Click on image to enlarge Leo Blum, from the MGAWC archives

In 1987 MGAWCSM member Leo Blum established volunteer outreach at the point of sale and the program has been replicated across the state

MGAWC’s annual spring educational outreach, Let’s Go Gardening (LGG) provides community gardeners with a convenient opportunity to discuss plant concerns.  Taking place in a variety of local nurseries and plant centers, LGG supplies consumers with information at the point of sale that helps set them up for a successful gardening season.

Over five Saturdays in May 2004, MGAWC volunteers donated 447 hours to answer questions on topics such as plant selection, plant placement, site preparation, or pest management.  Established by MGAWC volunteer Leo Blum in the mid-1980’s, Let’s Go Gardening was replicated across the state because it is a Win-Win-Win-Win-Win-Win program.

• Local gardeners win by having easy access to friendly, approachable, impartial resources for quality information that will improve their gardening results.
• Stores win by providing improved customer service and making a tax-deductible donation to support community gardening activities that build interest in their products.
• Employees win by being able to refer questions during the busiest days of the season.  LGG is a short-term activity each year intentionally designed NOT to threaten the jobs of paid employees at plant centers.
• Members win by having volunteer coordinators Jesse and Jerry Wright do the work of arranging a variety of convenient locations where LGG volunteers can help gardeners in the spring.
• MGAWC wins by fulfilling its mission of educating the public.  The association also earns funds to support scholarships (furthering education) and grants (fulfilling the mission of supporting community gardening activities) without asking members to conduct non-gardening fund-raisers throughout the year.
• The community wins by having gardeners make more responsible choices to protect the environment.  The community also wins through MGAWC’s support of students studying environmental topics and volunteers leading local gardening projects.

At the December volunteer recognition banquet, Frances Bauch, Margot McCormack, and Barb Young were recognized for working four shifts last year.  They received a Let’s Go Gardening pin in the shape of an acorn to symbolize volunteers planting seeds of knowledge.  Click here for a list of the MGAWC volunteers who have been recognized with the MGAWC Let’s Go Gardening Award.  And visit the Archive section for photographs of honorees who were present at the MGAWC Volunteer Recognition Banquet at the time of the award.

Nadine Cojocar and Barb Stone also worked four shifts in 2004 but were not able to attend the banquet.  Frances Bauch volunteered for the most LGG shifts in 2003 also.  Past President Barb Young recruited and placed volunteers in LGG shifts for several years in the 90’s.  Thank you for your efforts helping gardeners.

For their many years of hard work and their recent and continuing efforts to organize LGG under challenging circumstances, Jesse and Jerry Wright were selected as the first recipients of the Dean Krauskopf Award, recognizing volunteers who provide quality educational programs.  Click here for a list of the MGAWC volunteers who have been recognized with the MGAWC Dean Krauskopf Award.  And visit the Archive section for photographs of honorees who were present at the MGAWC Volunteer Recognition Banquet at the time of the award.