Hands On Education

FOOD RESCUE / GLEANING

The USDA defines gleaning as collecting farm crops left in fields that have been mechanically harvested, or from fields that wouldn't be profitable to harvest. Working with Manna Food Center, Community Food Rescue (CFR), HarvestShare and other organizations dedicated to reducing food insecurity in the county, Montgomery County Master Gardeners harvest thousands of pounds of otherwise unwanted fruit and vegetables each year and help distribute it to local “agencies that serve people who may not know where their next meal will come from.”

During the spring, summer and fall growing seasons, these organizations find gleaning opportunities with local farms and gardens and coordinate the demand from nonprofits and charitable organizations that provide this nutritious food to those in need, reaching out MCMG's to harvest and deliver the bounty to the selected non-profit or charitable organization.

For more information, contact email the Montgomery County Master Gardeners or phone via (301) 590-2842. If you would like to learn more about the HarvestShare organization please email HarvestShare.

Harvesting watermelon at Pope Farms (Image Credit: Cat Kahn)

Therapeutic Horticulture

Video Credit: Montgomery County Council, Maryland

The goal of Therapeutic Horticulture is to bring hands-on experience in the garden or with nature to an audience of special needs residents and elderly County residents who are either no longer able to be outside gardening or need assistance to do so. Whether making a floral arrangement of fresh or dried flowers, planting seeds in a garden bed, growing lettuces in a salad box, pressing flowers for bookmarks, or potting up houseplants, every project has an educational component with a specific topic and theme which Master Gardeners present to accompany the physical work product.

Click the image above to see a short video featuring our Therapeutic Horticulture Program which was created for Montgomery County Cable TV.

For more information on Therapeutic Horticulture click here to be directed to the Therapeutic Horticulture Committee webpage.

For more information on new programs contact us via email at mgmont@umd.edu, or call (301) 590-2842.

Therapeutic Horticulture volunteers (Image Credit: Wendy Band)

Youth Gardening PROGRAMS

Our vision is a future in which Montgomery County Youth have multiple opportunities to connect with nature, to develop a stewardship interest in the natural environment, and to realize that individual and group actions can impact our health and the health of the environment.

Our mission is to provide students with an opportunity to develop organic gardening skills, prepare them to share their knowledge with others, and to foster the development of self-confidence, teamwork skills, scientific thought, responsibility, and an interest in healthy eating through a hands-on, curriculum-based gardening program.

Click the image to the left to learn more about our Youth Gardening program. Read more about our White Oak Youth Gardening Campers recent experience as recently featured on Montgomery Community Media.

Growing Forward:

White Oak Youth Garden Program

Master Gardeners work with Montgomery County youth from the after-school program and the summer camp program to garden with the children, teach nutrition, and send harvested food home with them.

Nature Forward Woodend Learning Garden

School groups, summer campers, and the onsite Nature Forward pre-school students use the Master Gardener-supported Learning Garden at Woodend Learning Garden in Chevy Chase to plant seeds, harvest vegetables and fruits, and observe the wildlife that also visits the garden. School groups and summer camp groups learn about pollination, what plants need and lots more about the natural world, but mostly we hope they just love to be there.

Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts

Master Gardeners provide Girl Scout, Cub Scout, and Boy Scout Merit Badge educational programs leading to completion of the Scouting USA Gardening Merit Badge as well as other awards and Scouting requirements. Specific areas of interest include composting, beekeeping, water gardening, container gardening, and raised bed gardening

School Garden Program

Master gardeners support East Silver Spring Elementary School teachers with their students in outdoor garden classes. They help plant seeds, demonstrate caring for plants, show how to harvest produce, and help prepare it for tasting.

Bethesda

Fox Hill Residences

2nd Tuesday of the month at 2:00 p.m.

Brookeville

Marian House Assisted Living

2nd Tuesday of the month at 1:00 p.m.

Friendship Heights

Brighton Gardens, Assisted Living

3rd Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m. from March to December.

Friendship Heights

Brighton Gardens, Dementia Unit

3rd Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. from March to December

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