We are thrilled to report that all UC Master Gardener Programs have now been billed for the Active and Limited  Active volunteers on their rosters (on the billing date). Our Reappointment figures indicate that the UC Master Gardener Program volunteer community grew by 8% in 2023/24 to 6,328 active volunteers. With support from program leaders like you, these volunteers contributed over 430,000 hours in school and community gardens, libraries, and research plots across the state. Thank you for all you do to grow gardeners and impact.

Inactive-Resigned Volunteers

Be sure to provide written notice to all Inactive-Resigned volunteers informing them of their new status and reinstatement procedures. A template form letter for Inactive-Resigned Volunteers is located with the reappointment resources available through the Coordinator Website. Please note that indicating that a volunteer is resigning in the Manage Reappointments screen in VMS is not sufficient to formally resign the volunteer. Changes must be made to the volunteer's status in the Roster screen of VMS. For instructions on how to change the status of a volunteer, see Section 3.6.6 Change Volunteer Status and or/Achievement.

Limited Active Volunteers

VMS does not record the date/time of status and achievement changes for individual volunteers. Please make note of the date on which a volunteer moved from Active to Limited Active status in your personal records. Limited Active status is available for one year, with the possibility of renewal up to three years in rare circumstances. Limited Active status should be treated as a temporary accommodation.

Reinstating Volunteers

If Inactive-Resigned volunteers indicate a desire to return to Active or Limited Active Status, we welcome them to do so!

1. Ask the volunteer to complete the MGP Request for Reinstatement form and related paperwork (see UCCE Master Gardener Program Administrative Handbook for Program Staff, Section VII. Inactive Status, Section VIII. Reinstatement)
2. Confirm that the volunteer is in good standing with the program (e.g., was not removed from the program for Code of Conduct violations or something similar).
   1. Not sure? Check with your County Director and Regional Operations Specialist
3. Reinstate the volunteer to Active or Limited Active status in VMS (see Section 3.6.7 Reinstate a Volunteer).
4. Prompt volunteer to complete Reappointment forms in VMS (or indicate forms were completed on paper)
5. In the Manage Reappointments screen in VMS, send the list to the Director.

Note: If volunteers elect to reinstate after your county has paid the insurance invoice from the statewide office, you will not receive additional invoices.

Questions about billing?

Danny H Won
Program Support Assistant
(530) 750-1353
dwon@ucanr.edu

Questions about post-Reappointment tasks?

Katherine Uhde (Region 1)
Regional Operations Specialist
(408) 282-3138
kuhde@ucanr.edu

Kristian M Salgado-Jacobo (Region 2)
Regional Operations Specialist
(530) 750-1372
kmsalgado@ucanr.edu

Marisa A Coyne
Asst Director, Volunteer & Community Engagement
(530) 750-1394
macoyne@ucanr.edu

The UC Master Gardener Program 2024 Reappointment window has now closed! Per the UCCE Master Gardener Program Administrative Handbook the reappointment window Jun. 1, 2024 - July 31, 2024

At this stage, we begin:

• Notifying volunteers who have not completed reappointment of a forthcoming change intheirstatus
  • from Active or Limited Active to Inactive-Resigned
  • from Active or Limited Active to Honorary

• Collecting insurance payments (at a rate of $6.00 per volunteer) 
• Preparing to receive an invoice from the statewide office requesting recharge for insurance payments made on behalf of the county program (at a rate of $6.00 per volunteer)

Reappointment Guides and Templates

Help documentation and training resources, including Step-by-Step Guides to Reappointment and Template Letters to Inactive-Resigned volunteers, can be found on the UC Master Gardener Coordinator website's Reappointment page.

Insurance Invoices

We recommend blocking out a few hours through the end of August 2024 to ensure that your reappointment is complete and that insurance fees are properly submitted to the UC Master Gardener Program statewide office. Counties will receive insurance billing information beginning the first week of August. Insurance payments will draw from recharge account numbers provided by coordinators. This year, we are working with new account strings. Please be prepared to verify the account string on your invoice using this KFS to AE Account Look-Up file prepared by BOC. Alternatively, checks can be made payable to UC Regents.

In recent years, the UC Statewide IPM Program has received an influx of questions from UC Master Gardeners and the general public about homemade pesticides. Below is our official statement on homemade pesticides and guidance for UC Master Gardeners when discussing pesticides with clientele.

A brief definition of homemade pesticides: Mixtures formulated with household ingredients (i.e. dish soap, vinegar, garlic, cooking oils, etc.) with the intent to use for killing, controlling, reducing, or repelling a pest (insects, mites, pathogens, weeds, vertebrates) are considered pesticides. Homemade pesticides might also include mixtures of commercially available pesticides (for example neem oil) with household ingredients.

UC IPM statement on homemade pesticides: Homemade pesticides, as defined above, should not be recommended or suggested by UC Master Gardeners to the public as a method for controlling pests. Unless included within UC ANR peer-reviewed publications, homemade pesticides generally have not been studied in replicated research trials and therefore have not been scientifically proven to effectively control pests. The ingredients used in homemade pesticides vary widely, and their effects on the environment (natural enemies, pollinators, water quality, soil quality) and humans have not been studied or proven to be safe or less-toxic.

What should UC Master Gardeners do? UC Master Gardeners share science-based, unbiased information and resources with the public. This includes UC ANR publications and other resources on the UC IPM website that have been written by UC academics and peer-reviewed for accuracy. On page 222 of the UC Master Gardener Handbook, it states, “All pesticide recommendations to the public must be recommendations published by UC. Do not recommend home remedies for use as pesticides…”?

When discussing pest control strategies with the public, UC Master Gardeners should provide options and resources. This follows UC IPM's integrated approach, which seeks to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.

In the process of presenting pest solutions, you may suggest pesticide active ingredients but not specific products. These must be referenced in the UC IPM Pest Notes for the pest you are dealing with. For example, if a client is looking for a pesticide to use to control aphids, you may suggest horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps because these pesticides are listed as options in the Pest Notes: Aphids publication. When “oils and soaps” are mentioned in UC IPM publications, we are referring to commercially available oils and soaps that are formulated specifically for use as pesticides- not household oils and soaps meant for cooking, cleaning, or other purposes.

Homemade pesticides are not advised for several reasons:

1. They are not registered by the U.S. EPA and are not in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Pesticides are legally required to be registered by the U.S. EPA for sale and use or comply with FIFRA exemptions.
2. They do not come with detailed product labels like commercially available pesticides. Pesticide product labels have instructions for use, including the amount to use, frequency of applications, how soon after application you can harvest crops, and whether the product can even be used on edible crops. Safety and disposal information is also listed, including what to do if someone is exposed and needs to seek medical attention.
3. Pesticide product labels are legal documents that users are required to read and follow. If someone gets harmed while using a labeled product, they can seek legal action. If they did not use the product according to label instructions, they would likely lose their case. Homemade pesticide recipes and advice shared online and through social media, vary from one to another and do not include these important details that prevent harm or litigation. Home remedies shared by UC Master Gardeners that are not backed by research could subject the University to litigation if a user experiences damage or injury from advice given.
4. Some household products included in homemade pesticide recipes include additives and ingredients that are synthetically made that could harm the environment because they were not formulated to be used outdoors, on plants, or in a manner different from the ingredient's intended purpose. Most dish soaps are not naturally occurring substances nor are they biodegradable. They can contain detergents and degreasers that are harmful to groundwater and aquatic and soil organisms.

A note about acetic acid, or vinegar: Pesticides with the active ingredient acetic acid and labeled as herbicides can be used to control small or young weeds. However, household acetic acid (vinegar) products labeled for kitchen or cleaning uses, should not be used as herbicides. Keep in mind that products containing more than 10% acetic acid are dangerous and often these pesticides will have the signal word DANGER as high concentrations of acetic acid is corrosive and can cause irreversible eye and skin damage.

If you have any questions about pesticides or would like information about pesticide training for your program, contact the UC IPM Urban Team at ucipm-community@ucanr.edu.

                                                                        -- Lauren Fordyce & Karey Windbiel-Rojas, UC IPM

References

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PI288

https://www.epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides

Ag Day at the Capital

UC Master Gardener volunteers play a crucial role in community gardening education, food donations and other activities. This important statewide program also hosts community education fairs and offers seedling sales to local residents.  More often than not, the revenue generated from these activities goes right back into their program.

I know there are several UC Master Gardener Programs that successfully connect with their local and state officials. I want to highlight the UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County  for their efforts connecting with State Senator, Dave Cortese (15-San Jose.)   Senator Cortese attended an event when he was a Supervisor, and continues participation as a state legislator.

So, how do you engage your public officials? To find your local government official you can use the Google search engine or for state legislators https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/. Once you have identified who represents your community, I encourage you to get to know them.

Community engagement and connection is important. To mobilize support for your local UC Master Gardener Program, I encourage you to invite your elected officials to an upcoming event. Most elected officials have an email address or directions on how to send an event invitation.

Katherine Uhde, Program Coordinator in Santa Clara County, offers these successful event tips:

• Shoppers are focused on buying their seedlings. Don't let your elected official get lost in the shuffle, set aside time in your class/talks schedule for them to address an engaged audience.
• Alternatively, invite elected officials to give an opening address to kickstart your event.
• Communicate early and often. Elected officials have busy schedules. Send a save the date as early as possible and regularly check in with staff leading up to the event.
• Take photos to post on social media and share them with the elected officials.

If it is a well-attended event, you might offer an opportunity to host a constituent services table. For more information on how to host your public officials, please have your county representative contact me at sviolini@ucanr.edu. Remember, to grow a healthy garden, it takes time and energy. The same concept applies to growing program awareness among your public officials; it takes time and commitment to help them get to know you!

The UC Master Gardener Program has a positive impact in California. Celebrate your commitment to healthy living, mindfulness, and improving California resident's gardening practices!