Program Evaluation - External

Sowing Seeds of Evaluation: A Pilot Study Measuring Master Gardener Program Public Benefit (2020)

• Wilkins, T., Gable, M., Alviz, K., Webb-Martinez, K., & Womack, M. (2019). Sowing Seeds of Evaluation: A Pilot Study Measuring Master Gardener Program Public Benefit. Journal of Extension, 57(6), n6.

  • https://www.joe.org/joe/2019december/rb3.php

EVIDENCE OF IMPACT: EXAMINATION OF EVALUATION STUDIES

• • Workman, J. D., & S. D. Scheer (2012). Evidence of impact: examination of evaluation studies published in the Journal of Extension. Journal of Extension [On-line], (50)2. Article 2FEA1.

    • This resource provides background information on logic models, as well as the importance of documenting impacts. However, reviewers felt that this resource was 'food for thought' more than a tool that could be directly used and applied to EMG programs. (2014)

GUIDING TOOL FOR MEASURING AND REPORTING THE PUBLIC VALUE OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES (2019)

• Froemming, Jackie. Oral presentation at: Extension Master Gardener National Coordinators’ Conference; 2018 August 6-10; Madison, WI. https://youtu.be/f1Hele_dUDk

• Guiding tool: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8zHGVPuSXTFWERzd0hxNFFYaVFyMDRuS05MR2p2RmRwbE5R/view?resourcekey=0-Lh0UUVz3Qq64zQGjJ0LLJg

  • Measuring and reporting the public value of volunteer activities completed by Master Gardeners is not always easy. We have created a guiding tool to facilitate identifying the outputs, outcomes and impacts of different types of volunteer work. The multi-part tool includes a At-A-Glance Guide, a Worksheet and a Project Report as an example. This tool is assisting Master Gardeners in Minnesota demonstrate the benefits that their work brings to their audiences and their communities.

BENEFITS AND BARRIERS OF MASTER GARDENERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS

• • Irish, Laura. Poster presented at: Extension Master Gardener National Coordinators’ Conference; 2018 August 6-10; Madison, WI.

    • This study focused on the collaboration between SNAP-Ed and Iowa Master Gardeners, whose perceptions as citizen scientists were evaluated through their involvement in local food-donation projects. Online surveys were used to analyze Iowa Master Gardeners’ knowledge of research objectives and methods, including bias and its effects on research reliability, and collaboration success. Results from the surveys indicate that for continued success master gardeners need more training in team building, communication, data collection, and food safety. Several benefits and barriers were noted in training master gardener volunteers as citizen scientists. The primary benefits were: 1) the connections they made with food insecure individuals, 2) awareness of food security issues in their local communities, 3) recognition of the scientific process, and 4) the positive impacts of master gardeners on food insecurity. The primary barriers of involving master gardeners as citizen scientists were: 1) amount of time needed to train volunteers in data collection, 2) reluctance to thoroughly measure/record tedious data, and 3) finding times when multiple master gardeners were able to harvest. (2019)

VEGGIES FOR THE PANTRY

• • McGinnis, Esther. Poster presented at: Extension Master Gardener National Coordinators’ Conference; 2018 August 6-10; Madison, WI.

    • One in ten people in North Dakota depend upon food pantries to keep hunger at bay. Food pantries typically receive large donations of canned and boxed goods from donors while fresh fruits and vegetables are in short supply. North Dakota State University Extension Master Gardeners started a pilot initiative called Veggies for the Pantry in 2016 to increase access to fresh produce. The purpose of this initiative was to collect surplus home-grown fruits and vegetables from the community to support local food pantries. Master Gardeners staffed seven collection points strategically distributed across four cities on Monday evenings and then delivered the produce to the pantry the following morning. In 2017, this group staffed 11 produce collection points which were advertised through newspapers, television news, social media and by word of mouth. In total, Master Gardeners collected and delivered over 7956 lbs. of produce to two local food pantries. (2019)