From April 2018 to August, 2020, more than 85 articles were published. Topics range from home vegetable and flower gardening, landscaping, pollinators, insects, Master Gardener events, Master Gardener demonstration gardens, indoor plants and other environmentally focused subjects.Out of 96 active Master Gardeners and 13 apprentices in Butler County, 15 (15.7%) have published articles, with many of these 15 publishing frequently and consistently.
“Our column has a significant impact on Butler County residents as well as the Master Gardener program,” said Bernardo.She noted many of the column readers recognize Master Gardener writers from their published photos.And the columns get a reaction, Bernardo said.“Readers write responses to our column, which are published in the Butler Eagle. County commissioners receive laudatory comments from their constituents on the value of our column.“Our Garden Hotline receives calls based on our articles, and our articles serve as references for Hotline volunteers,” said Bernardo.
Not only is this the first Excellence Award for the Butler County Master Gardeners, but they notched the only award given in the workshops/presentation category this year.“I applied because I felt the Butler Eagle gives us an opportunity to educate the public on gardening practices,” Bernardo said.“I feel the consistency and frequency of the columns deserved recognition,” she added.“I don't remember anyone ever applying in 15 years,” said Diane Dallos, coordinator for the Butler County Master Gardeners.Dallos said the award comes with a certificate and a monetary prize.Master Gardeners started in Pennsylvania in 1982, according to the Penn State Extension website.Currently, there are more than 3,400 Master Gardeners in 65 Pennsylvania counties.The Master Gardener program began in 1972 in Seattle, Wash., in response to an intense public demand for information about plant problems.David Gibby and Bill Scheer, area Extension agents in King and Pierce counties, met to explore avenues to most effectively address the needs of the backyard gardener. Among approaches considered was the concept of recruiting and training volunteers to serve the urban audience.This freed Gibby and Scheer from constantly reacting to public demand and allowed them to be proactive in fulfilling educational needs.As both Gibby and Scheer had worked in Germany acquiring language proficiency and understanding of culture, they knew Germans bestow titles for hard-earned proficiency levels in various crafts.The top proficiency level in horticulture is denoted by “Gartenmeister,” which they Anglicized as Master Gardener.The Master Gardener program is administered at the county level where recruitment, training and volunteer service take place.Master Gardener trainees are required to participate in a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training, score 80 percent on the final exam and fulfill 50 hours of volunteer service.
Basic training classes include the following topics: botany, plant propagation, soil health and fertilizer management, composting, controlling pests safely, entomology, plant diseases, indoor plants, vegetables, lawn care, pruning, woody ornamentals, herbaceous plants, native plants, weeds and invasive plant species.Each trainee is expected to attend all core classes with any missed sessions being made up by reviewing the online recorded training class.Master Gardener volunteers support Penn State Extension's educational programs in consumer horticulture.They develop their horticultural expertise through participation in educational training classes conducted by Penn State University faculty and Extension staff.After completing their training, Master Gardeners help the Extension better serve the home gardening public by answering questions, speaking to groups, writing gardening articles, working with youth, gardening in the demonstration gardens and participating in the Penn State pollinator research program.
