2023 in Review

RCMG continued to grow in many ways in 2023.

Total RCMG Volunteers: 381

RCMG grew 113% between 2022 and 2023.

• Active 241

• Intern 83

• Emeritus Active 23

• Emeritus Retired 21

• Leave of Absence 2

• Departing 31

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: Frank Dolejsi

• Ralph Thrane Extraordinary Partnership Award: Jeanne Buck

• 10 Years of Service: Donna Andersen, Betty Biernat, Jan Brunell, Jeanne Buck, Frank Dolejsi, Barb Frederick, Gretchen Hesli, Therese Kohs Gilbertson, Carol Lantto, Sally Prouty, Shobhana Rao

• 15 Years of Service: Jenean Cordon, Sharon Hardy, Elaine Noel, Nilgun Tuna

• 20 Years of Service: JoAnne Sabin, Tom Voigt, Rena Wiltfang-Roepke

• 25 Years of Service: Roger Hintze, Kate Pickford, Kathleen Rivard

• 1, 000+ Hours of Service: Cynthia Anderson, Jeanne Buck, Chris Kraft, Christine Strong, Lynette Thompson

• 2,000+ Hours of Service: Carol Mollner, Stacy Sola

• 3,000+ Hours of Service: Diana Rankin

• 5,000+ Hours of Service: Brianna Gohde

Intern Cohort

Once again, RCMG hosted the largest cohort in the program history; there were 72 people in the 2023 cohort and 6 people continuing from the 2022 cohort.

The 2023 interns were divided into 1-year and 2-year internships tracks.

• 46 interns chose the 1-year track; 85% fulfilled certification requirements during the year.

• 25 interns chose the 2-year track; 25% fulfilled certification requirements during the first year and most plan to complete their internships in 2024.

NEW 2-Year Internship

To increase accessibility, Ramsey and Hennepin County groups trialed a 2-year internship option in 2023. Interns were given the option to choose which track best fit their lives. This comparison was shared with the incoming interns (class of 2023).

• Interns on the 1-year track followed the traditional expectations of completing the Core Course, 50 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education in a single year.

• Interns on the 2-year track were expected to complete the Core Course in their first year and then complete the 50 hours of volunteer service and 8 hours of continuing education in their second year year.

Mentoring & Mentor Teams

Mentor Teams were again used to help interns make connections with other returning volunteers (mentors) and new volunteers (interns) in their rough geographic location. Several of these groups gathered during the summer for informal garden tours or social hours to help build connections. Some teams were more successful than others.

Many teams started new volunteer activities specific to their neighborhoods, like the Garden of Good Hearts, Lakewood Hills Park Native Garden, and the White Bear Food Shelf. Others adopted existing projects, like specific compost sites and Arts-Us shifts.

Departing MGs

Several volunteers (12%) left the program. The reasons mentioned included:

• Moved away from Ramsey County MN

• Decided not to continue their internship

• Expired Background Check and Safety of Minors Training certification

• Changes to availability to volunteer or changes in priority/interest

Project Funding

The RCMG Board of Directors heard requests from volunteers for additional funding to support existing projects and to jumpstart new projects in 2023. They invested $7,720 in board votes to the following volunteer activities.

• Internship Financial Aid - $197

• Funding for Youth Programs - $325

• Plant Sale (for 2023 & 2024 sales) - $4,125

• State Fair Demonstration Garden - $124

• RCMG Book Club - $97

• Barn Gardens Repairs - $1,932

• Train-the-Trainer Guest Speaker (Barefoot Workshop) - $150

• Garden of Good Hearts Signage - $150

• Monthly Meeting Refreshments - $120

• Downpayment for the Ramsey and Washington County Joint Meeting in August 2024 - $500

NEW Volunteer Activities 2023

RCMG developed several new ways for volunteers to get involved locally. Many of these projects are expected to continue in 2024.

• Aldrich Rain Gardens (Simba Blood)

• Barn Garden Monarch Waystation (Jeanne Buck)

• Clark Avenue Pollinator Garden (Sadie Loose)

• Lawns-to-Legumes Coaching (Karen Randall)

• Lakewood Native Gardens (Sadie Loose)

• Soil Health Advocate (Dawn Pape)

• White Bear Lake Food Shelf (Judie Ginter)

• Youth Classes with Merriam Park Library (Don Muske)

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 2023

RCMG continues to re-evaluate and update existing projects and activities.

• Activities with the CLUES Community Garden included new hands-on food preservation classes that proved to be popular with participants. The lecture part of the class was taught in Spanish by RCMG volunteers. (Brianna Gohde)

• Frogtown Gardens engagement expanded to include The Park Stewards and The Seedling Corps projects. (Patricia Ohmas & Stephanie Hankerson)

• Gardens for Good expanded its leadership team and built on its relationships with the Wilson Hi-Rise residents. The amount of food donated by RCMG volunteers also increased. (Beth Fritcher)

• Garden of Good Hearts, a mentor team project, expanded the scope of its work in the community garden and RCMG shared signage from the Healing Gardens project. (Fabienne Bridges)

• The State Fair Demonstration Gardens were updated and designed to peak during the State Fair. They highlighted a collection of edible plants and hardy, low-maintenance perennial plants. (Julie Coopet)

• RCMG returned to the White Bear Lake Winter Market and Little Canada Winter Markets in 2023.

DISCONTINUED Volunteer Activities 2023

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

• There was no formal Awards and Recognition Celebration held in 2023.

• The Community Garden House-call failed to find a new project lead, as the previous lead, Gene Ranieri became more involved with supporting a specific community garden.

• The collaboration with Habitat for Humanity ended in 2023 when that organization changed its priorities around the landscaping aspect of its homes in a way that no longer aligned with the Master Gardener Program mission.

• The Ramsey County Fair was not held in 2023, 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 2023. 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

• David Remucal (University of Minnesota Arboretum's Curator of Endangered Plants) – Conserving Minnesota's Native Plants

• Gabby Menomin (Environmental Restoration Manager with Lower Phalen Creek Project) – Indigenous Stewardship in Imnizaska

• Peer-to-Peer IPM Panel by RCMG Volunteers Roger Wippler, Karen Randall & Gene Ranieri (covering Tomato, Jumping Worms, Red Lily Beetles)

• Julie Weisenhorn (U of M Associate Extension Professor and Extension Educator, Horticulture) – Edible Landscaping

• Peer-to-Peer Houseplant Propagation Demonstrations

• Bob Fossum (Capitol Region Watershed District) Highland Bridge Project Tour

• Heather Benson (Nature-based Therapist at UofM/Masonic Children’s Hospital) Nature Heals

• John Springman & Mariah Quick (Ramsey County) Ramsey County Food Scraps & Recycling Programs

• Peer-to-Peer Blooms, Buds and Thorns: Garden stories

Recordings available on the monthly meetings page for 2024 Continuing Education credit.

Cross-County Meetings

A combined meeting with the Washington County Master Gardeners was held at Oakdale Discovery Center. The focus was on Food Scraps, Composting and Joint Programming with the Ramsey/Washington Recycling and Energy Center. This meeting was hosted by the Washington County group.

Peer-To-Peer Learning

Using information from the Skills & Interests Survey, the Education Committee identified both widespread knowledge gaps among volunteers, and individual RCMG volunteers who had strong skills in those areas. They developed a Peer-to-Peer Learning format for volunteers to share their knowledge with other volunteers.

• IPM Panel covering Tomatoes, Jumping Worms, Red Lily Beetles by RCMG volunteers Roger Wippler, Karen Randall & Gene Ranieri

• Houseplant Propagation Demonstrations at the Barn by RCMG volunteers, Suellen Campbell and Simba Blood, Joe Baltrukonis and Jennifer Porwitt, Sue Mason, Sandy McDonald, Darren Lochner

• Blooms, Buds and Thorns: Garden stories from RCMG volunteers by RCMG volunteers Katherine Tane, Darren Lochner, Julie Ann Wegscheid, Sue VonBank, Laurel Watt, Alex Meyer, Susie DeShon, Debbie Lee, Nilgun Tuna, Vanessa Hazelton, Karen Randall, Gary DeGrande, Nanette Boudreau, Debbie Lee, Anneka Munsell, Sarah Broughton, Scott Lore, Mary Montagne, Katie Robinson

In-Person Core Course Night

The New Member Committee hosted an in-person event in April to align with the Live Core Course event about Community Engagement. Interns, mentors, and returning MGs were invited to join the conversation about how RCMG works with the community in Ramsey County.

Garden Gate Tours Eleven Garden Gate Tours were scheduled from June 29 to September 17. Ten tours were hosted by RCMGs in their home gardens. One tour of the extensive, ecologically diverse restored natural areas at the Keller Golf Course was hosted by Golf Course Superintendent Paul Diegnau and Simba Blood. The final Garden Gate of 2023 at the home of Tina Frederickson also included an “extra”, the opportunity to learn about ways to increase garden photography skills with Scott Lore, 2023 intern.

Laurel Watt wrote "In Praise of Garden Gate Tours" on the Volunteer News blog.

Summer Garden Gate Tours

• Alex Meyer

Fall Garden Gate Tours

• Tina Frederickson

Tomato Tours

Jennifer Porwit and Joe Baltrukonis opened their house to RCMG volunteers in the spring to show their amazing set-up and process for starting and growing tomato seedlings. Jennifer and Joe grew hundreds of tomato plants for the RCMG plant sale in 2023 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 events.

• Growing Tomatoes from Seed

• Container Gardens (NEW class preview)

• Designing RCMG Projects

• Stopping Problem Plants

• Rain Gardens (NEW class preview)

• Leadership at All Levels

• About the New MN Marijuana Law

• Fall Into Winter

• Bare Root Washing Workshop

Recordings for most events are available on the Train-the-Trainer page for 2024 Continuing Education credit. RCMG Book Club RCMG Book Discussion group met every-other-month on the 4th Tuesday. In 2023, the group read the following titles. Copies of these books are available in the RCMG Lending Library for all volunteers to read for 2024 Continuing Education credit

• How We Eat: the Brave New World of Food and Drink by Paco Underhill

• In Winter's Kitchen by Beth Dooley

• The Lifelong Gardener by Toni Gattone

• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

• The Plant Hunter: a Scientist's Quest for Nature's Next Medicines by Cassanda Leah Quave

• Fen, Bog & Swamp: a Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis by Annie Proulx

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.

• A subcommittee began work to identify the boundaries between the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program of Ramsey County and the Ramsey County Master Gardeners 501(c)3.

• "Give To The Max" (RCMG) and "Giving Tuesday" (Extension) fundraising campaigns were deployed in November 2023, raising over $500.

• New volunteer event signs and the "Master Gardener" banners for the tents were developed by the Communications Committee.

• A new 2-year internship option was piloted to 2023 interns. Hennepin County also piloted this option, though have decided not to continue it at this time. For 2024, the 1-year internship is described as the default, though the 2-year option is available upon request.

• The New Member Committee  documented and created a document to track repeatable committee tasks.

Extension & State Services

• Darren Lochner, Program Coordinator celebrated his 3-year anniversary in July.

• The Invasive Species training was launched in spring 2023.

• The State Advisory Board hosted Regional Gatherings around the state with keynote speaker, Dr. Jon Trappe, the new Extension horticulturist in the Turfgrass Science Department and his presentation, "The Utility of Turfgrass."

• Christy Marsden, Master Gardener Educator who redesigned the Core Course and companion manual, left the State Leadership Team for another Extension department.

RCMG Committees

• The Education Committee was led by Jane Carlstrom and Simba Blood. They organized speakers and expanded the Garden Gate Tours in 2023. 2023 Education Committee members: Simba Blood, Sue Ellen Campbell, Jane Carlstrom, Sue Mason, Gene Ranieri, and KatherineTane. Two additional members joined the committee in November 2023: Alex Meyer and Judy Johnson.

• The New Member Committee was lead by Judie Ginter and Karen Randall. They were joined by Tiffa Foster in late summer 2023 to help evaluate the intern and mentor experience.

• The Communications Committee was led by Stacy Sola and Nanette Boudreau.

• A new Finance Committee is under development and will hit the ground running in early 2024.

RCMG Board

Board Meeting Format Improvements

RCMG Board leadership reframed Board of Directors (BOD) meeting agendas to separate Information Updates from more actionable items like discussion on funding opportunities and advising committees. and projects.

The Board also restarted regular Board retreats to discuss topics affecting the organization in more depth.

New Bylaws

A RCMG subcommittee finalized updates to the Ramsey County Master Gardeners (501c3) bylaws. These had not been updated since 2013. Bylaws were presented for a member vote in October 2023 and confirmed with significant member support.

Accounts Management

RCMG moved money into a high-yield savings account to take advantage of higher interest rate and grow existing funds and updated Fidelity authorized users. RCMG also purchased four (4) new Square devices to use at the Plant Sale and created a user guide for volunteers.

Board Members Transitioning into 2024

• Sandy McDonald retired to Board Chair-emeritus and Julie Bechtold became Board chair.

• Board of Director elections were held in November 2023. RCMG volunteers elected Kay Wimer as vice-chair. Gretchen Hesli continues as secretary; and Kathy Passe continues as treasurer.

• Jane Carlstrom leaves the Education Chair position and is followed by Simba Blood as Education Chair. Gene Ranieri joins Simba as co-chair for 2024.

• Judie Ginter leaves the New Member Chair position and is followed by Karen Randall as Chair. Tiffa Foster joins Karen as co-chair for 2024.

• Stacy Sola was elected as Communications co-chair and serves with Nanette Boudreau.