Jane Dosemagen November 12, 1999

Learning Task #5, What do our Clients/Constituents Think?

Clients for the Master Gardener Program, which is the specific Extension program that I work with, include the Master Gardeners themselves or the people in the community that they "educate." I will focus on the Master Gardeners themselves and what they would like for their 'professional' or continuing education. For this information, a feedback form is handed out after each of our monthly meetings, evaluating the speaker and asking for input on future sessions and speakers. The form is an open-ended quantitative type of evaluation used to plan the continuing education/professional development of the Master Gardener volunteers.

In summarizing the feedback forms for this year, these are topics that the Master Gardeners rated as a high or medium priority for their continuing education next year, with a list of possible presenters.

Pruning Trees and Shrubs Mike Zins, Gary Johnson, Paul Buck, Jeff Jones, or someone from Rainbow Tree Care

Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Specific Sites Mike Zins, Gary Johnson, Jim Calkins, Nancy Rose, Lorrie Stromme or a Tree Care Advisor, or someone from Bailey's

Disease & Insect Identification/Problems of the Season Jeff Hahn, Chad Behrendt, Cindy Ash, Jody Fetzer

New Cultivars Arla Carmichael, Steve Kelly, Mike Hubbard, or someone from Bailey's

Landscape and Garden Design Brad Pedersen, Peter Olin

Prairie Plants and Native Grasses Mary Meyer, Chase Cornelius, Douglas Owens Pike, Dianne Hilscher

Weed ID Don Wyse

Planting Trees and Shrubs Mike Zins, Gary Johnson, Paul Buck, Jeff Jones, or someone from Rainbow Tree Care

Giving Good Presentations to Youth and Adults Tim Kenny for youth

This list is much different than my own list or our staff list of possible presenters in that it focuses specifically on horticulture topics, which is another area that I am very interested in learning. This is a perk of my job, to continue my education in horticulture by keeping current on the latest horticultural research through these monthly presentations for Master Gardeners. Also, to keep me current on horticulture topics is the horticulture listserve, University of MN Extension Service horticultural publications, and resources from other universities.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1999