2022 in Review

RCMG continued to grow in many ways in 2022.

Total RCMG Volunteers: 336

RCMG grew 114% between 2021 and 2022.

• Active 207

• Intern 70

• Emeritus Active 26

• Emeritus Retired 21

• Leave of Absence 12

• Departing 28

Volunteer Achievements

Every year volunteers contribute their passion, energy and time to serving in our community and sharing the science-based education received by being in the Master Gardener Program. We'd like to recognize the accomplishments of the following RCMG volunteers.

• Leonard Gloeb Outstanding Service Award: Announced by RCMG Board Soon!

• Ralph Thrane Extraordinary Partnership Award: Announced by RCMG Board Soon!

• 10 Years of Service: Cynthia Anderson, Trish Flannigan, Tina Hammer, Linda Minter, Deborah O'Halloran, Jeanne St.Claire, Bridget Toskey, Ann Wolfe

• 15 Years of Service: Mary Beagan, Angie Hoffmann-Walter, Sharon O'Connor, Megan Phinney, Ed Shinbach, Kathleen Smith

• 20 Years of Service: Susan Oven, Joan Sorenson

• 25 Years of Service: Susan Von Mosch

• 2,000+ Hours of Service: Joe Baltrukonis, Nanette Boudreau

• 4,000+ Hours of Service: Brianna Gohde

• 6,000+ Hours of Service: Bob Bystrom

Intern Cohort

Once again, RCMG hosted the largest cohort in the program history; there were 59 people in the 2022 cohort and 4 people continuing from the 2021 cohort.

Of the 2022 cohort, 73% fulfilled certification requirements during the year. Most plan to complete their internships in 2023.

Mentoring

Following the incredibly large combined 2020-2021 intern cohorts, there was a decline in the availability of mentors and RCMG asked the State Leadership Team (SLT) for help. The RCMG New Member Committee and SLT devised a "State-Mentoring" option to augment the local RCMG mentors. Incoming 2022 interns were asked in a survey to choose between the options. Of the 59 interns, 23 choose to be part of the State Mentor Team. This option was not well-received and many of the interns in the State-Mentoring group were adopted by local Intern-Mentor Teams over the course of the year. The State-Mentoring team will not be revisited in 2023.

Expectations for mentors were revisited and the responsibilities for tracking interns' progress towards completing their certification requirements was removed; this information was tracked by Darren. Brianna and the New Member Committee chairs. This alleviated one of the major stressors from 2021.

Volunteer training was also removed from Mentor Teams and moved to the beginning of monthly meetings. The goal was to provide a single training for all interns and returning volunteers. While the presented topics were appreciated, the training time (6;6:30pm) took time that was previously used for Mentor Team meetings and for volunteer socialization. The formal volunteer trainings will not continue in 2023, though recordings are available on the Train-the-Trainer section of the Continuing Education page.

Mentor Teams

Geographically-located Mentor Teams were formed again this year. Though rather than a loose pool of interns and mentors, interns were each paired with a single mentor, and those pairs were combined with other nearby pairs to form the Mentor Teams. These teams were encouraged to connect socially through garden home visits and many pursued projects in their neighborhoods. (ex. the Highland Park Pavilion Garden and the Garden of Good Hearts) This helped to build the community that many interns were seeking when joining the RCMG program.

Departing MGs

The number of volunteers leaving RCMG also increased in 2022. Several (6) left the program because they moved far from Ramsey County MN but most left because of changes to availability to volunteer or changes in priority/interest.

Several others were removed from the program automatically when their Background Check and Safety of Minors Training certification expired and they chose not to renew those before the end of the year.

Alternate Volunteer Name Badges

Responding to the concerns of some volunteers and the communities that they serve, we are now able to provide RCMG volunteers with a generic name badge, which removes the term, "Master Gardener." This design has been reviewed and is approved by the State Leadership Team and the University of MN Extension, who recognize the value of having this option available. These badges are only available upon request and interested volunteers must submit in a formal request.

Project Leader Training

As RCMG grows and develops new projects, we need volunteers who are willing to step into those leadership roles. To help volunteers do that, Darren led a New Project Leadership Workshop in 2022 which outlined expectations for volunteers stepping into a new role as a project leader (coordinator) and sharing with them a number of new tools, including the following:

• An updated RCMG Projects webpage (which hosts Project Catalog and New Project Proposal form)

• Volunteer Project Leader Role Description Template

• SUG Event Detail Template

• 2022 Project Reporting Form

• Photo & Media Release Form

• After-Project Review Template

• RCMG Incident Report Form

• State Master Gardener Volunteer Program promotional material

Project Funding

The RCMG Board of Directors heard requests from volunteers for additional funding to support existing projects and to jumpstart new projects in 2022. They invested $14,750 in board votes to the following projects.

• Garden Gnome Youth Project (NEW) $800; Feb 202

• Arts Us Community Youth Project (expanding) $3000; April 2022

• Healing Gardens at the Muriel Sahlin Arboretum in Roseville (NEW) $800; Jul 2022

• Garden of Good Hearts (NEW) $150; Aug 2022

• Barn Demonstration Gardens (expanding) $10,000; Sept 2022

NEW Volunteer Activities

RCMG developed several new ways for volunteers to get involved locally. Many of these projects are expected to continue in 2023.

• Demonstration Garden on the State Fair Grounds (Julie Coopet)

• Food preparation demonstrations (Beth Fritcher, Roseville Urban Orchard) & (Gene Raneiri, C.L.U.E.S. community garden)

• Frogtown Gardens (Patricia Ohmas & Chris Stevens)

• Garden Gnomes (Susan Cathey)

• Garden of Good Hearts (Fabienne Bridges & Jamie Aussendorf)

• Gopher Adventures (Susan Cathey & Ed Shinbach)

• Healing Gardens (Martha Lantz and Susan Mitchell)

• Monthly Meeting Journalist (Mindy Johnson, Colleen Bell)

• Youth Classes with Hayden Heights Library (Susan Cathey)

New projects are reviewed by the Program Coordinator, Darren. For volunteers leading projects, a new “project leader” job description has been developed and is being adapted to existing roles.

IMPROVED Volunteer Activities

RCMG continues to re-evaluate existing projects and activities for a post-COVID world and with the changes to our program direction and goals.

• The At-Home Projects for growing a pollinator-supporting or food-donation garden, or propagating plants for those in need has become more organized and has become a formal project offered by the State Leadership Team.

• RCMG Barn Garden Coordinator, Jeanne Buck, divided the workload for the demonstration garden and created smaller committees, each led by other vested volunteers.

• Gene Raneiri took over developing the Community Garden House-call project and spent much of the summer developing relationships with many community gardens in Ramsey County.

• The 2021 program, Garden Coaches became Garden Partners in 2022 and a new focus was put on improving Teacher-Volunteer alignment within the St Paul Public Schools. (Susan Cathey)

• Garden Journalists (Tina Hammer & Maddy Kaudy) created a new model for recruiting and vetting volunteers who want to write for the website.

• The High Rise Garden Mentor program used a hybrid teaching model that alternated between online lectures and in-person, hands-on activities to help spread garden information to residents in the St Paul Housing Association. (Roger Hinze, Jamie Aussendorf)

• The Plant Sale, RCMG's primary fund-raiser, was returned to an in-person in May 2022. (Cheryl Brady)

• The Speakers Bureau trialed combined classes in late 2022, bringing together residents from multiple community education groups to create larger classes.. (Brianna Gohde)

DISCONTINUED Volunteer Activities 2022

Volunteer projects sometimes come and go. In 2022 there were only a few projects

• There was no formal Awards and Recognition Celebration held in 2022.

• The Como Park and Conservatory Pollinator Project continues to be on hold and may not return in the format it existed in the summer of 2019.

• The Diagnostic Clinic has failed to find a place in the new reality, lacking both an willing volunteer coordinator, interested volunteers, or eager residents.

• The online “Garden Q&A LIVE” events had poor attendance from both residents and volunteers in 2021 and was not continued in 2022.

• The Ramsey County Fair was not held in 2022, meaning RCMG was not able to participate in the annual booth hosted by the Department of Environmental Health.

RCMG offered a wide variety of options for volunteers to increase their knowledge and skills in 2022. The Continuing Education web page was reviewed and updated to make it easier to find recordings and other sources of continuing education.

Monthly Meetings The Education Committee brought in top notch speakers like

• Tim Wilson (Farm at the Arb updates),

• Amanda Reardon (Hydroponics),

• Pete Boulay (How Minnesota is Preparing for Climate Change),

• Laura Van Riper (Jumping Worm updates),

• Carrol Henderson (Hummingbirds of the Americas),

• Danielle Brady (Bridging the Gap of Poverty),

• Dr Lee Frelich (Future climate and tree species in the Twin Cities metro),

• Keith Piotrowski (Improvements in Soil Testing Services for Urban and Suburban Gardeners), and

• Heather Holm (What's the Buzz About Native Bees).

Recordings available on the monthly meetings page for 2023 Continuing Education credit.

Cross-County Meetings (Resumed in 2022)

The Education Committee coordinated a tour of Gibbs Farm hosted by Clare Holte in August, and RCMG was joined by Master Gardeners from Washington County. Shared monthly meetings with Washington County Master Gardeners has been a long-standing tradition in RCMG that was interrupted due to COVID-19. This is the first cross-county meeting since 2019.

Garden Gate Tours (Expanded in 2022) Home tours of RCMG volunteers' gardens returned in late 2022. The Garden Gate Tours are organized by the Education Committee. Special safety precautions – shoe covers and boot brush – were used to minimize the risk of spreading Jumping Worm. Many thanks to the RCMG volunteers who hosted tours in 2022!

Spring Garden Gate Tours

• Darren Lochner

• Lisa Pearson

• Karen Randall

Summer Garden Gate Tours

• Cynthia Anderson

• Colleen Bell

• Simba Blood

• Sarah Broughton

• Gary Degrande

• Nancy Joyer

• Alex Meyer

• Aimee Schaefer

• Katherine Tane

• Linnea Tani

• Laurel Watt

Fall Garden Gate Tours

• Theresa Cunningham

• Katie Swanson

Tomato Tours (NEW in 2022)

Jennifer Porwit and Joe Baltrukonis opened their house to RCMG volunteers in the spring to show their amazing tomato seedling-starting set-up. Jennifer and Joe grew over 1,000 tomato plants for the RCMG plant sale in 2022 and they would love to see more volunteers growing plants (especially tomatoes!) from seed.

Train-the-Trainer Events RCMG volunteers shared their knowledge with others this year in a Train-the-Trainer event in the spring. Jennifer Porwitt taught about Starting Tomatoes from Seed, Darren Lochner talked about How to Design a New Project for RCMG, and Brianna Gohde taught a class about Winter Seed Sowing.

Recordings available on the Train-the-Trainer page for 2023 Continuing Education credit.

Volunteer Training (NEW in 2022)

Darren Lochner and Brianna Gohde led short training sessions before the monthly meetings. These volunteer training were designed to help new members learn more about both being a volunteer and being part of the RCMG group.

• Navigating the RCMG Website

• Navigating the State Website

• Using SignUp Genius – for volunteers

• Using SignUp Genius – for project leaders

• Entering Hours

• Reviewing Volunteer Etiquette

• Tabling an Event/Branding

• RCMG Leadership at All Levels

• Building an Annual Report

Recordings available on the Train-the-Trainer page for 2023 Continuing Education credit. RCMG Book Club RCMG Book Discussion group that meets every-other-month on the 4th Tuesday. In 2022, the group read the following titles. Copies of these books are available in the RCMG Lending Library for all volunteers to read for 2023 Continuing Education credit

• Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard (January)

• The Seed Keeper by by Diane Wilson (March)

• The Book of Hope: a Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall (May)

• The Nature Principle by Richard Louv (July)

• Deep-rooted Wisdom: Skills and Stories From Generations of Gardeners by Augustus Jenkins Farmer (September)

• The Hidden Half of Nature: the Microbial Roots of Life & Health by David R. Montgomery & Anne Biklé (November)

Poinsettia Reblooming Like in 2021, a small number of volunteers participated in a year-long home project to learn how to save, prune, and then re-red poinsettias.

Local Services

RCMG leadership – Extension staff, Board leaders, Committee Chairs and other volunteer leaders – helped develop new tools and resources to support all RCMG volunteers.

• Technology and tools were purchased to support a hybrid option for month meetings allows volunteers to meet in-person and join remotely. This required the purchase of new laptop computers, a microphone and web-camera, and several other items to make the format work.

• A Skills & interest survey was sent to all volunteers and results were received from over 2/3 of volunteers. The information is being used to pair volunteers with activities in their areas of interest, recruit help for positions that need specialty skills, and determine the path forward for our evolving program.

• The Board of Directors began the process to review and update official documents, starting with the RCMG Policy & Procedures Manual, Intern Support web page, and Mentor Guidelines.

• Several new templates were created for volunteers to use, including the Project Leader Job Description template, SignUp Genius Event Information template, Project "After-Action" Report template.

• New online forms were offered to volunteers to support them, including the Volunteer Concerns/Incident Report form, Project Reporting form, and Alternate Name Badge Request form. This provided easy ways for volunteers to submit and request information.

• New online tools were developed for helping volunteers access information, like the Onboarding page for interns,

Extension & State Services

• Darren Lochner, Program Coordinator celebrated his 2-year anniversary in July.

• The weekly meetings for volunteer program leadership changed to once-monthly for formal meetings on the first Wednesday of the month, with subsequent Wednesdays available upon request or for "office hours."

• The Climate Ready Garden training was launched in late summer 2022.

• The State Leadership Team unveiled their new Strategic Plan 2022-2027.

• Brianna Gohde joined the State Advisory Board, along with Frank Dolejsi who is serving as Ex-officio.

RCMG Committees

• The Education Chairs was led by Sue Ellen Campbell and Jane Carlestrom. They organized speakers and expanded the Garden Gate Tours in 2022.

• The New Member Chairs was lead by Kay Wimer and Judie Ginter. They were joined by Karen Randall in late summer 2022 to help evaluate the intern and mentor experience.

• The Communications Committee was led by Nanette Boudreau and Stacy Sola. In addition to increasing the reach and scope of the RCMG Facebook account, they developed the RCMG Instagram account and began developing an RCMG Flickr account. This team was instrumental in developing new signs at the Barn Gardens, the Healing Garden project, and several others in the community.

• The Web Team, led by Chris Beal and joined by Ann Kulenkamp developed new processes for collecting and responding to requests/feedback for the RCMG website. The Board of Directors, Projects, Continuing Education, and Quick Links pages were all updated. An online shopping option for the RCMG volunteer-only pre-sale was created and used to great success, leveraging the lessons learned from the 2021 online plant sale. A new section of the website was developed to highlight Featured Projects and how the impact our local community.

RCMG Board

Interim Support Laurel Watt and Kathy Passe stepped in to help support Board members Gretchen Hesli and Amy Davis respectively as secretary and treasurer during 2022.

Board Members Transitioning into 2023

• Nate Galloway retired to Board Chair-emeritus and Sandy MacDonald became Board chair.

• Board of Director elections were held in November 2022. RCMG volunteers elected Julie Bechtold as vice-chair; Gretchen Hesli as secretary (2nd term); and Kathy Passe as treasurer.

• Sue Ellen Campbell leaves the Education Chair position and is followed by Jane Carlstrom as Education Chair. Simba Blood joins Jane as co-chair for 2023.

• Kay Wimer leaves the New Member Chair position and is followed by Judie Ginter as 2023 New Member Chair. Karen Randall joins Judie as co-chair for 2023.

• Nanette Boudreau steps down to become Communications Committee co-chair and Stacy Sola became the new Communications Committee chair,