As a new Master Gardener trainee you may choose to focus some of your volunteer time on a community project of your choosing.  However, the majority of your time (30 hours) in your first year of certification must be in one of our community projects as outlined below.  Master Gardener Volunteers have found that by working together on shared projects they are much more likely to succeed and have a positive Master Gardener experience.  Any Master Gardener may initiate a new community project by putting in an approval request to our county Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator (Sue Tkacik).  If the project is approved and funding is needed, a Project Overview Form is to be sent to the York County Master Gardener Association Board. 

The following is a brief description of some – not all – of our community projects.

 Kids Can Grow – Youth gardening program. Master Gardener Volunteers teach and mentor children at a series of classes held on Saturdays, once a month from April – August. Volunteers also mentor participating youth at their home gardens.

 Maine Harvest for Hunger (formerly Plant-A-Row for the Hungry) – Program recruits farmers and home gardeners to donate produce from their farm/garden to area food pantries, shelters and senior housing projects. Master Gardeners can serve on the organizational team to coordinate this county-wide program or give their time to gleaning/delivering produce.   Certified Master Gardener Volunteers may spend more than 10 hours on growing veggies for PAR.

 Laudholm Farm Master Gardener Volunteers – Master Gardener Volunteers serve to manage the native plant demonstration garden and the pumpkin patch on the grounds of Laudholm Farm at Wells Reserve.  In addition volunteers will help coordinate educational gardening displays for the general public at public events such as Earth Day and Punkinfiddle.

 Plant Sale and Raffle – Coordinated by 2-4 Master Gardeners with the Master Gardener Association Board and support from all Master Gardener Volunteers. This is a major fundraising event for the York County Master Gardener Association, to support all York County Master Gardener Projects and is usually held on a Saturday in May.

 Garden Angel  -  Program links Master Gardeners (Garden Angels) with Recipients who are elderly or disabled persons, with financial limitations, who love to garden but need a friend/helping hand/Garden Angel to help them be able to continue gardening.

 Caring Unlimited – Master Gardener’s garden with residents of a Caring Unlimited Shelter in Sanford, teaching them garden basics and helping them to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables, and care for trees and shrubs.

 Farmers’ Market Volunteers – Outreach education on gardening to the general public through Master Gardener displays at York County Farmer’s Markets.  Volunteering at market typically runs from mid July – August, though some Master Gardener groups choose to start earlier and go longer in the season. 

 Workshops – Held once or twice a year, this is a program offered by Master Gardeners, covering many subjects, and open to the public.