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OSU Extension describes Master Gardener program, demonstration gardens and Firewise materials
Summary
OSU Extension educators told the Crook County commissioners about Master Gardener training and volunteer activity, demonstration gardens, bilingual vegetable guides and a revised fire‑resistant plant guide used beyond the region.
OSU Extension presented a seasonal update to the Crook County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 13, detailing Master Gardener training, community horticulture outreach and recent publications that support water‑wise and fire‑resistant planting.
Amy Jo Detweiler, an OSU Extension horticulture educator, described the Tri‑County Master Gardener program that serves Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. She said 35 trainees are in the 2025 class and roughly 100–120 volunteers are active in any given year. "It's a pretty intense volunteer program," Detweiler said, describing January‑through‑October training and continuing education requirements for certification.
Detweiler described program activities that include two plant clinics (one in Crook County), a bimonthly High Desert newsletter, demonstration and community gardens used for teaching and applied research, and bilingual materials such as the Central Oregon Vegetable Gardening Guide (English and Spanish). She said volunteers help operate plant clinics and outreach; in 2024 the program answered large numbers of gardening questions through walk‑ins, calls and the Ask Extension portal.
The extension maintains demonstration gardens and donates produce from some plots to local food banks including NeighborImpact, Detweiler said. Staff also highlighted classes on Firewise landscaping and a fire‑resistant plant guide that has been revised repeatedly and is in use outside the region.
Detweiler and colleague Lisa Gowen said upcoming activities include an alternative turf ground‑cover study and further pictorial guides for native plants. Commissioners and attendees asked about volunteer roles and the social benefits of the Master Gardener program; Detweiler described volunteers who have participated for decades and the variety of ways volunteers contribute.
Ending: Extension staff offered to leave printed materials at the commissioners’ office and said they will continue outreach across Crook County.
