Upper Midwest RegionalExtension Master Gardener Volunteer Conference

June 14 16, 2018 | Minnesota Landscape ArboretumUniversity of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Photo by Michael Ableman, Fields of Plenty (Chronicle Books 2005).

COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT

Train-the-Trainer:The Garden Mentor Program in St. Paul Public Housing

Lesley Perg, Jamie Aussendorf, Roger Hintze, and Ann Tranvik

The Garden Mentor program is a joint effort by Ramsey County Master Gardeners (RCMG), the St. Paul Public Housing Agency (SPPHA), and the St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department.

The SPPHA has 16 high rise and 4 town home developments with community gardens. Our Garden Mentor program sprang from the need to better support this diverse, low-income community. The seeds grew from Master Gardener Roger Hintze’s five years of bimonthly teaching at two high-rise gardens. The three organizations brainstormed ways to better support all sites, resulting in an on-site Train-the-Trainer program.

OVERVIEW & GOALS

OUTCOMES

Seven Garden Mentors have been trained in two annual cohorts, covering six high rises and one town home development. Two people returned to the Garden Mentor class for additional training the second year. Following training completion, two people accessed additional outside training, one taking Leadership Training and one starting a Horticulture degree.

Training Garden Mentors in vegetable and pollinator gardening has extended the outreach of the Ramsey County Master Gardeners, and has empowered a diverse, low-income community.

We are sharing our project as a model for other Master Gardener programs!

PROCESS

The Garden Mentor program has twelve contact hours, and the topics include:

Soils

Seeds and Transplanting

Garden Planning

Disease and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Pollinators

How to deal with garden conflicts peacefully (taught by Dispute Resolution Center)

In return, the Garden Mentors have specific responsibilities, including helping neighbors with community gardening and acting as liaison to the high rise Resident Council.

Class of 2018 Garden Mentors. Back Row, L to R: Jamie Aussendorf (MG), Lesley Perg (MG), Roger Hintze (MG), Mary Ingeld (2nd yr). Front Row, L to R: Anjennette Williams, Sharon Hemmons, Pamela Martin (2nd yr), Linda Carter Nyakundi. (not shown: David Healy)