The Master Gardener Program in Florida ...
Florida began its Master Gardener Program in 1979 following the original model developed in 1972 by the state of Washington.
Since then, 56 of Florida’s 67 counties have active programs involving over 3,835 active Master Gardeners. Each county’s
program is directed by the county Cooperative Extension residential horticultural agent, a faculty member of the University
of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS). Along with other organizations, Florida Master Gardeners
volunteer time, talents and supplies to enable the UF/IFAS to fulfill its mission “to provide informal educational programs
to help Florida residents improve their economic status and quality of life.”
The Florida Master Gardener Program
is an educational opportunity designed to meet the gardening information needs of the community. The program’s purpose
is to provide technical assistance and information in the area of home horticulture to people in the community through qualified
volunteers. Whether through phone calls, home visits, plant clinics, presentations, newsletters, emails, websites or other
efforts, the information provided by Florida Master Gardeners must be unbiased and research based. It must be accurate, current,
and when possible, taken from UF/IFAS publications and research. The mandated focus and emphasis of the program is to extend
the information being developed at the University of Florida or other land-grant universities to the people of Florida.
The Santa Rosa Count Florida Master Gardener Association ...
The Santa Rosa County Master Gardener Program began in 1987 to support the residential horticulture agent of Santa Rosa
County, Florida. In 1994, the first bylaws were adopted and the first officers were elected. Since 2002, members have contributed
more than 88,000 volunteer hours to the residents of Santa Rosa County. In 2009, members participated in over 1600 hours of
continuing education to maintain and update their knowledge base.
Members fulfill their volunteer hour commitment by
participating in many community outreach projects serving the general public. These include:
- Garden Mosaic
Project – Providing bi-monthly horticulture training to over 300 middle-school children.
- Panhandle
Butterfly House – Operating the PBH in Navarre, Florida as docents and planting and maintaining the gardens.
- Diagnostic
Walk-In Plant Clinics - Providing horticultural assistance to clients over the phone and on a walk-in basis at two
Santa Rosa County locations.
- The University of Florida Gardens – Helping to maintain and participating
as docents at the teaching and demonstration garden on the UF/PJC campus in Milton.
- Community Life Center
Butterfly Garden – Designing, planting and maintaining the memorial garden that attracts butterflies to the
delight of children and adults.
- Growing Gardeners Program – Supporting ESE students at a Navarre
public school as they design, plant, maintain, and harvest vegetables in raised beds.
- UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County
Teaching and Demonstration Garden – Assisting in maintaining these gardens located on the grounds of the Santa
Rosa Extension facility.
- Fairs, Festivals and Traveling Displays – Providing educational booths
at the Pensacola Intrastate Fair, the Santa Rosa County Fair and additional festivals.
In addition to external
projects and activities, members also participate in internal projects to maintain the strength of the organization. These
include:
- The Earthworm – The newsletter is published monthly and is available
on our website.
- The Trainee Mentoring Program – Helps to familiarize new Master Gardener Interns
with their duties and the processes and procedures of the organization.
- The Membership Meeting –
These monthly gatherings provide communication, education, and social networking.
- The Website –
the digital method of communication of new knowledge, events and opportunities.
Executive Committee, Our Leaders for 2011 ...
The Santa Rosa County Master Gardener
Association 2011 Executive Committee members are:
| President | Hank H. |
| President-Elect | Jim D. |
| Past President | Noreen G. |
| Treasurer | Kay O. |
| Secretary | Carol T. |
| Member-At-Large | Meta S. |
| New Class Member | Jay R. |
| Parliamentarian | Larry B. |
Our Meetings ...
Our membership meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month. The meetings alternate between Gulf
Breeze in the southern part of the county and Milton in the northern part of the county.
In January, March, May, July,
September, and November, we meet in Gulf Breeze at the United Methodist Church Community Life Center (CLC). It is located
at 4114 Soundside Drive, on the south side of Highway 98. Directions:
- From the West: approximately
1 mile east of the intersection of Hwy 98 and Hwy 281 (Walmart/Garcon Point Bridge area).
- From the East:
approximately 10.5 miles west of the intersection of Hwy 98 and Hwy 87.
In February, April, June, August, October,
and December, we meet in Milton at the Santa Rosa County Extension Office. It is located at 6263 Dogwood Drive, on the west
side of Dogwood Drive. Directions from the east or west:
- Turn north off of Hwy 90, onto Dogwood
Drive (Hwy 89)
- Turn left at the US Dept of Agriculture sign onto Maid Marion Street
- Turn behind the USDA bldg
and proceed to the Extension Office parking lot.
Our Coordinator
...
Theresa Friday is the coordinator of the Santa Rosa Master Gardener volunteer program. Her role
extends from her position as the Santa Rosa County Residential Horticultural Agent. She has been with the Santa Rosa Extension
Service since 2001. As an agent, she focuses on teaching County residents how to create and maintain environmentally friendly
landscapes. To assist her, Master Gardeners advise County residents using research-based, published resources.
Theresa
is a member of the Extension Faculty of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
She is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Environmental Horticulture specializing in landscape maintenance
and nursery management. She received her Masters of Agriculture in Education and Communications from the University of Florida
in 2005.
